Personal Injury Lawyer in Joliet, IL

Burger Law defends the rights of those who get hurt because of negligent and reckless actions. If you or someone you love has been injured all because someone else behaved recklessly or irresponsibly, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Joliet, IL demand the recovery you are owed and fight for you every step of the way. Call Burger Law now at (779) 800-HURT or fill out our online form.

If you want to know the value of your personal injury claim in Joliet, or anywhere in Illinois, complete our free personal injury calculator.

The negligent parties that harmed you are financially and legally responsible for taking care of your injuries and paying you all of what you are owed, but they will not do it willingly. Burger Law’s personal injury lawyer team fights back for our clients against whoever is standing in the way of justice. That includes anything from making claims against large trucking companies, holding negligent physicians, product manufacturers, dog owners responsible, suing City Hall, to getting justice and financial security for a family after a loved one passed too soon. If you would like to discuss the validity of your case further, what compensation you are owed or anything else about the personal injury claims process, call our personal injury lawyers in Joliet, IL now at (779) 800-HURT.

Why Burger Law Is The Joliet, IL Personal Injury Law Firm For You

It can be hard to know how to choose the right personal injury lawyer for you. You want someone with a history of winning similar cases and who is not afraid of a fight. In order to gauge the abilities of an injury law firm, you need to look at their previous victories, and their reputation among their clients and peers:

Acclaimed Joliet, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

The numerous awards and recognition Burger Law has received from other attorneys include:

• Martindale-Hubbell Award — AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® from NexisLexis® – a notable achievement awarded to less than 5 percent of all attorneys in the U.S.
• Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Honor — Members of the Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an honor only given to 1 percent of attorneys in the United States.
• Top 100 Trial Lawyers Honor — Selected to the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only honor that is made up of the most qualified attorneys in each state.
• Board Certified By the National Board of Trial Advocacy — Board certified in Civil Trial Advocacy and Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Fewer than 4 percent of all practicing attorneys are certified by an ABA accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Joliet, IL – Recent Victories

Our Joliet, IL personal injury lawyers have a demonstrated history of getting great results. We take on all who have hurt our clients, and we insist on nothing but maximum compensation. Our lawyers are committed to providing our clients the highest standard of legal advocacy, and we take great pride in our well-deserved victories. Check out some of our case results in personal injury claims below:

• $5 Million Settlement – Father Killed By Reckless Truck Driver
• $3 Million Judgment – Son Murdered by Pam Hupp
• $2.5 Million Settlement for Father’s Fatal Car Accident
• From $0 to $2 Million Car Accident Settlement
• $2 Million Settlement – Injured Woman Settles Highway Crash Lawsuit
• $1.435 Million Settlement For Deck Collapse That Injured Couple
• $1 Million Settlement to Family of Man with Sepsis Infection
• Medical Malpractice Case Settles for Over $1 Million
• $900,000 Medical Malpractice Settlement
• $765,000 Settlement After Fatal Collision
• $600,000 Tractor-Trailer Crash
• $600,000 Settlement – Widow in ATV Accident Settles with Property Owner
• Class Action $600,000 Settlement Against the State of Illinois
• $495,000 Uninsured Motorcycle Verdict
• $400,000 Settlement in Employment Discrimination Case
• $350,000 Settlement in Ladder Case

It is worth mentioning that no two cases are the same, and what you may be eligible to recover is going to depend on the your specific accident. We calculate the full extent of your damages so that you are given what you are owed.

Burger Law Reviews

In addition to the videos below, you can see our full list of client testimonials here.

Definition of a Personal Injury Claim in Joliet, IL

A personal injury claim is your right under Illinois law to get a financial recovery for the harm another person is responsible for, and to hold the rule breakers accountable. The compensation you receive is meant to make you whole. The idea is to put you in the same position you were in before sustained the damages caused by another’s negligence.

Sometimes, no outcome in your claim can fully return you to how things were before the injury. While we can get compensation for the financial losses you sustained, other damages are harder to quantify. If a family member died, you are permanently disabled, are permanently scarred or will have to live the rest of your life in chronic pain, no one can truly change that. What compassionate and experienced personal injury lawyers like those at Burger Law can do is secure you fair compensation in order to provide a sense of justice and acknowledgment, and to give you financial security as it relates to your injuries.

Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer in Joliet, IL?

While some cases can be successfully navigated without a lawyer, most of the time you will need one to get the full compensation you are owed in Joliet, IL. The important question is, will I get more money with them? If your medical expenses are low, you have minimal lost wages and the other party’s fault is clearly established, you may not need an attorney. But, you will need legal representation in Joliet, IL if the following is true about your claim:

• There is disagreement about who is at fault, or you are being blamed for your injuries
• The initial settlement offer is well below the cost of your damages
• Your injuries are serious and require ongoing medical treatment
• There are multiple parties at fault
• Your damages are more than an insurance company’s policy limits

Our initial conversations and investigations are free, and we are always direct about whether or not it is in your best interest to hire our services. Our personal injury lawyers take on cases based on a contingency-fee, meaning you only pay after you have received the full compensation you are owed, and we have no reason to take on your claim if we do not think we can significantly increase the value of your claim.

What Do You Need to Prove to Win a Personal Injury Claim in Joliet, IL?

While the legal specifics concerning negligence and liability can be complex, whether or not you have a claim generally depends on one essential question: were you injured because someone else was negligent? If so, legally speaking you have to prove the five elements of negligence:

1. Duty of care — You first need to demonstrate that the liable party had an obligation to keep you safe. Sometimes, a duty of care is assumed, as Joliet, IL driver owe everyone else on the roads a duty of care, or store owners need their properties to be reasonable safe for anyone who legally enters. In other cases, a unique relationship must be established, for instance a doctor-patient relationship or a vendor-patron relationship.
2. Breach of duty — Did the liable party neglect that responsibility? Did a driver crash into you you while they were drunk? Did a doctor not take into account your medical history? Did a trucking company force their employee to drive longer than regulations allow?
3. Causation — You must prove how the breach of duty resulted in your injuries. For example, you received road rash after being thrown off your bicycle, or had bad side effects from a prescription drug.
4. Proximate cause — This determines who needs to be held accountable. If you were injured in an auto accident, it is usually because another driver broke the rules of the road. But if the brakes were not safe, a manufacturer or mechanic may be the one who is ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Finally, you have to show that the injuries caused financial losses. In personal injury cases, this is usually medical expenses and lost wages. If you hold onto your medical bills, an attorney will be able to establish your financial losses with an insurance company. Once we establish financial losses, we can also pursue a financial recovery for the other ways your injuries have affected you.

The only way to know for certain if you have an injury claim is to consult with an attorney who has handled your type of claim in Joliet, IL before. You can speak to a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

What Are Common Personal Injury Claims in Joliet, IL?

Being a personal injury lawyer in Joliet, IL requires that you have a vast knowledge of the different types of cases that people deal with. Knowing the difference between a car accident case and a truck accident case seems simple, but there are many different regulations and statutes concerning truck accidents that can be the deciding factor in whether or not the case is successful. A lawyer that only specializes in a certain type of injury claim may not have the experience to take on other cases. At Burger Law, we know how to secure justice for the injured no matter the circumstances. We have won millions for our Joliet, IL clients in the following types of cases:

Auto Accidents

The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that there are about 400,000 personal injury claims in any given year. Just over half of those result from auto accidents, for instance:

• Car Accidents
• Truck Accidents
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Bicycle Accidents
• Pedestrian Accidents

Truck accidents can cause serious injuries because of the amount of force they carry in an accident, and motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians are all at heightened risk of being severely injured due to their relatively limited protection. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1, anyone behind the wheel must “exercise due care” to avoid colliding with anybody or anything else on the Illinois roads. If someone breaks the rules of the road, causes an accident and injures you, you can file a claim.

In some cases, a vehicle manufacturer, construction company or governmental entity may have at least contributed to your injuries. As part of our services, your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will conduct an exhaustive investigation into your claim to find out who and what exactly caused your injuries.

Premises Liability

Proprietors have a duty to take reasonable measures to make sure their premises is not hazardous for people who are legally on it. If you are injured in a slip and fall because a property was unreasonably dangerous, you deserve compensation. 740 ILCS 130/, also called the Illinois Premises Liability Act, mandates that property owners owe a duty of care to entrants that is “of reasonable care under the circumstances regarding the state of the premises or acts done or omitted on them.” Essentially, if something that is not obvious makes the property dangerous, the owner needs to either repair the hazard or warn against it. Some hazardous conditions include:

• Spills
• A recently mopped floor
• Broken concrete on a walkway
• Broken stairs
• Broken decks and balconies
• Potholes
• Overly steep inclines
• Ledges
• Poor lighting
• Icy or snow-covered concrete
• Wet concrete
• Debris such as litter, fallen leaves and branches, rocks, etc
• Uneven rugs
• Stray cords
• In-ground sprinklers or hardscape features hidden in the grass
• Absence of safety rails

Not all injuries on a property lead to a valid premises liability claim. If you were in a part of a property you were not allowed to be, did not pay attention to warning signs, such as a “wet floor sign,” or were running or acting dangerously, it might be hard to get compensation. The following must be true in order to make a claim:

• The owner or manager created the dangerous conditions; or
• The owner or manager was aware of the hazard and neglected to fix it; or
• The owner or manager tried to repair the risk and fixed it negligently; or
• The owner or manager should have known about the condition, either because it happens often, had been there for an extended length of time or due to other complaints

A store or insurance company in Joliet, IL may tell you they are not liable for your slip and fall injuries because they had no idea about the condition or because you are to blame. That is not true, and do not accept any settlement offer until you have spoken to a personal injury lawyer.

Medical Malpractice

Based on research from John Hopkins University, medical errors cause more than 250,000 deaths each year. While not every error amount to negligence, when it does, a healthcare professional needs to be held accountable for breaking your trust.

Proving a medical malpractice claim is based on what is referred to as the standard of care. The standard is how a reasonable doctor, in a specific field and specific location, would treat whatever ailment you saw them for.

Under 735 ILCS 5/2-622, any medical malpractice suit must be accompanied by an affidavit from a health professional who:

• is knowledgeable in the relevant issues of the claim
• practices or teaches the same field as the doctor you are suing, or has practiced or taught in that field within the last six years
• is qualified to review the facts of your case, and determines your claim is “reasonable and meritorious”

It is vital that the doctor who writes the affidavit is in the same practice area and geographic region as the health professional you are making a claim against. An anesthesiologist in Chicago has a different standard of care than a general practitioner in Decorah, Iowa. Burger Law relies on a network of expert witnesses in Joliet and all over Illinois who can corroborate your claim.

Common examples of medical malpractice in Joliet, IL include:

• Nursing home negligence
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnosis
• Leaving objects in during surgery
• Hospital communication errors
• Failure to secure consent
• Failing to order tests that a prudent doctor would
• Blowing off a patient’s complaints
• Not seeking a second opinion or recommending a different treatment plan when theirs is not working
• Prescribing the wrong medication or the wrong dosage

Dog Bites

Each day, almost 1,000 people require emergency care for dog bites, and annually dog bites lead to about 12,480 hospitalizations. According to a Chicago Tribune article, Illinois has the second-highest rate of dog bites in the country.

510 ILCS 5/, the Illinois Animal Control Act, stipulates that a dog owner is strictly liable for your the injuries their dog causes, as long as you did not provoke it and were not trespassing. “Strict liability” means that the owner is automatically liable, whether they were negligent or not. This means, the owner cannot get out of paying you by saying they did not know the dog was aggressive, or that it was not their fault the animal got free.

While some dog bites only lead to minor injuries, others can lead to expensive surgeries or permanent disfigurement. In any case, you likely need an experienced and skilled Joliet, IL personal injury lawyer to secure you the maximum compensation you are owed.

Product Liability

Strict liability also applies to anyone involved in the chain of distribution of a defective product. There are typically three theories a personal injury lawyer will use to make a product liability claim in Joliet, IL:

1. Design defect — This is a defect that occurs even if the product is manufactured correctly. This could include an SUV that is susceptible to rollover accidents, or an electrical appliance that melts when turned on high.
2. Manufacturing defect — This type of defect affects several individual products instead of an entire line of products. Examples include a bug getting caught in packaging, or a seatbelt with a loose screw that comes undone during impact.
3. Failure to warn — This refers to a product that did not carry sufficient warnings when it was put to foreseeable use. For example, an electric shaver not mentioning that shock can occur if used in the shower.

In order to have a successful claim, you must demonstrate that the product carried inherent risks when used in a foreseeable manner, that it was the proximate cause of injuries and that the product had not been “substantially” changed from its state at the initial sale.

Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers know how to get great results whenever someone was injured through no fault of their own. One of the benefits of choosing a Burger Law Joliet, IL personal injury lawyer is that we are not limited to any one type of claim, and this actually gives our lawyers exceptional experience that they can use towards their clients’ advantage. We understand that case types often overlap, and having experience with each type of claim gives our team the perfect understanding of how to fight for our clients’ rights and recoveries.

What Is the Personal Injury Claims Process in Joliet, IL?

The journey to getting maximum compensation for your injuries begins the second you are injured. While some cases only take a few months, others can take several years before a jury finally renders a verdict. From beginning to end, the path to getting compensation consists of:

• Getting Medical Care — Get medical treatment immediately after an injury, and do not miss any appointments with your doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist. Waiting too long could bring complications to your claim, and not getting the full treatment will reduce both your economic and noneconomic damages. Our personal injury lawyers have a network of trustworthy Joliet, IL health professionals who can ensure you recover physically as best as possible.
• Discussing Your Case With an Attorney — Even if you do not know if you need an attorney, it is best to know what your options are as soon as possible. A good lawyer will be honest with you about the value of your claim and how they can help.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have hired an attorney, your personal injury lawyer will carry out a complete investigation into the circumstances surrounding your injuries, determine who we need to hold accountable and gather the evidence they need to get you the best possible financial recovery. You should also keep detailed records of your expenses related to your injuries, and how keeping a journal detailing how your injuries have affected your life.
• Settlement Demand and Negotiations — Once we know how much your claim is worth, we will send a settlement demand package to the liable party’s insurance company. In the package we will include full documentation of all of your damages, and demand a financial recovery for all the ways your injuries have affected you. Usually, they will respond with a lower offer, and there will be several back-and-forths until they decide to be truly fair.
• Filing a Lawsuit — If the insurance company will not be fair in negotiations, we will file a lawsuit in court, which begins the formal process of your claim going to trial. During this time, we will continue negotiating in an effort to avoid a trial.
• Mediation — If a settlement agreement still has not been reached, your personal injury lawyer and the liable party will likely pursue mediation. In mediation, an objective third party listens to arguments from both sides and tries to get everyone to reach an agreement.
• Pre-Trial — If mediation fails, we will go into the pre-trial “discovery” phase. In this phase, we take depositions of eyewitnesses and expert witnesses, acquire more evidence and share with and request documentation with the other side.
• Trial — It is rare that a personal injury claim makes it all the way to trial. Indeed, we often finally get a fair settlement offer in the weeks immediately before trial. However, if the insurance company still cannot see reason, the case will go in court. Trial consists of:
  • Voir dire
  • Opening statements
  • Testimony and cross-examination
  • Closing arguments
  • Jury instruction
  • Jury deliberation and verdict

Most people who speak with our Joliet, IL personal injury lawyers have never been through the personal injury claims process before, and are unsure of what lies ahead. Burger Law will be by your side every step of the way, be there to answer all of your questions and oversee all documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can spend your energy on healing.

How Much Is My Personal Injury Claim in Joliet, IL Worth?

Typically, there are two types of damages you can seek in a personal injury claim: economic damages and non-economic damages:

• Economic damages compensate you for the economic harm resulting from your injuries, for instance:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity if your injuries do not allow you to earn a living as you used to
  • Medical expenses, past and future
  • Out-of-pocket expenses
• Non-economic damages compensate you for losses that are harder to quantify, such as:
  • Pain and suffering
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Loss of ability to enjoy life
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Inconvenience
  • Physical impairment
  • Loss of consortium

In some cases, you may also be eligible for punitive damages if the liable harmed you intentionally or they were incredibly reckless. Examples can include a drunk driver, or a doctor who performs surgery after drinking. While punitive damages are rarely awarded, your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will pursue every legal avenue We can to get you the best possible financial recovery.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in Joliet, IL?

In Illinois, the statute of limitations is relatively short at two years for most personal injury claims, under 735 ILCS 5/. That means you must file a claim within two years of when the injury occurred. However, there are three noteworthy exceptions:

1. If you were under 18 at the time of injury, you have two years to file a claim after your 18th birthday.
2. If you were under a “legal disability” when the injury occurred, you have two years from the date the disability was “removed.”
3. In medical malpractice cases, you have two years from the date you discovered the injury or should have discovered the injury. No medical malpractice claim can be made more than four years after the injury occurred, unless you were a minor at the time. Then you would have until four years after your 18th birthday.

While two years may seem like a long time, your attorney will want as much time as possible to build your case. Do not delay in speaking to an attorney. Call a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

Other cases we handle in Joliet, IL include:

• Survival Action Lawyer in Illinois
• Truck Crash Lawyers in Illinois
• Wrongful Death Lawyers in Illinois
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Illinois
• Car Accident Attorney in Illinois

Speak to Personal Injury Lawyer in Joliet, IL Now

Burger Law’s Joliet, IL personal injury lawyers hold ourselves to the standard of zealous representation. That means we get started on your case the moment you hire us, investigate your case thoroughly, stand up to insurance companies on your behalf and do not let down until you get the maximum compensation you deserve. We offer the highest level of legal advocacy; all of our advice will be sincere and in your best interest, but we always leave the ultimate decisions on your claim to you and your Joliet, IL family. You do not have to pay for someone else’s careless actions. To start on your road to true recovery, call a Burger Law Joliet, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.