Personal Injury Lawyer in Alsip, IL

Burger Law defends the rights of those who get hurt because someone else did no respect their safety. If you has been injured all because someone else behaved recklessly or irresponsibly, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Alsip, IL demand the recovery you are owed and fight for you every step of the way. Reach out to Burger Law today at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online.

If you want to know how much your personal injury claim may be worth in Alsip, or anywhere in Illinois, fill out our complimentary personal injury calculator.

Those who harmed you are responsible for compensating you for all of your damages, but that does not mean they will do it willingly. Burger Law’s personal injury lawyer team fights hard for the injured against anyone who is trying to keep them from the money they are owed. That includes anything from suing drunk drivers, holding negligent healthcare professionals, product manufacturers, store owners accountable, suing the government, to getting justice and financial security for a family after a a family member passed too soon. If you want to understand if you have a claim, what compensation you are owed or anything else about the personal injury claims process, call our personal injury lawyers in Alsip, IL immediately at (779) 800-HURT.

Why Choose Burger Law’s Alsip, IL Personal Injury Lawyers For Your Claim

Choosing the right personal injury lawyer for your claim is essential. You want someone with a history of winning similar cases and who you know will not back down from a fight. In order to have a good understanding of the abilities of a law firm, you need to take into account the cases they have won, and their reputation among their clients and other attorneys:

Award-Winning Alsip, 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 remarkable achievement awarded to less than 5 percent of all attorneys nationwide
• 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 comprised 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 American Bar Association accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Alsip, IL – Cases We Have Won

Our Alsip, IL personal injury lawyers fight for the full rights and recoveries of our clients. We take on all who harm our clients, and we demand nothing but full compensation. Our firm is dedicated to providing our clients the highest standard of legal advocacy, and we have great pride in our well-deserved successes. 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 important to remember that every injury comes with its own set of circumstances, and what you may be eligible to recover is going to be based entirely upon the your specific accident. We calculate the full extent of your damages so that we get the maximum amount of compensation possible.

Burger Law Client Success Stories

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

What Is a Personal Injury Claim in Alsip, IL?

Under Illinois and U.S. law, you have a right to file a personal injury claim to get a financial recovery for the damage done by another person’s negligence, and to hold the rule breakers accountable. The purpose of insurance settlements and civil litigation is 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 you can be reimbursed for medical bills, lost wages and other financial losses, other damages are less tangible. If you lost a loved one, you are permanently disabled, are disfigured or will have to receive medical treatment for the rest of your life, no legal process can change that. What compassionate and skilled personal injury lawyers like those at Burger Law are able to do is ensure your injuries are recognized, and to provide you with relief from the financial losses resulting from your accident.

Is it Worth Hiring Personal Injury Lawyer in Alsip, IL?

That depends on the specifics of your case, but most of the time, yes, you will need a personal injury lawyer to get the full compensation you are owed in Alsip, IL. The question to ask when considering whether or not you need a lawyer is, can they add value to my claim? If your injuries were not significant, you did not miss much time off work and the other party’s fault is clearly established, you may not need an attorney. But, you should hire legal representation in Alsip, IL under the following circumstances:

• There is a dispute over liability, or the insurance company says the accident are your fault
• The initial settlement offer is substantially below what you are owed
• Your injuries are significant and require extensive medical treatment
• There more than one party at fault
• Your damages are more than an insurance company’s policy limits

We offer consultations for free, and we will always be honest with you about whether or not it is in your best interest to hire our services. Our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you only pay after you have received the full compensation you deserve, and we have no reason to accept you as a client if we do not think we can get you substantially more money.

How Do I Know if I Have a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Alsip, IL?

While the legal specifics concerning negligence and liability can be confusing, whether or not you can seek compensation depends on the answer to one specific question: did another person’s negligence cause you injuries? If so, legally speaking you must prove the five elements of negligence:

1. Duty of care — You first need to demonstrate that the person you are making a claim against had an obligation to keep you safe. In some cases this is automatic, as motorists all owe everyone on the Alsip, IL roads a duty of care, or store owners need their properties to be reasonable safe for anyone who legally enters. Other times, a special relationship must have formed, such as a doctor-patient relationship or a vendor-buyer relationship.
2. Breach of duty — Did the liable party neglect that responsibility? Did a driver hit you while they were distracted? Did a physician not take into account your medical history? Did a trucking company force their employee to drive longer than regulations allow?
3. Cause-in-fact — You must prove how the breach of duty resulted in your injuries. For instance, you broke your arm when your car was t-boned, or had bad side effects from a prescription drug.
4. Proximate cause — This determines liability. If you were injured in an auto accident, the liable party is usually the driver that hit you. But if the brakes were defective, a manufacturer or mechanic may be the one who is ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Finally, you need to demonstrate that you sustained some form of financial loss as a direct result of your injuries. In most cases damages are medical bills and wages you could not earn while you were not able to work. If you keep solid records of your medical expenses, an attorney will be able to establish your financial losses with an insurance company. Once we establish financial losses, we can also seek compensation for the other ways your injuries have affected you.

If you have any doubts about whether or not you have a case, speak to a lawyer in Alsip, IL who has won a similar claim before. Get in touch with a personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT.

What Are Common Personal Injury Claims in Alsip, IL?

Practicing injury law in Alsip, IL mandates that you have a vast knowledge of the different types of cases that people deal with. Knowing the difference between how the law applies to auto accidents, medical malpractice and slip and falls is essential. 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 hold the liable party accountable whenever negligence results in an injury. We have won millions for our Alsip, IL clients in the following types of cases:

Auto Accidents

Research from the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicate that there are about 400,000 personal injury claims every year. Just over half of those are auto accident claims, such as:

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

Truck accidents can cause serious injuries because trucks emit an incredible amount of force, and motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians are all at heightened risk of being severely injured as they do not have the same protection closed-vehicle occupants have. 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 a driver is negligent, causes an accident and injures you, you can file a claim.

Sometimes, a vehicle manufacturer, construction company or governmental entity may be fully or partially to blame for your injuries. Your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will perform an exhaustive investigation into your accident 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 does not carry any risks for people who are legally on it. If you sustain damages in a slip and fall because a property was unsafe, you can make a premises liability claim. 740 ILCS 130/, also referred to as the Illinois Premises Liability Act, stipulates that property owners have 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.” Generally, if there is a hazardous condition that is not obvious, the owner has a responsibility to either repair the hazard, post signage or rope it off. 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
• Black ice
• Wet concrete
• Debris such as litter, fallen leaves and branches, rocks, etc
• Uneven rugs
• Wiring
• In-ground sprinklers or hardscape features hidden in the grass
• Absence of safety rails

You do not automatically have a claim just because a property had a dangerous condition. If you were trespassing, ignored warning signs, for example a “wet floor sign,” or were running or not acting in a safe manner, you likely do not have a slip and fall claim. The following must be true in order to make a claim:

• The owner or manager created the dangerous conditions; or
• The owner or manager knew about the danger and neglected to repair it; or
• The owner or manager tried to fix the danger 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 Alsip, IL may try to convince you that they are not liable for your slip and fall injuries because they should not have been reasonable expected to repair or warn against the accident or because the accident was your fault. That is not true, and always speak with a personal injury lawyer before accepting any settlement.

Medical Malpractice

Based on research from John Hopkins University, medical errors cause more than 250,000 deaths annually. While not all of those amount to negligence, when it does, a doctor needs to pay for hurting you.

Your medical malpractice cases will come down to what is referred to as the standard of care. The standard refers to how a reasonable healthcare professional, in a specific field and specific location, would treat a specific condition.

Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/2-622, any medical malpractice suit needs to be filed along with 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 health professional corroborating your claim has the same training and practices in the same area as the health professional you are making a claim against. An anesthesiologist in Chicago is held to a different standard of care than a general practitioner in Rockport, Maine. Burger Law has a network of expert witnesses in Alsip and all over Illinois who can help verify that your medical malpractice suit is valid.

Common instances of medical malpractice in Alsip, IL include:

• Nursing home abuse
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnosis
• Leaving objects in during surgery
• Hospital system errors
• Lack of consent
• Not ordering tests that a prudent doctor would
• Blowing off a patient’s complaints
• Not sending you to a specialist or recommending a different treatment plan when theirs is not working
• Prescribing the wrong medication or the wrong dosage

Dog Bites

Every day, nearly 1,000 people seek emergency medical treatment for dog bites, and every year dog bites lead to about 12,600 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 the owner of a dog is strictly liable for your the injuries their dog causes, assuming there was no provocation and you were legally allowed to be where you were. “Strict liability” means that the owner is liable as a matter of law and you do not have to prove negligence. This means that the owner owes you a recovery even if they did not necessarily do anything wrong.

While some dog bites are minor, others result in expensive surgeries or permanent scarring. In any case, you likely need an experienced and skilled Alsip, IL personal injury lawyer to ensure you get the full financial recovery you are owed.

Product Liability

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

1. Design defect — This is a defect that occurs even if the product is manufactured correctly. This could include tables or furniture that naturally tip over, or a power tool whose safety guards do not offer sufficient protection.
2. Manufacturing defect — This type of defect affects several individual products instead of every product with the same design. Examples include rat droppings getting caught in packaging, or a seatbelt with a loose screw that comes undone during impact.
3. Marketing defect — 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 make a product liability claim, you must demonstrate that the product was “unreasonably dangerous” when used in a foreseeable manner, that it caused your injuries and that the product had not been “substantially” changed from its state at the initial sale.

Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers will take on any case in which a rule breaker injured someone else. One of the benefits of choosing a Burger Law Alsip, 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 to benefit all their clients. 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.

How Does the Personal Injury Claims Process Work in Alsip, IL?

The journey to getting a financial settlement or verdict for your injuries can be long and complex. While some accidents and injuries settle fairly early, others can take several years before a jury finally renders a decision. Generally, the personal injury claims process includes:

• Getting Medical Care — Seek medical care immediately after an injury, and follow your doctor’s treatment plans to a “T.” Waiting too long could bring complications to your claim, and not getting the full treatment will reduce how much compensation you receive. Our personal injury lawyers work with several experienced Alsip, IL doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists who can help you in your recovery.
• Speaking With an Attorney — Even if you are not sure you are going to need to hire a lawyer, you need to consult with one as soon as possible so they can become familiar with your case. A good lawyer will be honest with you about whether or not their services are needed.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have legal representation, your personal injury lawyer will carry out a full investigation into your claim, determine every liable party and obtain the evidence they need to get you full compensation. You can help by keeping detailed records of your expenses related to your injuries, and how they affect your day-to-day life.
• Settlement Demand and Negotiations — Once we know how much your claim is worth, we will send a settlement demand package to those who are liable for compensating you. In the package we will include how we calculated your damages, and insist that nothing but the full amount is acceptable. Most of the time, the insurance company will counter our offer with a lower number, and we keep negotiating until they offer full compensation.
• Filing a Lawsuit — If negotiations do not result in fair compensation, we will proceed to litigating the case and setting up a trial. While the case is being litigated, both parties continue negotiating.
• 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 will try to get each party to accept the merits of the other side’s arguments.
• Pre-Trial — If mediation still does not result in a fair settlement, the “discovery” phase begins. In this phase, we will speak to eyewitnesses and expert witnesses, gather more evidence and both parties will share with the other what they plan to bring up at trial.
• Trial — Most personal injury claims are settled before trial. In fact, many times we have gotten the settlement we were seeking just before trial begins. However, if the insurance company refuses to do the right thing, the case will go in front of a judge and jury. Trial consists of:
  • Jury selection
  • Opening statements
  • Testimony and cross-examination
  • Closing arguments
  • Jury instruction
  • Jury deliberation and verdict

Most of our Alsip, IL clients have never had to deal with seeking compensation for an injury before, and are unsure of what lies ahead. Burger Law will be by your side from our initial consultation to full compensation, keep you up to date on the status of your claim and handle all documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can focus on healing.

What Types of Compensation Are Available in My Alsip, IL Personal Injury Claim?

Typically, your compensation will fall into two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages:

• Economic damages compensate you for the economic harm related to your injuries, including:
  • 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 the less tangible aspects of your injuries, such as:
  • Pain and suffering
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Loss of ability to enjoy life
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Inconvenience
  • Physical impairment
  • Loss of consortium

Though rare, we may also be able to pursue punitive damages if the negligent harmed you on purpose or they were grossly negligent. 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 possible to maximize your compensation.

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

In Illinois, the statute of limitations is relatively short at two years for most personal injury claims, under 735 ILCS 5/. That means the clock starts ticking when your accident occurs, and expires after two years. However, there are three important exceptions:

1. If you were a minor when the injury occurred, you have until your 20th 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 could reasonably have been expected to discover 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 your 22nd 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 wait to contact an attorney. Call a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

Other types of claims we take on in Alsip, IL include:

• 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 Alsip, IL Now

Burger Law’s Alsip, 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 receive the maximum compensation you are owed. We only give our clients the highest level of legal advocacy; all of our advice will be based on the facts of the case and our experience, but we always leave the ultimate decisions on your claim to you and your Alsip, 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 Alsip, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.