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(314) 500-HURTFatal Car Accident Sterling, IL. When your worst nightmare comes to life and your loved one is killed in a fatal car accident, find experienced and compassionate fatal car accident wrongful death lawyers in Sterling, IL that you trust as soon as possible to represent your family and fight for your legal recovery. Call Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT or fill out this form for a complimentary consultation with a skilled Sterling, IL lawyer.
Though no amount of money could even hope to equate to the value of a human life, receiving compensation for your damages after your beloved family member is killed by another person’s negligence can help you and your family to get through day to day life after the accident. Burger Law’s Sterling, IL wrongful death lawyers have more than 70 years of combined experience representing families who have sustained loss as a result of Sterling, IL fatal car accidents and have a track record of winning our Sterling, IL clients maximum compensation in their cases. Our talent for negotiating and trying difficult cases have allowed us to help our clients recovery over $170 million in verdicts and settlements for their damages. With more than $170 million in verdicts and settlements returned to our deserving clients through our expert litigation and trial skills, we are the Sterling, IL law firm positioned to help you and your family get the best possible outcome in your fatal car accident wrongful death claim in Sterling, IL or anywhere in Missouri. Call (314) 500-HURT to speak to a skilled wrongful death lawyer in Sterling, IL now.
We are a reputable Sterling, IL personal injury law firm staffed by a team of some of the most talented and passionate personal injury and wrongful death lawyers in Sterling, IL. Our mission is to protect the vulnerable, including Sterling, IL families who have lost a loved one to a fatal car accident. Finding the right lawyer for a fatal car accident case can decide the outcome of your claim, your financial recovery and your mental peace and well-being during and after your case. You must find a car accident lawyer near Sterling, IL who have the litigation skills, wealth of resources and track record to win your case, but also is someone you feel comfortable with. Burger Law’s Sterling, IL fatal car accident team understands that what you are going through is unspeakably painful. We approach your case with compassion and revere the solemn responsibility of providing you with the same level of powerful legal representation that we would for our own families.
If your loved one’s life was cut short by a reckless or negligent driver in a fatal car accident near Sterling, IL, you have the right to make an Illinois wrongful death claim. Illinois law on wrongful death allows people, such as you, whose family member was killed due to another person’s negligence, in a fatal car accident or other type of accident, to be compensated for their losses and to make the negligent person pay for the harm they have caused.
Illinois Compiled Statutes 740 ILCS 180/ lays out the legal requisites for making a wrongful death claim in Illinois court. The statute identifies who is allowed to file a claim, the damages they can be compensated for, how long they have to file a claim and other details related to filing an Illinois wrongful death lawsuit.
If you care for was killed in a fatal car accident in Sterling, IL, one of the first of many questions is whether you are legally allowed to make a wrongful death claim. First preference is given to the decedent’s surviving spouse and next of kin. When the decedent has no surviving spouse or next of kin, the court will name someone as personal representative — typically someone close to the family. Our experienced Sterling, IL litigators have a deep understanding of Illinois law and will put our skills to use to ensure that you are compensated for the loss of your loved one and that the negligent person pays for the harm they have caused.
In filing a wrongful death claim, it is imperative that you hire a powerful wrongful death lawyer in Sterling, IL who has experience winning cases for families whose loved ones have been killed due to the negligence or poor decisions of another person, such as in a fatal car accident in Sterling, IL. Burger Law has a team of determined wrongful death lawyers in Sterling, IL with special backgrounds in car accident cases. Our Sterling, IL attorneys have experience winning difficult fatal car accidents and other wrongful death claims in Sterling, IL, securing the maximum possible compensation for our deserving clients.
Burger Law is a leading Sterling, IL personal injury and wrongful death law firm serving those who have been harmed by others in Sterling, IL and across Illinois and other states. In our more than 25 years as a Sterling, IL law firm, we have connect our clients with more than $170 million in verdicts and settlements.
We mercilessly demand justice for victims in fatal car accidents in Sterling, IL, and the results our clients have received reflect that tenacity. You can hear some of our clients’ stories directly by checking out our testimonial videos or learn more about a few of the cases we have recently settled below.
Though it is plain that no amount of money could make up for your loved one’s death after a fatal car accident in Sterling, IL, you have a chance to receive a financial recovery to compensate you the damages you have suffered. A wrongful death claim is a way for you to hold responsible the person or people who ended your loved one’s death in a fatal car accident and to receive a financial recovery for the losses you have sustained.
The law gives you only a single chance to collect a financial recovery after a fatal car accident in Sterling, IL and it is critical that you act now by hiring a skilled and successful wrongful death lawyer in the Sterling, IL area. Burger Law’s team of winning wrongful death attorneys will demand the maximum possible recovery and will not stop until they pay.
Our Sterling, IL attorneys have 70 years of combined experience negotiating and demanding full recoveries for our clients. As a leading Sterling, IL wrongful death law firm, our team of attorneys is intimately familiar with the various types of damages for which you might be eligible for compensation. We will not rest until you bring home the full compensation you deserve.
Illinois state law may make you eligible to file a wrongful death suit if someone in your family was killed in a fatal car accident in Sterling, IL or anywhere in Illinois. To win your case and get the full recovery you and your family truly deserve, you need a reputable Sterling, IL fatal car accident attorney leading the fight. Burger Law’s team of unrivaled Sterling, IL lawyers are prepared to demand justice for you through full compensation by winning your Sterling, IL wrongful death claim.
Illinois, contrary to some other states, does not place a limit or maximum on the value of damages that a claimant can recover in a wrongful death case. While there is no dollar figure that could ever come close to replacing your loved one or their presence in your life, filing a wrongful death claim for your loved one’s death in a fatal car accident in Sterling, IL can do the following things.
You only have one opportunity to pursue and be awarded maximum compensation for your loved one’s wrongful death, and only so much time to make a claim. Make the most of this chance to recover the financial compensation that can support you and your family in the long term and allow you to lay your loved one to rest beautifully. Our Sterling, IL wrongful death legal team will be a fierce advocate for you and secure the complete recovery you and your family deserve. Contact us today to discuss your case for free.
Any kind of Sterling, IL automotive crash has the potential to be fatal, especially when one or more of the vehicles involved are traveling at high speeds leading up to the crash. If you or a loved one are seriously injured or killed in a car accident in Sterling, IL or elsewhere in Illinois, contact our fierce Sterling, IL car accident lawyers right away.
Our driven and compassionate lawyers offer the best in legal representation from negotiations to trial. We are dedicated to protecting the wronged and making the negligent pay for the harm they have caused. When a car accident in Sterling, Illinois ends the life of a loved one, Burger Law’s Sterling, IL fatal car accident lawyers demand justice and the full available compensation for you. Discuss your case for free with an experienced car accident wrongful death lawyer in Sterling, IL at (314) 500-HURT.
Though laws and advancements in safety technology and road design have improved immensely in the past decades, cars still have the potential to be deadly and destructive when a driver operates recklessly or with negligence. As drivers, we are obligated to operate safely and responsibly to avoid inflicting harm. One careless error could mean tragedy and loss for someone else.
Car accidents of all kinds of causes can become fatal, especially in cases of high speeds or excessive force. After any fatal car accident in Sterling, IL, call (314) 500-HURT right away. Our Sterling, IL fatal car accident lawyers review a few of the most common causes of fatal car accidents in Sterling, IL and throughout the US.
Distracted driving is a major threat to public safety, causing car accidents that result in serious injuries and even fatalities. The CDC identifies three main types of distractions: visual, manual and cognitive. Humans naturally overestimate our ability to multitask. Doing anything that takes your eyes, hands or mind away from the task of driving — eating, brushing your hair, texting, talking to someone, smoking, looking at something else, trying to grab a moving object in the car or simply daydreaming — can be a dangerous distraction. Driving distracted impairs driving ability by reducing important abilities such as visibility, reaction time, attention and decision making.
According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, driver inattention occurs less than three seconds before 80% of car crashes, which tells us that distracted driving is a major contributor to car crashes. Distracted driving is also tied to a significant number of fatal car accidents, resulting in more than 3,000 deaths in the United States every year, including 3,142 deaths caused by distracted driving fatal car accidents in 2020.
Speed limits are put in place for our safety. High speeds make any car accident more dangerous and likely to cause fatalities. About one-third of car accident fatalities in the United States are related to speeding, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This adds up to nearly 10,000 deaths. In Illinois, the proportion is even higher. The annual Illinois Car Crash Facts and Statistics manual show that 39.2% of fatal car accidents in Illinois involved speeding.
According to the Illinois State Police, in recent months, drivers are speeding at a higher rate in 65 mile per hour zones than in previous years, making collisions and fatalities more likely. While the police and other government agencies have continued to work to discourage speeding and hold accountable drivers who do speed, it is impossible to catch everyone. If your loved one was killed in a speeding accident in Sterling or anywhere in Illinois, speak to Burger Law’s fatal car accident lawyers right away.
It is no secret that drunk driving is dangerous and that driving under the influence is never a good idea. Yet, it still endangers and upheaves the lives of thousands of people in Sterling, Illinois and the United States every year, though fortunately, fatal car accidents attributed to drunk drivers has decreased nationwide by 45% over the last forty years, since 1982 when the NHTSA started collecting data on alcohol-impaired driving.
Despite many organizations and legislators’ to highlight the dangers of drunk driving and deter people from driving drunk, drunk driving is still a common cause of fatal car accidents in Illinois and throughout the country. 28 people every day, or one person every 52 minutes, dies in a drunk driving accident in the United States. While nationally drunk driving is the cause of 28% of all car crash fatalities, drunk driving is responsible for 30% of car crash fatalities in the state of Illinois.
Though it is legal to drive with a blood alcohol content of less than .08, a driver’s abilities can be compromised with any amount of alcohol in their system. In fact, in 2019 there were 1,755 people killed in fatal car accidents where the driver responsible for the accident had a legally acceptable BAC of between .01-.07.
Whether they broke the law on BAC limit or not, if someone chose to get behind the wheel after drinking and killed your loved one in a fatal car accident, they need to be held responsible. Speak to Burger Law’s Sterling, IL wrongful death lawyers right away at (314) 500-HURT to help you hold the driver responsible for their reckless, dangerous actions and secure the financial recovery you and your family need and deserve.
Driving fatigued is a dangerous habit that has not received the amount of attention or alarm it deserves. Data collected from the past ten years tells us there ared around 800 drowsiness-related fatal car accident deaths in the United States every year, which would translate to around 2.5% of car accident fatalities annually. Researchers collectively acknowledge that the data does not accurately reflect the reality, and that the real figure is actually over 6,000 deaths due to drowsy drivers every year. This is supported based on may other key data points, such as 41% of drivers reporting that they have dozed off at the wheel at least once in their lives, and 27% of drivers having driven while struggling to keep their eyes open within the past 30 days.
Researchers have identifieed similarities between the sensation of lack of sleep to being inebriated — causing slowed reaction times, decreased alertness and poor decision-making abilities. Driving after 20 consecutive hours without sleep is functionally equivalent to having a .08 blood alcohol content, and the numbers quickly go up from there. Even driving slightly tired, such as getting only five or six hours of sleep the prvious night, is still undeniably dangerous.
The development of technologies like crash avoidance technologies in newer, smarter cars and reform and educational campaigns led by nonprofit organizations and activist groups have made an impact on the threat of driving fatigued or otherwise impaired on the Sterling, IL area community and the country as a whole. You can do your part to protect others from losing someone they love in a drowsy driving fatal car accident in Sterling, IL by holding the drowsy driver who killed your family member accountable and filing a wrongful death suit. Burger Law’s Sterling, IL wrongful death lawyers will help you win maximum compensation in your fatal car accident claim. Learn more at (314) 500-HURT.
Reckless driving, careless driving, aggressive driving — whatever you want to call it, it is a big deal. NTSHA data points to aggressive driving in 56% of fatal car crashes. This number comes in spite of the fact that it is virtually impossible to quantify and measure the full extent of aggressive driving occurrences. A study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported that a stark majority — 87% of all drivers — self-report commiting risk driving behavior at least once in the past thirty days.
What qualifies as aggressive driving? Reckless, aggressive behavior in driving is illustrated in all sorts of shocking behaviors. Some examples of reckless driving include racing, passing vehicles where passing is not permitted or safe, swerving, weaving in and out of traffic, ignoring right-of-way rules, and disregarding traffic signals. Running red lights alone killed 846 people in 2019 in the US.
When a driver gets a bad case of road rage, is running late, wants to evade the police, or is under the delusion that they are invincible and can do anything they want without being hurt, and chooses to drive aggressively, they endanger the lives of everyone around them. If you lost a loved one in a fatal car accident in Sterling, IL caused by an aggressive driver, Burger Law’s wrongful death lawyers in Sterling, IL fight fiercely on your behalf. It is a senseless tragedy that could have been prevented, and we hold aggressive drivers accountable for the irreparable harm they have caused. Call (314) 500-HURT now to discuss your fatal car accident case in Sterling, IL and get your family a full recovery.
In addition, we have extensive experience winning the following cases for our Sterling, IL clients:
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When it comes to mourning a loved one, there is no one right way to behave or a time limit on grieving. However you process the loss of a loved one after a fatal Sterling, IL car accident, act quickly and call (314) 500-HURT to speak to the Sterling, IL wrongful death lawyer who will fight for your family. After hiring a dedicated, determined and diligent wrongful death lawyer from Burger Law on your fatal car accident case, you do not have to worry about anything else. Take the time you need to grieve and process while our fatal car accident legal team in Sterling gets to work on winning your Sterling, IL wrongful death case.
We recognize that a fatal car accident in the family is a profoundly painful, personal experience and it is important that you take your time to choose the right wrongful death lawyer to represent you. You deserve nothing less than the most thoughtful, skilled, and relentless legal representation in your Sterling, IL fatal car accident case. To help you in your case, our Sterling, IL legal team has made it a priority to provide quality resources to help those who have been harmed by others in Sterling, IL and throughout Missouri. Before making the decision to hire a lawyer, learn more about how to choose the right law firm, answers to common questions about wrongful death claims and other information and guidance about your legal options through our free books and podcasts.
Our seasoned wrongful death lawyers in Sterling, IL are always available to answer your questions for free. If you need guidance about what to do, whether you have a wrongful death case, if you need a lawyer or would like to discuss anything else regarding your case, contact our knowledgeable and compassionate lawyers today. If someone you love was killed in a fatal car accident in Sterling, Missouri, take the first step toward justice and closure by calling Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT.
Client Reviews
Year of 2023 
This law firm is absolutely amazing. They took on my case, when nobody else would! They fought hard for me when it seemed there was no hope. They kept me informed and always asked for my input before making decisions on my case. Gary puts himself into every case unlike most law firm owners. Gary and his team really care about every one of their clients, and fights hard to get you a fair settlement. They actually won my case out of court, and then reduced my fees to make sure I could get my car fixed and be able to get back to some normality. I would recommend Burger Law over and above any other firm! If you go somewhere else you aren’t getting the best!
7 months ago I am very happy with the staff at Burger Law. I mostly worked with Michael Sheldon, and he did an amazing job. I trusted him completely with my case, and he did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this team if your ever in need of good attorneys.
3 months ago Burger Law Firm is fantastic. Laura and Genevieve were so amazing and helpful throughout the entire process. They helped me with my personal injury case every step of the way and succeeded at getting me the results I desired.
a year ago We had a great experience with Burger Law for representing us after a serious car accident. Truly impressed by how professional and supportive the entire team is. And, many thanks to Genavieve and Laura – you are amazing!
a year ago They did an amazing job on my case! Communication with them was great!!! Kept me informed and in the loop with everything that was going on!!! Will definitely be the 1st ones I’ll call if ever I’m in another accident!!! Thank you very much!!!
5 months ago Let me tell you something about Burger Law.. they are so attentive and kind. Jennifer is my savior!! I love the whole team!!! They are truly a miracle team!! I appreciate their business and would recommend it to others.
2 months ago Absolutely the best law firm in the St. Louis area. No matter the size of your case you are treated as if you are the only client on the roster. Will explain anything thoroughly and they work around your availability. Very impressed and appreciative of the service.
11 months ago Gary and Casey took great care of me for 2.5 years as my lawsuit was finally settled. I feel he helped me achieve justice for me and my 4 children after their father died from medical malpractice and neglect. Thanks to Gary, my kids now have a great start to their college and adult lives. Thank you Gary and Casey, for fighting for us so hard at our most trying and difficult time in our lives thus far. Love and God bless from my family to yours!
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Genevieve and Laura have assisted me in my personal injury claim and have made the process so much less stressful. They are extremely knowledgeable, professional, and attentive. Laura is always on top of everything and very sweet. I had no idea how to navigate this process and they have made me feel at ease and like they truly cared about the outcome.
It has been a long 4 years, but it is finally over! Burger law did a great job handling my case. Grant Doty answered all my questions, promptly returned my phone calls, frequently kept me updated and insured me that he was fighting for me. Jennifer Zini also did a wonderful job, great customer service. It was pleasure getting to know the Burger Law team!
After a driver unexpectedly pulled out right in front of my motorcycle & I suffered injuries, the at-fault driver’s insurance company offered me a $10,000 settlement. I hired Burger Law & they won a $109,000 settlement. I was very happy with the outcome. They were easy to work with & fully explained each step of the process & kept me informed along the way.
At Burger Law | St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer, we are a team of personal injury attorneys who have earned many distinctions and peer-reviewed awards for our civil litigation and trial work in Missouri and Illinois. A few of the honors we have earned include the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Top 100 Trial Lawyer Award, a Martindale-Hubbell AV rating, Super Lawyers selection as one of the top attorneys in the field of personal injury and board certifications in Civil Litigation.
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This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Gary Burger who has more than 30 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury trial attorney. Gary’s robust legal knowledge is recognized by his peers as demonstrated by his industry awards and frequent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) lectures.
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