Personal Injury Lawyer in Cary, IL

Burger Law defends the rights of those who are injured because someone else did no respect their safety. When you has been injured in an accident or incident caused by another person’s actions, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Cary, 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.

To find out how much compensation you may be owed in Cary, or anywhere in Illinois, check out our complimentary personal injury calculator.

Those who hurt you have an obligation to compensate you for all of your damages, but that does not mean they will 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 compensation they are owed. We handle a variety of cases, including making claims against large trucking companies, holding negligent physicians, product manufacturers, store owners accountable, suing the government, to getting justice and financial security for Cary residents after a a family member passed too soon. 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 Cary, IL now at (779) 800-HURT.

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

It can be difficult to know how to choose the best personal injury lawyer for you. You want someone who has won your type of case before and who is not afraid to take your case all the way to trial if they have to. In order to gauge the abilities of an injury law firm, you need to take into account their previous successes, and their reputation among their clients and peers:

Premier Cary, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

The many awards and accolades Burger Law has received from other attorneys 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 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 American Bar Association accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Cary, IL – Recent Successes

Our Cary, 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 demand nothing but maximum compensation. Our firm is dedicated to giving our clients the highest standard of legal advocacy, and we have tremendous pride in our well-deserved victories. Read about our recent victories 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 pointing out 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 injuries. We fight for you so that you are given what you deserve.

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 Cary, IL

A personal injury claim is your right under Illinois law to get monetary reimbursement for the damage done by another person’s negligence, and to achieve justice. The objective of insurance settlements and civil litigation is to make one whole. The idea is to put you in the same position you were in before another person injured you.

In some cases, no lawyer or financial award can truly 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 you lost a loved one, you are permanently disabled, are permanently scarred or will have to live the rest of your life in chronic pain, no legal process can change that. What compassionate and experienced personal injury lawyers like those at Burger Law are able to do is secure you fair compensation in order to provide a sense of justice and recognition, and to provide you with relief from the financial losses resulting from your accident.

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

That depends on the specifics of your case, but most of the time, yes, you will need a personal injury lawyer to recover the full value of your claim in Cary, IL. The important question is, can they add value to my claim? If your medical expenses are low, you have minimal lost wages and the insurance adjuster is being reasonable, a lawyer might not be necessary. But, you will need an attorney in Cary, IL if the following is true about your claim:

• There is disagreement over liability, or the insurance company says the injuries are your fault
• The initial settlement offer is well below what you are owed
• Your injuries are significant and require extensive care
• There more than one party that is liable for your damages
• Your damages are more than the liable policyholder’s policy limits

Our initial conversations and investigations are free, and we are always straightforward 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 deserve, and there is no reason for us 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 Cary, IL?

While legal doctrine can be complex, whether or not you can seek compensation depends on the answer to one particular 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 person you are making a claim against had a responsibility to care for your safety. Sometimes, a duty of care is assumed, as Cary, IL driver owe drivers, passengers and pedestrians a duty of care, or store owners need their properties to be reasonable safe for anyone who legally enters. In other cases, a particular relationship must be established, for instance the relationship between a doctor and patient or between a vendor and a buyer.
2. Breach of duty — Did the other party neglect that responsibility? Did a driver crash into you you because they were not following the rules of the road? Did a physician not order the appropriate tests? Did a dog owner let their dog roam unleashed?
3. Cause-in-fact — You must prove how the breach of duty led to your injuries. For instance, 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 liability. If you were hit by a vehicle, the liable party is usually the driver that hit you. But if the tires were defective, a manufacturer or mechanic may be the one who is ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Finally, you must demonstrate that the accident resulted in economic harm. In personal injury cases, this is usually medical expenses and lost wages. With access to your medical records, 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 pain and suffering damages.

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

Types of Claims Our Cary, IL Personal Injury Lawyers Win

Being a personal injury lawyer in Cary, 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 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 take on in Cary and throughout Illinois include:

Auto Accidents

Statistics from the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicate that there are about 400,000 personal injury claims annually. About 52 percent 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 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 keep everyone else on the road safe. If a driver is negligent, causes an accident and injures you, you can file a claim.

In some cases, a vehicle manufacturer, construction company or local municipality may be at fault. Your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will carry out an exhaustive investigation into your accident to find every liable party and hold them accountable.

Premises Liability

Proprietors have a responsibility to take reasonable measures to make sure their premises does not carry any risks 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 known as the Illinois Premises Liability Act, mandates that proprietors 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.” Essentially, if there is a dangerous condition that is not obvious, the owner has a responsibility to either repair the condition 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
• Broken safety rails

Not all injuries on a property lead to a valid premises liability claim. If you were trespassing, ignored warning signs, such as a “wet floor sign,” or were running or not behaving 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 hazardous conditions; or
• The owner or manager knew about the condition and neglected to fix it; or
• The owner or manager tried to fix the condition and repaired 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 property owner or insurance company in Cary, IL may try to convince you that they do not owe you anything 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

Based on research from John Hopkins University, medical errors cause over a quarter of a million deaths a year. While not all of those constitutes negligence, when it does, a doctor needs to pay for breaking your trust.

Your medical malpractice cases will come down to what is known 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 claim 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 imperative that the doctor who writes the affidavit has the same training and practices in the same area as the health professional you are suing. An anesthesiologist in Chicago has a different standard of care than a pediatrician in Decorah, Iowa. Burger Law knows numerous expert witnesses in Cary and throughout Illinois who can corroborate your claim.

Common examples of medical malpractice in Cary, IL include:

• Nursing home abuse
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnosis
• Leaving objects in after surgery
• Hospital communication 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

Each day, almost 1,000 people seek emergency medical treatment for dog bites, and annually dog bites lead to about 12,600 hospitalizations. According to a Chicago Tribune article, Illinois insurance companies pay out the second-most money for dog bites than any state in the country.

510 ILCS 5/, the Illinois Animal Control Act, states that a dog owner is strictly liable for your damages if it bit you, 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 reconstructive surgeries or permanent disfigurement. Regardless of the severity of your injuries, you likely need an experienced and skilled Cary, IL personal injury lawyer to secure you the best possible compensation you deserve.

Product Liability

Like dog owners, anyone in the chain of distribution of a product is strictly liable for the harm a defective product causes. There are typically three theories a personal injury lawyer will use to make a product liability claim in Cary, 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 an entire line of products. Examples include rat droppings getting caught in packaging, or improperly attached electrical outlets.
3. Insufficient instructions — This refers to instructions 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 show that the product was “unreasonably dangerous” 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 will take on any case in which someone was injured through no fault of their own. One of the great parts of choosing a Burger Law Cary, IL personal injury lawyer is that our team takes on all types of personal injury claims, 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 Cary, IL?

The path to securing a financial settlement or verdict for your injuries can be long and complex. While some cases only take a few months, others can take several years before a jury finally renders a verdict. Generally, the path to getting compensation consists of:

• Getting Medical Treatment — Seek medical treatment immediately after an injury, and do not miss any appointments with your doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist. 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 know trustworthy Cary, IL health professionals who can help you in your recovery.
• Speaking With an Attorney — Even if you do not know if you need an attorney, 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 the value of your claim and how they can help.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have retained a lawyer’s services, your personal injury lawyer will carry out an exhaustive investigation into your claim, ascertain who we need to hold accountable and gather the evidence they need to get you maximum compensation. 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 those who are liable for compensating you. 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. Most of the time, the insurance company will counter our offer with a lower number, and we keep negotiating until they decide to be truly fair.
• Filing a Lawsuit — If negotiations do not result in fair compensation, we will file a lawsuit in court, which begins the formal process of your claim going to trial. During this time, 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 unbiased third party hears arguments from both sides and tries to break the stalemate.
• Pre-Trial — If mediation still does not result in a fair settlement, we will go into the pre-trial “discovery” phase. In discovery, we take depositions of eyewitnesses and expert witnesses, gather more evidence and share with and request documentation with the other side.
• Trial — Most personal injury claims are settled before trial. Indeed, we often finally get the settlement we were seeking just before trial begins. However, if the insurance company still cannot see reason, we will fight for your compensation 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 people who speak with our Cary, IL personal injury lawyers have never been through the personal injury claims process before, and do not know what to expect. Burger Law will be your advocate every step of the way, keep you up to date on the status of your claim and handle all the legal aspects of your case so you can focus on your physical recovery.

How Much Is My Personal Injury Claim in Cary, 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 result in permanent disability
  • Medical bills, past and future
  • Out-of-pocket expenses
• Non-economic damages compensate you for losses that are harder to put a dollar figure on, 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 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 Time Limit for Personal Injury Claims in Cary, IL?

In Illinois, the statute of limitations is shorter than most states at just two years, 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 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 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, 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 handle in Cary, 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 Cary, IL Now

Burger Law’s Cary, IL personal injury lawyers hold ourselves to the standard of zealous representation. That means we start working for your recovery immediately, investigate your case thoroughly, stand up to insurance companies on your behalf and do not let down until you are awarded the full compensation you are owed. We only give our clients the highest level of legal representation; 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 Cary, 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 Cary, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.