Personal Injury Lawyer in Fairview Heights, IL

Burger Law fights on behalf of people who get hurt due to negligent and reckless actions. When you are seriously injured all because someone else behaved recklessly or irresponsibly, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Fairview Heights, 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 fill out our online form.

To calculate how much compensation you may be owed in Fairview Heights, or anywhere in Illinois, complete our complimentary personal injury calculator.

The negligent people that injured 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 whoever is standing in the way of justice. That includes anything from suing large trucking companies, holding negligent physicians, product manufacturers, pet owners responsible, taking the fight to City Hall, to securing justice and financial security for a family after the wrongful death of a family member. If you want to know if you have a claim, the damages you may be able to recover or other questions regarding personal injury claims, speak to one of our personal injury lawyers in Fairview Heights, IL now at (779) 800-HURT.

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

Choosing the right personal injury lawyer for your case is crucial. 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 Fairview Heights, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

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

• Martindale-Hubbell Award — AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® from NexisLexis® – a noteworthy achievement awarded to less than 5 percent of all lawyers in the U.S.
• Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Honor — Members of the Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an honor only given to 1 percent of attorneys in the United States.
• Top 100 Trial Lawyers Honor — Selected to the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only award 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. Less than 4 percent of all practicing attorneys are certified by an American Bar Association accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Fairview Heights, IL – Cases We Have Won

Our Fairview Heights, IL personal injury lawyers have a demonstrated history of getting great results. We take on all who have injured our clients, and we insist on nothing but maximum compensation. Our attorneys are dedicated to providing our clients the highest standard of legal representation, and we take tremendous pride in our well-deserved victories. Read about 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 no two cases are the same, and the compensation you are owed is going to be based entirely upon the your specific accident. We fight for you so that you secure what you deserve.

Burger Law Client Success Stories

In addition to the videos below, you can watch more client testimonials here.

What Is a Personal Injury Claim in Fairview Heights, IL?

A personal injury claim is your right under Illinois law to get a financial recovery for the damage done by another person’s negligence, and to achieve justice. The aim of personal injury claims is to make one whole. The idea is to put you in the same position you were in before another person injured you.

Sometimes, no lawyer or financial award can truly “put back” all the things you lost in an injury. While you can be reimbursed for the financial losses you sustained, other damages cannot truly be expressed through dollar signs. If a family member died, you are permanently disabled, are disfigured or will have to receive medical care for the rest of your life, no amount of money 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 give you relief from the financial losses resulting from your injuries.

Is it Worth Hiring Personal Injury Lawyer in Fairview Heights, IL?

That depends on the specifics of your case, but most of the time, yes, you will need a personal injury lawyer to ensure no money is left on the table in Fairview Heights, IL. The thing to ask yourself is, can they add value to my claim? If your injuries were minor, you did not miss much time off work and the insurance company is being mostly fair, you may not need an attorney. But, you will need a lawyer in Fairview Heights, IL under the following circumstances:

• There is disagreement 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 ongoing care
• There are multiple parties that is liable for your damages
• Your damages exceed the liable policyholder’s policy limits

Our initial conversations and investigations are free, and we are always honest 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 do not pay until we win your case, and we have no reason to accept you as a client if we do not think we can significantly increase your final payout.

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case in Fairview Heights, IL?

While the legal specifics concerning negligence and liability can be complex, whether or not you have a claim depends on the answer to one essential 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 demonstrate that the liable party had a responsibility to care for your safety. Sometimes, a duty of care is assumed, as Fairview Heights, IL driver owe drivers, passengers and pedestrians a duty of care, or dog owners owe it to others to keep their dog from biting anyone. Other times, a particular relationship must be established, such as the relationship between a doctor and patient or between a vendor and a buyer.
2. Breach of duty — Did someone fail in that duty? Did a driver crash into you you because they were drunk? Did a doctor fail to diagnose a condition? Did a trucking company force their employee to drive longer than regulations allow?
3. Causation — You must show how the incident resulted in your injuries. For example, 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 hit by a vehicle, 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 personal injury cases, this is usually medical bills and wages you could not earn while you were not able to work. With access to your medical records, damages are easy to prove with the help of an attorney. Once we establish financial losses, we can also pursue a financial recovery for less tangible losses.

If you have any doubts about whether or not you have a case, speak to a lawyer in Fairview Heights, IL who has won a similar claim before. You can speak to a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

Types of Claims Our Fairview Heights, IL Personal Injury Lawyers Handle

Practicing injury law in Fairview Heights, IL requires 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 concerning truck accidents that can be the deciding factor in whether or not the case is successful. A lawyer that only specializes in a certain type of injury claim may not be the best choice to get you full compensation in a different claim. At Burger Law, we know how to get great results no matter the circumstances. We have won millions for our Fairview Heights, 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 in any given year. The majority of those are auto accident claims, including:

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

Truck accidents can be especially catastrophic because of the amount of force they carry in an accident, and motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians are all at heightened risk of catastrophic injury or death due to their relatively limited protection. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1, all motorist must “exercise due care” to keep everyone else on the road safe. If someone breaks the rules of the road, causes an accident and injures you, you have an auto accident claim against them.

In some cases, 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 carry out an exhaustive investigation into your accident to find every liable party and hold them accountable.

Premises Liability

Property owners and managers have an obligation to take reasonable measures to make sure their property is not hazardous for people who are not trespassing. If you are injured in a slip and fall because a property was unsafe, you deserve compensation. 740 ILCS 130/, also referred to as the Illinois Premises Liability Act, mandates that property owners owe a duty of care to entrants that is “of reasonable care under the circumstances regarding the state of the premises or acts done or omitted on them.” Essentially, if there is a dangerous condition that is not obvious, the owner has a responsibility to either fix 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
• Rugs that are not flat
• Electrical 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, 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 condition and failed to fix it; or
• The owner or manager tried to repair the hazard 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 Fairview Heights, IL may tell you they are not liable for your slip and fall injuries because they had no idea about the condition or because you are to blame. Do not believe them, and always speak with a personal injury lawyer before accepting any settlement.

Medical Malpractice

According to a 2016 study from John Hopkins University, medical errors are responsible for more than a quarter of a million deaths a year. While not every error amount to malpractice, when it does, a doctor needs to pay for breaking your trust.

Your medical malpractice cases is based on what is called the standard of care. The standard refers to how a prudent physician, in a specific field and specific location, would treat whatever ailment you saw them for.

Under 735 ILCS 5/2-622, any medical malpractice claim 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 essential that the doctor corroborating your allegations is in the same practice area and geographic region as the health professional you are suing. An anesthesiologist in Chicago is held to a different standard of care than a pediatrician in Decorah, Iowa. Burger Law relies on a network of expert witnesses in Fairview Heights and throughout Illinois who can help verify that your medical malpractice suit is valid.

Common instances of medical malpractice in Fairview Heights, IL include:

• Nursing home negligence
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnosis
• Leaving objects in during surgery
• Hospital system errors
• Failure to secure consent
• Not ordering tests that a prudent doctor would
• Blowing off a patient’s complaints
• Not changing course when their treatment plan is not working
• Prescription errors

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 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, mandates that the owner of a dog 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 liable as a matter of law and you do not have to prove negligence. This means, the owner cannot get out of paying you by saying they did not know the dog was aggressive, or that it was not their fault the animal got free.

While some dog bites only lead to minor injuries, others can lead to expensive surgeries or lifelong scarring. Regardless of the seriousness of your injuries, you likely need an experienced and skilled Fairview Heights, IL personal injury lawyer to ensure you get the full financial recovery you deserve.

Product Liability

Like dog owners, the designers, manufacturers, distributors and vendors of a product are strictly liable for the damages stemming from a defective product. There are typically three theories a personal injury lawyer will use to make a product liability claim in Fairview Heights, IL:

1. Design defect — This is a defect that was present when the product was initially designed. This could include an SUV that is susceptible to rollover accidents, or an electrical appliance that melts when turned on high.
2. Manufacturing defect — This type of defect affects several individual products instead of an entire line of products. Examples include rat droppings getting caught in a soda can, or improperly attached electrical outlets.
3. Failure to warn — This refers to a product that did not carry sufficient warnings when it was put to foreseeable use. For example, an electric shaver not mentioning that shock can occur if used in the shower.

In order to recover compensation, you must show that the product was “unreasonably dangerous” when it was used in a way a manufacturer could anticipate, 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 someone was injured due to another’s negligence. One of the great parts of choosing a Burger Law Fairview Heights, IL personal injury lawyer is that our team takes on all types of personal injury claims, 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 Fairview Heights, IL?

The journey to getting 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. Generally, the personal injury claims process consists of:

• Getting Medical Care — 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 getting the full treatment will lower how much compensation you receive. Our personal injury lawyers have a network of experienced Fairview Heights, IL doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists who can ensure you get the full treatment you need.
• Consulting With an Attorney — Even if you are not sure you are going to need to hire a lawyer, you need to know what your options are as soon as possible. A good lawyer will tell you bluntly what your legal recourses are.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have legal representation, your personal injury lawyer will conduct a comprehensive investigation into your claim, ascertain every liable party and obtain the evidence required for full compensation. 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 have determined the full extent of your damages, 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 insist that nothing but the full amount will be agreed to. Usually, the insurance company will counter our offer with a lower number, and we keep negotiating until they agree to pay for all of your damages.
• 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, we will continue negotiating in an effort to avoid a trial.
• Mediation — If a settlement agreement still has not been reached, your personal injury lawyer and the liable party will likely pursue mediation. In mediation, an objective third party 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, acquire 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 a fair settlement offer just before trial begins. However, if the insurance company still cannot see reason, we will fight for your compensation in court. Trial consists of:
  • Voir dire
  • Opening statements
  • Testimony and cross-examination
  • Closing arguments
  • Jury instruction
  • Jury deliberation and verdict

Most of our Fairview Heights, IL clients have never been through the personal injury claims process before, and are unsure of what lies ahead. Burger Law will be by your side from our initial consultation to full compensation, be there to answer all of your questions and manage all documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can spend your energy on your physical recovery.

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

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

• Economic damages compensate you for your financial losses related to your injuries, for instance:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential 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 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 party’s conduct was purposefully harmful or grossly negligent. 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 possible to get you the best possible financial recovery.

What Is the Time Limit for Personal Injury Claims in Fairview Heights, 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 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 should have discovered 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 get great results in in Fairview Heights, IL include:

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

Speak to Personal Injury Lawyer in Fairview Heights, IL Now

Burger Law’s Fairview Heights, IL personal injury lawyers fiercely believe in zealous representation. That means we get started on your case immediately, pursue every legal option we have, fight back against insurance companies on your behalf and do not give up until you receive the full recovery you are owed. We offer the highest standard 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 Fairview Heights, 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 Fairview Heights, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.