Personal Injury Lawyer in Kenwood, IL

Burger Law fights on behalf of those who get hurt due to the negligence of another.
If you or someone you love are seriously injured all because someone else behaved recklessly or irresponsibly, Burger
Law’s personal injury lawyers in Kenwood, IL demand
the recovery you are owed and fight for you every step of the way. Reach out to Burger Law now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online.

To find out the value of your personal injury claim in Kenwood, or anywhere in Illinois, take a look at our
complimentary 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 hard for our clients against anyone who is trying to keep
them from the compensation they are owed. We handle a variety of cases, including making claims against drunk drivers,
holding negligent physicians, product manufacturers, store owners responsible, taking the fight to City Hall, to
securing justice and financial security for Kenwood residents after a loved one passed too soon. If you want to
understand if you have a claim, what compensation you are owed or anything else about the personal injury claims
process, call our personal injury lawyers in Kenwood, IL today at (779) 800-HURT.

Why Burger Law Is The Kenwood, 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 look at their previous successes, and what their clients and peers say
about them:

Award-Winning Kenwood, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

The many awards and accolades Burger Law has received from
other lawyers 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 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
  attorneys are certified by an American Bar Association accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Kenwood, IL – Cases We Have Won

Our Kenwood, IL personal injury lawyers have a demonstrated history of getting great results. We take on all who have
hurt our clients, and we insist on nothing but maximum compensation. Our firm is devoted to offering our clients amazing
legal representation, and we take great pride in our well-deserved successes. Check out some of 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 important to remember that every case is different, and what you may be eligible to recover is going to depend on
the your specific injuries. We fight for you so that we get the maximum amount of compensation possible.

Burger Law Client Testimonials

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

Definition of a Personal Injury Claim in Kenwood, 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 hold them accountable for breaking the rules. The purpose 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 attorney or financial award can truly return you to how things were before the injury. While you can
be reimbursed for medical expenses, lost wages and other financial losses, other damages cannot truly be expressed
through dollar signs. If a family member died, you are permanently disabled, are disfigured or will have to live the
rest of your life in chronic pain, no amount of money can change that. What compassionate and experienced personal
injury lawyers like those at Burger Law can do is ensure your injuries are recognized, and to provide you with financial
security as it relates to your accident.

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

While some cases can be successfully navigated without a lawyer, most of the time you will need one to get the full
compensation you deserve in Kenwood, IL. The thing to ask yourself 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,
you may not need an attorney. But, you should hire legal representation in Kenwood, IL if the following is true about
your claim:

• There is disagreement about who is to blame, or you are being blamed for your injuries
• 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 injuries
• Your damages are more than the at-fault policyholder’s policy limits

Our initial conversations and investigations are free, and we are always honest about how much value we can add your
claim. Our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you only
pay after you have received the full compensation you deserve, and we have no reason to take on your claim if we
do not think we can significantly increase the value of your claim.

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

While the legal literature concerning negligence and liability can be confusing, whether or not you have a claim depends
on the answer to one particular question: did someone else’s negligence cause you injuries? 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 an obligation to keep you safe. Sometimes, a duty of care is assumed, as
   Kenwood, IL driver owe everyone else on the roads a duty of care, or dog owners owe it to others to keep their
   dog from biting anyone. Other times, a particular relationship must have formed, for example the relationship
   between a doctor and patient or between a vendor and a buyer.
2. Breach of duty — Did someone neglect that
   obligation? Did a driver crash into you you because they were not following the rules of the road? Did a doctor
   fail to diagnose a condition? Did a dog owner let their dog roam unleashed?
3. Cause-in-fact — You must show how the accident
   resulted in your injuries. For instance, you broke your arm when your car was t-boned, or had bad side effects
   from a prescription drug.
4. Proximate cause — This determines who ultimately is to blame. If you were injured in an auto accident, it
   is usually because another driver broke the rules of the road. But if the brakes were defective, someone in the
   product’s chain of distribution may be ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Finally, you need to demonstrate that the incident led to economic harm. In personal injury
   cases, this is usually medical expenses and wages you could not earn while you were not able to work. If you
   keep solid records of your medical expenses, an attorney will be able to establish your financial losses with an
   insurance company. After proving economic damages, we can seek a financial recovery for the other ways your
   injuries have affected you.

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

Types of Cases Our Kenwood, IL Personal Injury Lawyers Take on

Practicing injury law in Kenwood, IL mandates 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 get great results in any type of claim. Cases we
specialize in in Kenwood and throughout Illinois include:

Auto Accidents

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

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

Truck accidents can cause serious injuries because trucks emit an incredible amount of force, and motorcyclists,
bicyclists and pedestrians are all at increased risk of being severely injured due to their relatively limited
protection. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1, anyone behind the wheel must “exercise due care” to
avoid colliding with anybody or anything else on the Illinois roads. If a driver is negligent, causes an accident and
injures you, you have an auto accident claim against them.

Sometimes, a vehicle manufacturer, construction company or governmental entity may be at fault. Your Burger Law personal
injury lawyer will conduct a full investigation into your claim to find out who and what exactly caused your injuries.

Premises Liability

Property owners and managers have an obligation to take reasonable measures to make sure their premises is safe for
invitees and licensees. If you sustain damages in a slip and fall because a property was
unreasonably dangerous, you can make a premises liability claim. 740 ILCS 130/, also called the Illinois Premises Liability Act, states that
proprietors 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.” Generally, if there is a dangerous
condition that is not obvious, the owner needs to either repair the hazard or warn against it. Some hazardous conditions
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
• 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, for example a “wet floor sign,” or were running or not behaving in a safe manner, you likely do
not have a slip and fall claim. Successful premises liability claims depend on the following:

• The owner or manager created the dangerous conditions; or
• The owner or manager knew about the risk and neglected to fix it; or
• The owner or manager tried to fix the hazard 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 adjuster in Kenwood, IL may tell you they are not liable for your slip and fall injuries
because they had no idea about the condition or because the accident was your fault. That is not true, and do not accept
any settlement offer until you have spoken to a personal injury lawyer.

Medical Malpractice

Based on data from John Hopkins University, medical errors cause more than 250,000 deaths annually. While
not all of those amount to malpractice, when it does, you can make a medical malpractice claim.

Proving a medical malpractice claim will come
down to what is known as the standard of care. The standard is 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 whatever ailment you
saw them for.

Under 735 ILCS 5/2-622, any medical malpractice suit 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 imperative that the doctor corroborating your claim 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 family doctor in Rockland, Maine. Burger Law relies on numerous expert witnesses in Kenwood and throughout Illinois who
can corroborate your claim.

Common examples of medical malpractice in Kenwood, 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
• Blowing off a patient’s complaints
• Not changing course when their treatment plan is not working
• Prescribing the wrong medication or the wrong dosage

Dog Bites

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

510 ILCS 5/, the Illinois Animal Control Act, mandates that a dog
owner is strictly liable for your the injuries their
dog causes, as long as there was no provocation and you were legally allowed to be where you were. “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 lead to only superficial wounds, others result in expensive surgeries or lifelong disfigurement.
Regardless of the severity of your injuries, trust in a Burger Law Kenwood, IL personal injury lawyer to secure you the
best possible compensation you are owed.

Product Liability

Strict liability also applies to anyone involved in the chain of distribution of a defective product. There are three categories
of product liability claims in Kenwood, 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 a power tool whose safety guards do not prevent
   injuries.
2. Manufacturing defect — This type of defect affects several individual products instead of every product
   with the same design. Examples include a bug 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 have a successful claim, you must demonstrate that the product was “unreasonably dangerous” when it was used
in a way a manufacturer could anticipate, 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 know how to get great results whenever a rule breaker injured someone else. One of
the great parts of choosing a Burger Law Kenwood, 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.

What Is the Personal Injury Claims Process in Kenwood, IL?

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

• Seeking Medical Treatment — Get medical attention immediately after an injury, and do not miss any
  appointments with your doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist. Waiting too long could bring complications to
  your claim, and not attending all your appointments will reduce your final payout. Our personal injury lawyers
  know experienced Kenwood, IL doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists who can help you in your recovery.
• Speaking With an Attorney — Even if you are not sure you are going to need legal representation, you need
  to know what your options are as soon as possible. A good attorney will tell you bluntly what your legal
  recourses are.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have hired an attorney, your personal injury lawyer will
  conduct a comprehensive investigation into your claim, determine who we need to hold accountable and gather the
  evidence they need to get you maximum compensation. You can help by keeping detailed records of your expenses
  related to your injuries, and how they affect your day-to-day 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 demand a financial recovery
  for all the ways your injuries have affected you. Most of the time, they will respond with a lower offer, 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 — Mediation is often the last chance for an agreement before trial. 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, the “discovery” phase begins. In
  discovery, we take depositions of eyewitnesses and expert witnesses, acquire more evidence and both parties will
  share with the other what they plan to bring up at trial.
• Trial — It is rare that a personal injury claim makes it all the way to trial. Indeed, we often finally
  get the settlement we were seeking on the eve of trial. 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 of our Kenwood, IL clients have never had to deal with seeking compensation for an injury before, and are unsure of
what lies ahead. Burger Law will be by your side from our initial consultation to full compensation, keep you up to date
on the status of your claim and oversee all documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can spend your energy on
healing.

What Compensation Can I Get In My Kenwood, 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 your financial losses related to your injuries, including:
  • 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 put a dollar figure on, including:
  • Pain and suffering
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Loss of ability to enjoy life
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Inconvenience
  • Physical impairment
  • Loss of consortium

Sometimes, you may also be eligible for punitive
damages if the liable 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 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.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Kenwood, IL?

In Illinois, the statute of limitations is relatively short at two years for
most personal injury claims, under 735 ILCS 5/. That means you must file a claim within two
years of when the injury occurred. However, there are three important exceptions:

1. If you were under 18 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 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 four years after your 18th birthday.

While two years may not cause immediate concern, your attorney will want as much time as possible to build your case. Do
not delay in speaking to an attorney. Call a personal injury lawyer today at (779)
800-HURT.

Other types of claims we get great results in in Kenwood, 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 Kenwood, IL Now

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