Personal Injury Lawyer in Bridgeview, IL

Burger Law fights on behalf of people who are injured because someone else did no respect their safety. When you or a family member has been injured all because someone else behaved recklessly or irresponsibly, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Bridgeview, 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 contact us online.

To calculate the value of your personal injury claim in Bridgeview, or anywhere in Illinois, use our free personal injury calculator.

The negligent parties that hurt you are responsible for compensating you for all of your damages, but they will not do it willingly. Burger Law’s personal injury lawyer team fights hard for our clients against anyone who is trying to keep them from the recovery they are owed. That includes anything from making claims against large trucking companies, holding negligent physicians, product manufacturers, dog owners accountable, taking the fight to City Hall, to getting justice and financial security for a family after the wrongful death of a loved one. If you have questions about your case, what compensation you are owed or other questions regarding personal injury claims, speak to one of our personal injury lawyers in Bridgeview, IL immediately at (779) 800-HURT.

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

It can be difficult to know how to choose the right personal injury lawyer for you. You want someone who has won your type of case before and who you know will not back down from 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:

Acclaimed Bridgeview, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

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

• Martindale-Hubbell Award — AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® from NexisLexis® – a significant achievement awarded to not more than 5 percent of all attorneys in the country
• 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 lawyers are certified by an American Bar Association accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Bridgeview, IL – Recent Victories

Our Bridgeview, IL personal injury lawyers fight for the full rights and recoveries of our clients. We fight all who have injured our clients, and we fight for a full recovery every time. Our firm is committed to providing our clients amazing legal advocacy, and we take tremendous pride in our hard-fought victories. Check out some of our recent successes 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 depend on the circumstances of your claim. 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.

Definition of a Personal Injury Claim in Bridgeview, IL

A personal injury claim is your right under Illinois law to get monetary reimbursement for the injuries someone else caused, and to achieve justice. The aim of insurance settlements and civil litigation 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 lawyer, settlement or verdict is can fully return you to how things were before the injury. While we can get compensation for the financial losses you sustained, other damages cannot truly be expressed through dollar signs. If a family member died, you lost a limb, are permanently scarred or will have to receive medical treatment for the rest of your life, no one can truly make that go away. What empathetic and experienced personal injury lawyers like those at Burger Law are able to do is ensure your injuries are recognized, and to give you financial security as it relates to your accident.

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

While some cases can be successfully navigated without a lawyer, most of the time you will need one to ensure no money is left on the table in Bridgeview, IL. The question to ask when considering whether or not to hire a lawyer is, can they increase my compensation? If your injuries were minor, you did not miss much time off work and the insurance company is being mostly fair, a lawyer might not be necessary. But, you should hire a lawyer in Bridgeview, IL under the following circumstances:

• There is a dispute over liability, or the insurance company says the injuries are your fault
• The insurance company is denying they have to cover certain damages
• Your injuries are serious and require extensive medical treatment
• There are multiple parties 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 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 are owed, and we have no reason to take on your claim if we do not think we can get you substantially more money.

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

While civil law can be hard to navigate, whether or not you have a claim depends on the answer to one specific question: were you injured because someone else was negligent? If so, legally speaking you must prove the five elements of negligence:

1. Duty of care — You first need to show that the person you are making a claim against had a responsibility to care for your safety. In some cases this is automatic, as Bridgeview, 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 special relationship must be established, for example a doctor-patient relationship or a vendor-buyer relationship.
2. Breach of duty — Did the liable party neglect that duty? Did a driver hit you because they were drunk? Did a doctor prescribe the wrong dosage? Did a trucking company force their employee to drive longer than regulations allow?
3. Cause-in-fact — You must demonstrate how the accident caused your injuries. For example, you broke your arm when your car was t-boned, or were burned by a defective product when it overheated.
4. Proximate cause — This determines who ultimately is to blame. If you were injured in an auto accident, the liable party is usually the driver that hit you. But if the tires were not safe, a manufacturer or mechanic may be the one who is ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Lastly, you have to demonstrate that the incident caused financial losses. In most cases damages are medical bills and lost wages. With access to your medical records, this last part will be fairly easy to prove with the help of an attorney. After proving economic damages, we can pursue compensation for pain and suffering damages.

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 Bridgeview, IL before. Call a personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT.

Types of Claims Our Bridgeview, IL Personal Injury Lawyers Win

Being a personal injury lawyer in Bridgeview, IL requires that your lawyers and firm know how liability laws apply to a wide range of cases. Knowing the difference between how the law applies to auto accidents, medical malpractice and slip and falls is essential. A lawyer who only knows how to deal with car insurance companies 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 in any type of claim. We have won millions for our Bridgeview, IL clients in the following types of cases:

Auto Accidents

The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that there are 300,000 to 500,000 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 so much, and motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians are all at increased risk of catastrophic injury or death as they do not have the same protection closed-vehicle occupants have. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1, all motorist 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.

Sometimes, 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 perform 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 property is safe for people who are not trespassing. If you sustain damages in a slip and fall because a property was unsafe, you may have a premises liability claim. 740 ILCS 130/, also called the Illinois Premises Liability Act, mandates that property owners have a duty of care to people who legally enter their property 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 has a responsibility to either fix the condition, post signage or rope it off. Examples of hazardous conditions are:

• Spills
• A recently mopped floor
• Broken concrete on a walkway
• Broken stairs
• Broken decks and balconies
• Potholes
• Overly steep inclines
• Ledges
• Poorly lit stairs and walking paths
• Black ice
• Wet concrete
• Debris such as litter, fallen leaves and branches, rocks, etc
• Uneven rugs
• Electrical cords
• In-ground sprinklers or hardscape features hidden in the grass
• Broken safety rails

You do not automatically have a claim just because a property had a dangerous condition. If you were trespassing, did not pay attention to warning signs, for example a “wet floor sign,” or were running or acting dangerously, 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 unsafe conditions; or
• The owner or manager was aware of the condition and failed to repair 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 adjuster in Bridgeview, IL may tell you they do not owe you anything because they should not have been reasonable expected to repair or warn against the accident 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 a quarter of a million deaths each year. While not all of those amount to malpractice, when it does, a physician needs to pay for hurting you.

Your medical malpractice cases will come down to what is known as the standard of care. The standard is how a prudent physician, in the same area and with the same training as the one you are making a claim against, would treat whatever ailment you saw them for.

Under 735 ILCS 5/2-622, any medical malpractice lawsuit 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 physician corroborating your allegations has the same training and practices in the same area as the health professional you are making a claim against. A thoracic surgeon in Chicago is held to a different standard of care than a general practitioner in Decorah, Iowa. Burger Law has a network of expert witnesses in Bridgeview and all over Illinois who can corroborate your claim.

Common instances of medical malpractice in Bridgeview, IL include:

• Nursing home negligence
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnosis
• Leaving objects in after surgery
• Hospital system errors
• Failure to secure consent
• Not ordering tests that a prudent doctor would
• Ignoring a patient’s complaints
• Not sending you to a specialist or recommending a different treatment plan when theirs is not working
• Prescription errors

Dog Bites

Every day, almost 1,000 people require emergency medical treatment for dog bites, and every year dog bites lead to about 12,480 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, states 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 liable as a matter of law and you do not have to prove negligence. This means that the owner owes you a recovery regardless of how they acted.

While some dog bites lead to only superficial wounds, others result in reconstructive surgeries or permanent scarring. In any case, you likely need an experienced and skilled Bridgeview, IL personal injury lawyer to ensure you get the maximum financial recovery you are owed.

Product Liability

Like dog owners, anyone in the chain of distribution of a product is strictly liable for the injuries a defective product causes. There are generally three theories a personal injury lawyer will use to make a product liability claim in Bridgeview, IL:

1. Design defect — This is a defect that was present when the product was initially designed. This could include tables or furniture that naturally tip over, or an electrical appliance that melts when turned on high.
2. Manufacturing defect — This type of defect usually occurs to only one or several individual products, instead of an entire line of products. Examples include a bug getting caught in a soda can, or a seatbelt with a loose screw that comes undone during impact.
3. Marketing defect — 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 recover compensation, you must demonstrate that the product carried inherent risks 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 wrongdoer injured someone else. One of the great parts of choosing a Burger Law Bridgeview, 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 Bridgeview, IL?

The journey to securing a financial settlement or verdict for your injuries starts 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 personal injury claims process consists of:

• Getting Medical Care — Get medical attention as soon as possible after an injury, and follow your doctor’s treatment plans to a “T.” If you delay, it could bring complications to your claim, and not attending all your appointments will lower how much compensation you receive. Our personal injury lawyers work with several reliable Bridgeview, IL doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists who can help you in your recovery.
• Consulting With an Attorney — Even if you are not sure you are going to need to hire a lawyer, it is best to consult with one as soon as possible so they can become familiar with your case. A good attorney will be honest with you about whether or not their services are needed.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have hired an attorney, your personal injury lawyer will perform a complete investigation into your claim, ascertain who we need to hold accountable and acquire the evidence required for the best possible financial recovery. You can help by keeping a record of every dollar you have spent because of 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 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 will be agreed to. Usually, the insurance company will counter our offer with a lower number, and there will be several back-and-forths until they offer full compensation.
• 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, 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, a neutral 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 discovery, we take depositions of eyewitnesses and expert witnesses, gather more evidence and both parties will share with the other what they plan to use as evidence in trial.
• Trial — Most personal injury claims are settled before trial. In fact, many times we have gotten the settlement we were seeking on the eve of trial. However, if the insurance company still cannot see reason, the case will go in front of a judge and jury. Trial consists of:
  • Voir dire
  • Opening statements
  • Testimony and cross-examination
  • Closing arguments
  • Jury instruction
  • Jury deliberation and verdict

Most of our Bridgeview, IL clients have never been through the personal injury claims process before, and do not know what to expect. Burger Law will be your advocate from our initial consultation to full compensation, keep you up to date on the status of your claim and manage all documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can focus on your physical recovery.

What Compensation Can I Get In My Bridgeview, IL Personal Injury Claim?

In general, 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 related to your injuries, including:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity if your injuries result in permanent disability
  • Medical costs, 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, we may also be able to pursue punitive damages if the at-fault 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 available to get you the best possible financial recovery.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in Bridgeview, 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 noteworthy exceptions:

1. If you were under 18 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 under 18. Then you would have until your 22nd birthday.

While two years may seem like a long time, thoroughly investigating an injury and developing a legal strategy takes time. Do not delay in speaking to an attorney. Call a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

Other types of claims we win in Bridgeview, 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 Bridgeview, IL Now

Burger Law’s Bridgeview, IL personal injury lawyers fiercely believe in zealous representation. That means we start working for your recovery immediately, pursue every legal option we have, stand up to insurance companies on your behalf and do not let down until you are awarded the full compensation you are owed. We offer 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 Bridgeview, 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 Bridgeview, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.