Personal Injury Lawyer in Blue Island, IL

Burger Law defends the rights of people who are injured because of negligent and reckless actions. When you have sustained serious injuries all because someone else behaved recklessly or irresponsibly, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Blue Island, 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 how much your personal injury claim may be worth in Blue Island, or anywhere in Illinois, check out our free personal injury calculator.

The negligent parties that injured you have an obligation to compensate you for all of your damages, but they will not do it willingly. Burger Law’s personal injury lawyer team fights back for the injured against anyone who is trying to keep them from the money they deserve. That includes anything from making claims against large trucking companies, holding negligent healthcare professionals, product manufacturers, restaurant owners responsible, suing the government, to securing justice and financial security for Blue Island residents after the wrongful death of a loved one. If you want to understand if you have a claim, what compensation you are owed or other questions regarding personal injury claims, call our personal injury lawyers in Blue Island, IL today at (779) 800-HURT.

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

Choosing the right personal injury lawyer for your case is essential. 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 the cases they have won, and their reputation among their clients and other attorneys:

Premier Blue Island, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

The numerous awards and honors Burger Law has received from other law firms include:

• Martindale-Hubbell Award — AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® from NexisLexis® – a noteworthy achievement awarded to not more than 5 percent of all lawyers 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 made up of the most qualified lawyers 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 lawyers are certified by an ABA accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Blue Island, IL – Recent Victories

Our Blue Island, IL personal injury lawyers fight for the full rights and recoveries of our clients. We take on all who have hurt our clients, and we fight for a full recovery every time. Our firm is devoted to giving our clients amazing legal representation, and we have great pride in our well-deserved successes. Check out some of our recent successes for our personal injury clients 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 pointing out that every injury comes with its own set of circumstances, and the compensation you are owed is going to depend on the circumstances of your claim. We fight for you so that you secure what you deserve.

Burger Law Reviews

Beyond the videos below, you can see our full list of client testimonials here.

What Is a Personal Injury Claim in Blue Island, IL?

A personal injury claim is your right under Illinois law to get a financial recovery for the injuries another person caused, and to achieve justice. The purpose of personal injury claims is to make you whole. The goal is to put you in the same position you were in before sustained the damages caused by another’s negligence.

Sometimes, no attorney or financial award can truly “put back” all the things you lost in an injury. While we can get compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other financial losses, other damages are harder to quantify. If you lost a loved one, you lost a limb, are permanently scarred or will have to live the rest of your life in chronic pain, no amount of money can change that. What empathetic 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 provide you with relief from the financial losses resulting from your accident.

Is it Worth Hiring Personal Injury Lawyer in Blue Island, 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 Blue Island, IL. The question to ask when thinking about whether or not you need a lawyer is, can they add value to my claim? If your medical expenses are low, you did not miss much time off work and the insurance adjuster is being reasonable, you may not need an attorney. But, you should hire legal representation in Blue Island, IL if the following is true about your claim:

• There is disagreement about who is at fault, or the insurance company says the accident are your fault
• The insurance company or liable party’s offer is substantially below the cost of your damages
• Your injuries are significant and require ongoing care
• There more than one party that is liable for your injuries
• Your damages exceed the at-fault policyholder’s policy limits

We offer consultations for free, and we are always direct about how much we can help your claim. 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 take on your claim if we do not think we can significantly increase your final payout.

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

While state statutes can be confusing, whether or not you can seek compensation generally depends on one particular question: did someone else’s negligence cause you injuries? If so, legally speaking you need to 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 a responsibility to care for your safety. In some cases this is automatic, as Blue Island, IL driver owe drivers, passengers and pedestrians a duty of care, or dog owners owe it to others not to let their dog injure anyone. In other cases, a particular relationship must have formed, for example the relationship between a doctor and patient or between a vendor and a buyer.
2. Breach of duty — Did someone neglect that duty? Did a driver crash into you you because they were distracted? Did a physician prescribe the wrong dosage? Did a product manufacturer not properly test their products?
3. Cause-in-fact — You must show how the incident resulted in your injuries. For example, you received road rash after being thrown off your motorcycle, or had bad side effects from a prescription drug.
4. Proximate cause — This determines who needs to be held accountable. If you were hit by a vehicle, 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 must show that the accident caused economic harm. In personal injury cases, this is usually medical bills and wages you could not earn while you were not able to work. If you hold onto your medical bills, this last part will be fairly easy to prove with the help of an attorney. After proving economic damages, we can seek compensation for pain and suffering damages.

If you have any doubts about the validity of your claim, speak to a lawyer in Blue Island, 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 Lawsuits in Blue Island, IL?

Being a personal injury lawyer in Blue Island, IL mandates that your lawyers and firm 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 laws and statutes that can arise in a truck accident case 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 be the best choice to get you full compensation in a different claim. At Burger Law, we know how to hold the liable party accountable no matter the circumstances. Cases we specialize in in Blue Island and throughout Illinois include:

Auto Accidents

The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that there are about 400,000 personal injury claims annually. About 52 percent of those result from auto accidents, including:

• 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 increased risk of catastrophic injury or death 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 and you end up hurt, you can file a claim.

In some cases, a vehicle manufacturer, construction company or local municipality may have at least contributed to your injuries. Your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will carry out a complete investigation into your claim to find out who and what exactly caused your injuries.

Premises Liability

Property owners and managers have a responsibility to ensure their premises is safe for invitees and licensees. If you sustain damages in a slip and fall because a property was unreasonably dangerous, you deserve compensation. 740 ILCS 130/, also called the Illinois Premises Liability Act, states that proprietors 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.” Generally, if there is a hazardous condition that is not obvious, the owner needs to either repair the hazard or warn against it. Examples of hazardous conditions are:

• Spills
• A recently mopped floor
• Broken concrete on a walkway
• Broken stairs
• Broken decks and balconies
• Potholes
• Sudden changes in surface level
• 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

You do not automatically have a claim just because a property had a dangerous condition. If you were trespassing, ignored warning signs, such as a “wet floor sign,” or were running or not acting in a safe manner, it might be hard to get compensation. Successful premises liability claims depend on the following:

• The owner or manager created the hazardous conditions; or
• The owner or manager knew about the risk and failed 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 Blue Island, IL may try to convince you that they are not liable for your slip and fall injuries because they had no idea about the condition or because you are to blame. Do not believe them, and do not accept any settlement offer until you have spoken to a personal injury lawyer.

Medical Malpractice

According to a 2016 study from John Hopkins University, medical errors are responsible for over a quarter of a million deaths a year. While not all of those amount to malpractice, 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 refers to how a prudent healthcare professional, in a specific field and specific location, would treat whatever ailment you saw them for.

Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/2-622, any medical malpractice lawsuit 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 essential that the physician who writes the affidavit is in the same practice area and geographic region as the health professional you are making a claim against. A thoracic surgeon in Chicago has a different standard of care than a family doctor in Decorah, Iowa. Burger Law has a network of expert witnesses in Blue Island and all over Illinois who can corroborate your claim.

Common instances of medical malpractice in Blue Island, 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
• Ignoring 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

Every day, nearly 1,000 people require emergency care for dog bites, and every year dog bites lead to about 12,600 hospitalizations. According to a Chicago Tribune article, Illinois is the second-highest dog bite state in the country.

510 ILCS 5/, the Illinois Animal Control Act, mandates that the owner of a dog is strictly liable for your damages if it bit you, assuming 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 are minor, others can lead to reconstructive surgeries or permanent scarring. In any case, trust in a Burger Law Blue Island, IL personal injury lawyer to ensure you get the best possible 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 Blue Island, 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 guard rails do not offer sufficient protection.
2. Manufacturing defect — This type of defect usually occurs to only one or several individual products, instead of every product with the same design. Examples include rat droppings getting caught in a soda can, or improperly attached electrical outlets.
3. Insufficient instructions — This refers to labeling that does not mention certain risks when the product is put to foreseeable use. For example, a medication that does not include certain side-effects in the labeling.

In order to make a product liability claim, you must demonstrate that the product was “unreasonably dangerous” when it was used in a way a manufacturer could reasonably expect, 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 will take on any case in which a rule breaker injured someone else. One of the benefits of choosing a Burger Law Blue Island, IL personal injury lawyer is that we are not limited to any one type of claim, and have won your type of claim before. 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 Blue Island, IL?

The path to securing maximum compensation for your injuries can be long and complex. While some cases only take a few months, others go completely through to a jury trial. In total, the path to getting compensation includes:

• Seeking Medical Care — Seek medical treatment as soon as possible after an injury, and follow your doctor’s treatment plans to a “T.” The insurance company will be harder to deal with if you wait, and not attending all your appointments will lower your final payout. Our personal injury lawyers work with several reliable Blue Island, IL doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists who can ensure you recover physically as best as possible.
• Discussing Your Case With an Attorney — Even if you are not sure you are going to need legal representation, it is best to consult with one as soon as possible so they can become familiar with your case. A good attorney will be straightforward with you about whether or not their services are needed.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have hired an attorney, your personal injury lawyer will carry out an exhaustive investigation into the circumstances surrounding your injuries, determine every liable party and obtain the evidence required for the best possible financial recovery. You can help by keeping 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 how we calculated your damages, and insist that nothing but the full amount will be agreed to. Usually, they will respond with a lower offer, and we keep negotiating 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. While the case is being litigated, both parties continue negotiating.
• Mediation — Mediation is often the last option for a settlement before trial. In mediation, an unbiased third party will try to get each party to accept the merits of the other side’s arguments.
• 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, obtain more evidence and share with and request documentation with the other side.
• Trial — Most personal injury claims are settled before trial. In fact, we often finally get the settlement we were seeking in the weeks immediately before trial. However, if the insurance company still cannot see reason, the case will go in court. Trial consists of:
  • Jury selection
  • Opening statements
  • Testimony and cross-examination
  • Closing arguments
  • Jury instruction
  • Jury deliberation and verdict

Most people who speak with our Blue Island, 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, keep you up to date on the status of your claim and manage all the legal aspects of your case so you can focus on healing.

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

In general, there are two types of compensation available in a personal injury claim: economic damages and non-economic damages:

• Economic damages compensate you for your financial losses related to your injuries, including:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential 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

Sometimes, we may also be able to pursue punitive damages if the at-fault harmed you on purpose or they were incredibly reckless. Examples can include a drunk driver, or a doctor who performs surgery after drinking. While punitive damages do not apply to most personal injury claims, 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 Blue Island, 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 important exceptions:

1. If you were a minor when the injury occurred, 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 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 not cause immediate concern, 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 types of claims we take on in Blue Island, 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 Blue Island, IL Now

Burger Law’s Blue Island, IL personal injury lawyers hold ourselves to the standard of zealous representation. That means we start working for your recovery immediately, pursue every legal option we have, fight back against insurance companies on your behalf and do not let down until you get the maximum compensation you deserve. We only give our clients the highest standard 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 Blue Island, 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 Blue Island, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.