Personal Injury Lawyer in Homewood, IL

Burger Law defends the rights of those who are injured because of negligent and reckless actions. If you have sustained serious injuries because of someone else’s negligent behavior, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Homewood, 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.

To find out the value of your personal injury claim in Homewood, or anywhere in Illinois, complete our free personal injury calculator.

Those who injured 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 whoever is standing in the way of justice. That includes anything from suing drunk drivers, holding negligent doctors, product manufacturers, pet owners responsible, suing City Hall, to securing justice and financial security for a family after a a family member passed too soon. If you would like to discuss the validity of your case further, the damages you may be able to recover or anything else about the personal injury claims process, call our personal injury lawyers in Homewood, IL immediately at (779) 800-HURT.

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

It can be hard 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 you know will not back down from a fight. In order to have a good understanding of the abilities of a law firm, you need to take into account their previous victories, and what their clients and peers say about them:

Premier Homewood, 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 notable achievement awarded to not more than 5 percent of all attorneys in the United States
• 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 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. Less than 4 percent of all practicing attorneys are certified by an ABA accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Homewood, IL – Recent Successes

Our Homewood, IL personal injury lawyers have a demonstrated history of getting great results. We fight all who have injured our clients, and we fight for a full recovery every time. Our firm is devoted to giving our clients amazing legal representation, and we take great pride in our hard-fought victories. Read about our recent victories 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 mentioning that every injury comes with its own set of circumstances, and what you may be eligible to recover is going to depend on the your specific injuries. We calculate the full extent of your damages so that you secure what you are owed.

Burger Law Reviews

Beyond the videos below, you can check out more client testimonials here.

What Is a Personal Injury Claim in Homewood, IL?

A personal injury claim is your right under Illinois law to get monetary reimbursement for the injuries another person is responsible for, and to hold wrongdoers accountable. The aim 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, settlement or verdict is can fully return you to how things were before the injury. While you can be reimbursed for medical bills, lost wages and other financial losses, other damages are harder to quantify. If a family member died, you are permanently disabled, are permanently scarred or will have to live the rest of your life in chronic pain, no one can truly change that. What compassionate and experienced personal injury lawyers like those at Burger Law are able to do is ensure your injuries are recognized, and to provide you with relief from the financial losses resulting from your accident.

Is it Worth Hiring Personal Injury Lawyer in Homewood, 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 Homewood, IL. The question to ask when thinking about whether or not to hire a lawyer is, will I get more money with them? If your injuries were not significant, you did not miss much time off work and the other party’s fault is clearly established, a lawyer might not be necessary. But, you will need an attorney in Homewood, IL if the following is true about your claim:

• There is a dispute over liability, or you are being blamed for your injuries
• The insurance company is denying they have to cover certain damages
• Your injuries are significant and require extensive medical treatment
• There more than one party that is liable for your damages
• Your damages are more than the at-fault policyholder’s policy limits

Our initial conversations and investigations are free, and we will always be honest with you about whether or not it is worth it for you to hire our services. Our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you only pay after you have received the full compensation you are owed, 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 Claim in Homewood, IL?

While state statutes can be complex, whether or not you can seek compensation depends on the answer to one specific question: were you injured because someone else was negligent? If so, legally speaking you need to prove the five elements of negligence:

1. Duty of care — You first need to show that the liable party had an obligation to keep you safe. In some cases this is automatic, as Homewood, 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. Other times, a unique relationship must be established, for instance a doctor-patient relationship or a vendor-patron relationship.
2. Breach of duty — Did someone neglect that responsibility? Did a driver hit you while they were running a red light? Did a physician prescribe the wrong dosage? Did a product manufacturer fail to recall a product they knew was dangerous?
3. Causation — You must demonstrate how the accident led to your injuries. For instance, you sustained a whiplash injury after being rear ended, 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 faulty, someone in the vehicle’s chain of distribution may be ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Finally, you must demonstrate that the injuries led to financial losses. In most cases damages are medical bills and lost wages. If you hold onto your medical bills, an attorney will be able to establish your financial losses with an insurance company. Once we establish financial losses, we can also pursue compensation for less tangible losses.

If you have any doubts about the validity of your claim, speak to a lawyer in Homewood, IL who has won a similar claim before. You can speak to a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

What Are Common Personal Injury Lawsuits in Homewood, IL?

Being a personal injury lawyer in Homewood, IL mandates that you know how liability laws apply to a wide range of cases. Knowing the difference between the laws and defendants applicable to different types of claims is paramount. A lawyer who only knows how to deal with car insurance companies may not have the experience to take on other cases. At Burger Law, we know how to hold the liable party accountable no matter the circumstances. We have won millions for our Homewood, 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. Just over half of those are auto accident claims, for instance:

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

Truck accidents can cause serious injuries because of the amount of force they carry in an accident, and motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians are all at increased risk of being severely injured due to their relatively limited protection. 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 and you end up hurt, 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 accident to find out who and what exactly caused your injuries.

Premises Liability

Proprietors have an obligation to ensure their premises is safe for people who are not trespassing. If you sustain damages in a slip and fall because a property was unreasonably dangerous, you may have a premises liability claim. 740 ILCS 130/, also referred to as 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 there is a dangerous condition that is not obvious, the owner has a responsibility to either repair the hazard or warn against it. Examples of a dangerous condition on a property include:

• 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
• Black ice
• Wet concrete
• Debris such as litter, fallen leaves and branches, rocks, etc
• Rugs that are not flat
• Wiring
• In-ground sprinklers or hardscape features hidden in the grass
• Absence of safety rails

You do not automatically have a claim just because a property had a dangerous condition. If you were trespassing, did not pay attention to warning signs, for example a “wet floor sign,” or were running or acting dangerously, it might be hard to get compensation. Successful premises liability claims depend on the following:

• The owner or manager created the dangerous conditions; or
• The owner or manager was aware of the condition and neglected to fix it; or
• The owner or manager tried to repair the danger and fixed it negligently; or
• The owner or manager should have known about the condition, either because it happens often, had been there for an extended length of time or due to other complaints

A store or insurance company in Homewood, 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. That is not true, and always speak with a personal injury lawyer before accepting any settlement.

Medical Malpractice

Based on data from John Hopkins University, medical errors cause more than a quarter of a million deaths a year. While not every error constitutes malpractice, when it does, you can make a medical malpractice claim.

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 the same area and with the same training as the one you are making a claim against, would treat a specific condition.

Under 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 negligent doctor, 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 has the same training and practices in the same area as the health professional you are making a claim against. A neurologist in Chicago has a different standard of care than a general practitioner in Decorah, Iowa. Burger Law has a network of expert witnesses in Homewood and in other parts of Illinois who can help verify that your medical malpractice suit is valid.

Common instances of medical malpractice in Homewood, IL include:

• Nursing home negligence
• 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
• Blowing off a patient’s complaints
• Not sending you to a specialist or recommending a different treatment plan when theirs is not working
• Prescribing the wrong medication or the wrong dosage

Dog Bites

Each day, nearly 1,000 people require 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, states that the owner of a dog 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, 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 lead to only superficial wounds, others can lead to expensive surgeries or permanent scarring. In any case, trust in a Burger Law Homewood, 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 three types of product liability claims in Homewood, 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 a power tool whose guard rails do not prevent injuries.
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 labeling that does not mention certain risks when the product is put to foreseeable use. For example, an electric shaver not mentioning that shock can occur if used in the shower.

In order to have a successful claim, you must show that the product carried inherent risks when it was used in a way a manufacturer could reasonably expect, 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 know how to get great results whenever someone was injured through no fault of their own. One of the benefits of choosing a Burger Law Homewood, 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 Homewood, IL?

The path to securing a financial settlement or verdict for your injuries starts the second you are injured. While some accidents and injuries settle fairly early, others can take several years before a jury finally renders a decision. From beginning to end, the personal injury claims process consists of:

• Getting Medical Care — Get medical care as soon as possible after an injury, and do not miss any appointments with your doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist. If you delay, it could bring complications to your claim, and not getting the full treatment will lower your final payout. Our personal injury lawyers know experienced Homewood, 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, it is best to know what your options are as soon as possible. A good lawyer will tell you bluntly what your legal options are.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have hired an attorney, your personal injury lawyer will perform an exhaustive investigation into your claim, ascertain every liable party and acquire the evidence they need to get you full compensation. You should also keep 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 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 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 agree to pay for 100 percent of your damages.
• Filing a Lawsuit — If negotiations do not lead anywhere, 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 — Mediation is often the last option for an agreement before trial. In mediation, an objective third party will try to get each party to accept the merits of the other side’s arguments.
• Pre-Trial — If mediation still does not result in a fair settlement, we will go into the pre-trial “discovery” phase. In this phase, 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, many times we have gotten the settlement we were seeking just before trial begins. However, if the insurance company refuses to do the right thing, 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 people who speak with our Homewood, IL personal injury lawyers have never had to deal with seeking compensation for an injury before, and do not know what to expect. Burger Law will be by your side every step of the way, be there to answer all of your questions and oversee all documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can spend your energy on your physical recovery.

What Types of Compensation Are Available in My Homewood, 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 the economic harm related to your injuries, for instance:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity if your injuries do not allow you to earn a living as you used to
  • Medical bills, past and future
  • Out-of-pocket expenses
• Non-economic damages compensate you for the less tangible aspects of your injuries, including:
  • 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 liable party’s conduct was purposefully harmful or incredibly reckless. 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 We can to maximize your compensation.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in Homewood, 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 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 a minor at the time. Then you would have until four years after your 18th birthday.

While two years may seem like a long time, your attorney will want as much time as possible to build your case. Do not wait to contact an attorney. Call a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

Other cases we get great results in in Homewood, 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 Homewood, IL Now

Burger Law’s Homewood, 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 get the maximum compensation you deserve. We offer the highest level of legal representation; all of our advice will be sincere and in your best interest, but we always leave the ultimate decisions on your claim to you and your Homewood, 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 Homewood, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.