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(314) 500-HURTFatal Car Accident Wood River, IL. When your life is touched by the nightmare of a fatal car accident that killed your loved one, hire experienced and compassionate fatal car accident wrongful death lawyers in Wood River, IL right away to take care of everything on your family’s behalf. Call Burger Law now at (312) 500-HURT or fill out this form to consult with a skilled Wood River, IL fatal car accident lawyer , free of charge.
Though there is no dollar amount that could even approach the value of your loved one’s life, collecting payment for your losses after someone else’s negligent behavior kills your loved one can help you and your family to get through day to day life after the accident. Burger Law’s Wood River, IL wrongful death lawyers have over 70 years of experience representing families who have sustained loss by fatal car accidents in the Wood River, IL area and have a history of winning our Wood River, IL clients the most possible compensation for their claims. Our talent for negotiating and trying difficult cases have allowed us to help our clients recovery more than $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 will get you and your family maximum compensation in your fatal car accident wrongful death claim in Wood River, IL or anywhere in Missouri. Call (312) 500-HURT to discuss your case with a skilled wrongful death lawyer in Wood River, IL now.
Burger Law is a reputable Wood River, IL personal injury law firm staffed by a team of talented and passionate Wood River, IL personal injury and wrongful death lawyers. Our mission is to stand up for the vulnerable, including survivors in Wood River, IL who have had loved ones taken from them in fatal car accidents. 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 need to find a car accident lawyer in the Wood River, IL area who not only possesses the technical capabilities, wealth of resources and winning history to win your case, but also is someone you feel comfortable with. Burger Law’s Wood River, IL fatal car accident team recognizes that what you are going through is unspeakably painful. We approach your case with that in mind, offering you sensitive, compassionate support while practicing the aggressive, unwavering, skillful litigation you need.
If your family member was killed by an irresponsible or negligent driver in a fatal car accident near Wood River, IL, you may have the right to make an Illinois wrongful death claim. Illinois law on wrongful death gives those whose family member was killed due to another person’s negligence, such as in the event of a fatal car accident, a path for legal recourse so you can be made whole again while holding the negligent party accountable for hurting your family.
Illinois Compiled Statutes 740 ILCS 180/ spells out the legal requisites for making a wrongful death claim in Illinois court. The statute identifies who may file a claim, the damages they can be compensated for, how long they have to file a claim and other rules and details for filing a wrongful death suit in Illinois.
If your loved one was killed in a fatal car accident in Wood River, IL, one of the first of many questions is whether you are legally allowed to make a wrongful death claim. If they are alive and able, the first choice for the plaintiff are the decedent’s surviving spouse and next of kin. If there are no able, living spouses, parents, children or other descendants, the court will appoint a personal representative — typically someone close to the victim. Our practiced Wood River, IL attorneys have a deep command 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.
If you decide to pursue a wrongful death claim, you will most certainly need an adept wrongful death lawyer in Wood River, IL with experience fighting on behalf of families who have lost their loved ones due to the negligence or poor decisions of another person, such as in a fatal car accident in Wood River, IL. Our firm has a team of dedicated wrongful death lawyers in Wood River, IL with special backgrounds in car accident cases. Our Wood River, IL attorneys have experience winning tough fatal car accidents and other wrongful death claims in Wood River, IL, helping our clients get the full compensation they need and deserve.
Our Wood River, IL law firm fights against bullies and stands up for those who have been harmed by others, like in personal injury and wrongful death cases in Wood River, IL and across Illinois and other states. In the nearly 30 years we have served are legal representatives in the Wood River, IL area, we have helped our clients recover more than $170 million in verdicts and settlements.
Our Wood River, IL attorneys fight relentlessly for victims in fatal car accidents in Wood River, IL, and the results our clients have received reflect that tenacity. You can hear some of our clients’ stories directly by checking out our testimonials or learn more about some of our recent successes below.
While does not even need to be said that there is not enough money in the world to replace the loss of a loved one after a fatal car accident in Wood River, IL, you have a chance to receive a financial recovery to compensate you the damages you have suffered. By filing a wrongful death claim against the negligent parties, you have an opportunity to hold responsible the person or people who caused your loved one’s fatal car accident and to receive compensation for the losses you have sustained.
The law gives you only one chance to collect a financial recovery after a fatal car accident in Wood River, IL and it is critical that you take action by turning to a competent and experienced wrongful death lawyer in the Wood River, IL area. Burger Law’s relentless wrongful death attorneys will demand the maximum possible recovery and will not stop until they pay.
Our Wood River, IL attorneys have 70 years of combined experience recovering and demanding full recoveries for our clients. As one of the top Wood River, IL wrongful death law firm, our team of attorneys is intimately familiar with the various types of damages for which you can be compensated. Our work is not over until you receive the maximum compensation available.
Illinois state law may make you eligible to make a wrongful death claim if your family member was killed in a fatal car accident in Wood River, IL or anywhere in Illinois. In order to get the full recovery you and your family truly deserve, it is imperative that you have an experienced Wood River, IL fatal car accident lawyer on your side. Burger Law’s team of unrivaled Wood River, IL lawyers are ready to demand justice for you through full compensation by winning your Wood River, IL wrongful death claim.
Illinois, contrary to some other states, imposes no cap or limit 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, making a recovery in a wrongful death claim after your family member is killed in a fatal car accident in Wood River, IL can do three things.
You only have one chance to demand and be awarded complete compensation in your Illinois wrongful death case, and limited time to file your claim. Make the most of this chance to collect the financial compensation that can help you and your family make ends meet and help you lay your loved one to rest beautifully. Our Wood River, IL wrongful death lawyers will fight fiercely for you and secure the recovery you deserve. Contact us today to discuss your case for free.
Any type of Wood River, IL automotive crash can be fatal, especially when high speeds are involved leading up to the crash. If you have lost a loved one in a fatal Wood River, IL car accident or were seriously injured in a traffic accident, speak to our fierce Wood River, IL car accident lawyers as soon as possible.
Our driven and compassionate lawyers offer the best in legal representation from negotiations to trial. We are committed to protecting the wronged and making the negligent pay for the harm they have caused. When a car accident in Wood River, Illinois becomes fatal, Burger Law’s Wood River, IL fatal car accident lawyers demand justice and the complete recovery for you. Discuss your case for free with an experienced car accident wrongful death lawyer in Wood River, IL at (312) 500-HURT.
Though laws and advancements in safety technology and road design have improved immensely since the days of the Model T, cars still have the potential to be deadly and destructive in the hands of a negligent or reckless motorist. As drivers, we are obligated to operate safely and responsibly to prevent threatening the safety of others. One lapse in judgment could mean a life is cut tragically short.
Car accidents from all types of causes can become fatal, especially in cases of high speeds or excessive force. If someone in your family is in a fatal car accident in Wood River, IL, call (312) 500-HURT right away. Our Wood River, IL fatal car accident lawyers identify a few of the most common causes of fatal car accidents in Wood River, IL and throughout the US.
Distracted driving is a public safety crisis, causing a high number of car accidents, some resulting in serious injuries and even fatalities. The CDC identifies three main types of distractions: visual, manual and cognitive. As humans, we naturally overestimate our ability to multitask. Any activity that causes you you look at, handle, or think about anything other than driving — eating, grooming, texting, talking to someone, smoking, looking at something else, reaching for something in the car or even just daydreaming — can distract a driver. Distracted driving reduces vehicle driver important functions such as visibility, reaction time, attention and decision making.
A National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration study identified that driver inattention took place less than three seconds before 80% of car crashes, indicating that distracted driving is a major contributor to car accidents. Distracted driving also leads to a significant number of fatal car accidents, causing over 3,000 deaths in the United States every year, including 3,142 deaths due to fatal car accidents caused by distracted driving incidents in 2020.
Speed limits exist for a reason. High-speed collisions increase the risk of injuries and fatalities in any car crash. Speeding is a factor in about one-third of all car accident fatalities in the United States every year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), equating close to 10,000 deaths. In Illinois, the proportion is even higher. According to the annual Illinois Car Crash Facts and Statistics manual, 39.2% of fatal car accidents in Illinois involved speeding.
According to the Illinois State Police, in recent months, drivers are more frequently speeding in 65 mile per hour zones than in the past, making collisions and fatalities more likely. While government entities and law enforcement have continued to work to discourage speeding and punish drivers when they speed, it is impossible to catch everyone. If your loved one was killed in a speeding accident in Wood River or anywhere in Illinois, call Burger Law’s fatal car accident lawyers as soon as possible.
It is no secret that drunk driving is risky and that it is never the right decision to operate a vehicle while under the influence. It still presents a prevalent public safety threat affecting thousands of people in Wood River, Illinois and the United States every year, though fortunately, fatal car accidents caused by 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 significant contributor to fatal car accidents in Illinois and throughout the country. 28 people a day, or one person every 52 minutes, is killed in a drunk driving crash in the United States. Compared to the national rate which comes out to 28% of all car accident fatalities, drunk driving leads to 30% of car crash deaths in the state of Illinois.
Though it is legal to drive as long as your blood alcohol content is less than .08, even a small amount of alcohol in the system can negatively affect a person’s driving capacity. In fact, in 2019 1,775 people were killed in fatal car accidents where the driver responsible for the accident had a legally acceptable BAC of between .01-.07.
Regardless of whether or not they broke the law by driving with a BAC over the legal limit, if someone decided to operate a vehicle after drinking and killed your loved one in a fatal car accident, they need to be held accountable. Call Burger Law’s Wood River, IL wrongful death lawyers as soon as you can at (312) 500-HURT to help you hold the negligent driver accountable for their reckless, dangerous actions and collect the compensation 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. Historical data from the last ten years tells us there ared around 800 fatal car accident deaths caused by drowsy driving in the United States every year, meaning that drowsiness would account for around 2.5% of all car accident deaths every year. Researchers collectively believe that this rate does not show us the whole picture, and that the real figure is likely more than 6,000 deaths caused by drowsy driving every year. Other key statistics support this line of thought, such as 41% of drivers reporting that they have fallen asleep while driving at least once in their lives, and 27% of drivers having driven when they found it difficult to keep their eyes open within the past 30 days.
Researchers have likened the effects of fatigue or lack of sleep to being intoxicated — causing slowed reaction times, diminished alertness and impaired decision-making abilities. Driving after 20 consecutive hours of being awake is essentially the same as operating with a .08 blood alcohol content, and the equivalent BAC rises exponentially from there. Driving even slightly tired, such as getting only five or six hours of sleep the prvious night, is also a major safety threat.
Technological advances like obstacle detecting technologies in newer, smarter cars and reform and educational campaigns led by nonprofit organizations and activist groups have worked toward reducing the impact of driving fatigued or otherwise impaired on the Wood River, IL area community and the country as a whole. You can do your part to protect others from experiencing the loss of a family member in a drowsy driving fatal car accident in Wood River, IL by holding the drowsy driver who killed your family member accountable and filing a wrongful death suit. Burger Law’s Wood River, IL wrongful death attorneys will secure the best possible recovery in your fatal car accident claim. Learn more at (312) 500-HURT.
Reckless driving, careless driving, aggressive driving — whatever you want to call it, it is a big deal. According to the NTSHA, aggressive driving plays a role in 56% of fatal car crashes. More than half of deadly crashes are associated in spite of the fact that it is considerably difficult to quantify and measure the true rate at which aggressive driving occurs. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety published a study that found that 87% of drivers self-report engaging in risking driving behaviors at least once in the last month.
What qualifies as aggressive driving? Reckless, aggressive driving is illustrated in a wide variety of shocking behaviors. A few examples of reckless driving include racing, passing in areas where passing is not permitted or safe, swerving, weaving in and out of traffic, failure to yield the right of way, and disregarding traffic signals. Running red lights alone led to the death of 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 decides to drive aggressively, they put everyone around them in grave danger. If an aggressive driver caused the fatal car accident in Wood River, IL that killed your loved one, Burger Law’s wrongful death lawyers in Wood River, IL fight fiercely on your behalf. When such a senseless, avoidable tragedy takes a human life, we make aggressive drivers pay for the damage they have done. Call (312) 500-HURT now to discuss your fatal car accident case in Wood River, IL and get your family justice.
In addition, we have extensive experience winning the following cases for our Wood River, 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. No matter how you deal with the loss of a loved one after a fatal Wood River, IL car accident, act quickly and contact a wrongful death lawyer in Wood River, IL right away at (312) 500-HURT. Once you have a dedicated, determined and diligent Burger Law fatal car accident wrongful death lawyer on your 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 Wood River gets to work on winning your Wood River, 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 Wood River, IL fatal car accident case. To help you in your case, our Wood River, IL legal team has worked hard to provide a wealth of resources to help those who have been harmed by others in Wood River, IL and throughout Missouri. Before you make a decision, learn more about how to choose the right law firm, answers to frequently asked questions about wrongful death claims and other information and guidance about your legal options through our free books and podcasts.
Our winning wrongful death lawyers in Wood River, IL are always available to answer your questions for free. If you need guidance about what to do, if you have a wrongful death case, whether you need a lawyer or would like to discuss anything else regarding your case, contact our skilled and compassionate lawyers today. If your loved one was killed in a fatal car accident in Wood River, Missouri, take the first step toward justice and closure by calling Burger Law now at (312) 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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