Personal Injury Lawyer in Macomb, IL

Burger Law defends the rights of people who get hurt because someone else did no respect their safety. When you have sustained serious injuries all because someone else behaved recklessly or irresponsibly, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Macomb, IL demand the recovery you are owed and fight for you every step of the way. Call Burger Law today at (779) 800-HURT or fill out our online form.

If you want to know how much compensation you may be owed in Macomb, or anywhere in Illinois, use our free personal injury calculator.

The negligent people that injured you are financially and legally responsible for taking care of your injuries and paying you all of what you are owed, but that does not mean they will do it willingly. Burger Law’s personal injury lawyer team fights back for our clients against whoever is standing in the way of justice. That includes anything from making claims against large trucking companies, holding negligent physicians, product manufacturers, store owners accountable, suing the government, to getting justice and financial security for a family after a a family member passed too soon. If you have questions about your case, the damages you may be able to recover or other questions regarding personal injury claims, speak to one of our personal injury lawyers in Macomb, IL as soon as possible at (779) 800-HURT.

Why Choose Burger Law’s Macomb, IL Personal Injury Lawyers For Your Claim

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 look at their previous victories, and their reputation among their clients and other attorneys:

Acclaimed Macomb, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

The numerous awards and accolades Burger Law has received from other attorneys include:

• Martindale-Hubbell Award — AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® from NexisLexis® – a remarkable achievement awarded to not more than 5 percent of all attorneys 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 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 American Bar Association accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Macomb, IL – Cases We Have Won

Our Macomb, 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 lawyers are dedicated to giving our clients the highest standard of legal advocacy, and we have tremendous pride in our hard-fought successes. Check out some of 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 mentioning that every case is unique, and the financial recovery you are owed is going to be based entirely upon the circumstances of your claim. 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 check out more client testimonials here.

Definition of a Personal Injury Claim in Macomb, IL

A personal injury claim is your right under Illinois law to get financial compensation for the wrong done by another person’s negligence, and to hold them accountable for breaking the rules. The recovery you receive is meant 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 outcome in your claim can fully “put back” all the things you lost in an injury. While you can be reimbursed for medical expenses, time spent off work recovering and other financial losses, other damages cannot truly be expressed through dollar signs. If a family member died, you are permanently disabled, are permanently scarred or will have to receive medical treatment for the rest of your life, no amount of money can change that. What compassionate and talented personal injury lawyers like those at Burger Law can 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 Macomb, 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 Macomb, IL. The thing to ask yourself is, can they add value to my claim? If your medical expenses are low, 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 will need legal representation in Macomb, IL under the following circumstances:

• There is a dispute over who is at fault, or the insurance company says the injuries are your fault
• The initial settlement offer is well below the cost of your damages
• Your injuries are serious and require extensive care
• There more than one party that is liable for your injuries
• Your damages are more than the at-fault policyholder’s policy limits

We offer consultations for free, and we will always be honest with you about how much we can help your claim. Our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you 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 get you substantially more money.

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

While state statutes can be confusing, 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 person you are making a claim against had a responsibility to care for your safety. Sometimes, a duty of care is assumed, as Macomb, 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. Other times, a special relationship must have formed, such as a doctor-patient relationship or a vendor-buyer relationship.
2. Breach of duty — Did the liable party fail in that obligation? Did a driver hit you because they were distracted? Did a physician misdiagnose a condition? Did a dog owner let their dog roam unleashed?
3. Causation — You must show how the accident led to your injuries. For example, you sustained a whiplash injury after being rear ended, or were burned by a defective product when it overheated.
4. Proximate cause — This determines who needs to be held accountable. If you were rear ended, it is usually because another driver was not driving properly. But if the brakes were defective, someone in the vehicle’s chain of distribution may be ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Lastly, you need to demonstrate that you sustained some form of financial loss as a direct result of your injuries. 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, 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 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 Macomb, IL who has won a similar claim before. Get in touch with a personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT.

What Are Common Personal Injury Claims in Macomb, IL?

Practicing injury law in Macomb, 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 that can arise in a truck accident case 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 have the experience to take on other cases. At Burger Law, we know how to hold the liable party accountable in any type of claim. We have won millions for our Macomb, IL clients in the following types of cases:

Auto Accidents

Statistics from the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicate that there are about 400,000 personal injury claims annually. The majority of those are auto accident claims, such as:

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

Truck accidents can be especially catastrophic because trucks emit so much, 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 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 local municipality may be at fault. Your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will carry out a complete investigation into your claim to find every liable party and hold them accountable.

Premises Liability

Proprietors have a responsibility to ensure their premises is safe for people who are legally on it. If you sustain damages in a slip and fall because a property was unsafe, you may have a premises liability claim. 740 ILCS 130/, also called the Illinois Premises Liability Act, states 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.” Basically, if something that is not obvious makes the property dangerous, the owner needs to either fix the hazard 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
• Poorly lit stairs and walking paths
• Icy or snow-covered concrete
• Wet concrete
• Debris such as litter, fallen leaves and branches, rocks, etc
• Rugs that are not flat
• Stray cords
• In-ground sprinklers or hardscape features hidden in the grass
• Broken safety rails

Not all injuries on a property result in a premises liability claim. If you were trespassing, did not pay attention to warning signs, such as a “wet floor sign,” or were running or acting dangerously, you likely do not have a slip and fall claim. The following must be true in order to make a claim:

• The owner or manager created the dangerous conditions; or
• The owner or manager knew about the risk and failed to repair 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 property owner or insurance company in Macomb, IL may try to convince you that they do not owe you anything because they should not have been reasonable expected to repair or warn against the accident or because the accident was your fault. 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 cause more than 250,000 deaths annually. While not all of those constitutes 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 prudent physician, in the same area and with the same training as the one you are making a claim against, would treat whatever ailment you saw them for.

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 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 doctor corroborating your claim is in the same practice area and geographic region as the health professional you are making a claim against. A neurologist in Chicago is held to a different standard of care than a family doctor in Decorah, Iowa. Burger Law knows numerous expert witnesses in Macomb and all over Illinois who can corroborate your claim.

Common instances of medical malpractice in Macomb, IL include:

• Nursing home negligence
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnosis
• Forgetting to remove objects after surgery
• Hospital system errors
• Failure to secure consent
• Failing to order 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, almost 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 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, assuming 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 that the owner owes you a recovery regardless of how they acted.

While some dog bites are minor, others result in expensive surgeries or permanent disfigurement. In any case, you likely need an experienced and skilled Macomb, IL personal injury lawyer to ensure you get the best possible financial recovery you are owed.

Product Liability

Like dog owners, the designers, manufacturers, distributors and vendors of a product are strictly liable for the harm stemming from a defective product. There are generally three theories a personal injury lawyer will use to make a product liability claim in Macomb, 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 prevent injuries.
2. Manufacturing defect — This type of defect usually occurs to only one or several individual products, instead of every product with the same design. Examples include rat droppings getting caught in a soda can, or a seatbelt with a loose screw that comes undone during impact.
3. Failure to warn — 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 carried inherent risks 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 benefits of choosing a Burger Law Macomb, 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 Macomb, IL?

The journey to getting maximum compensation for your injuries begins the second you are injured. While some accidents and injuries settle fairly early, others can take several years before a jury finally renders a verdict. In total, the personal injury claims process includes:

• Seeking Medical Treatment — Get 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 sessions will lower both your economic and noneconomic damages. Our personal injury lawyers work with several trustworthy Macomb, IL health professionals who can help you in your recovery.
• Consulting With an Attorney — Even if you do not know if you need an attorney, you need to know what your options are as soon as possible. A good attorney will be straightforward with you about whether or not their services are needed.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have retained a lawyer’s services, your personal injury lawyer will carry out a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding your injuries, determine who we need to hold accountable and gather the evidence required for the best possible financial recovery. You can help by keeping a record of every dollar you have spent because of your injuries, and how 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 the liable party’s insurance company. 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 there will be several back-and-forths until they offer full compensation.
• Filing a Lawsuit — If the insurance company will not be fair in negotiations, we will file a lawsuit in court, which begins the formal process of your claim going to trial. During this time, 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 will try to get each party to accept the merits of the other side’s arguments.
• Pre-Trial — If mediation fails, we will go into the pre-trial “discovery” phase. In discovery, we take depositions of eyewitnesses and expert witnesses, gather more evidence and share with and request documentation with the other side.
• Trial — Most personal injury claims are settled before trial. Indeed, we often finally get a fair settlement offer on the eve of trial. However, if the insurance company still cannot see reason, we will defend your rights 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 Macomb, IL personal injury lawyers 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 every step of the way, keep you up to date on the status of your claim and manage all the legal aspects of your case so you can spend your energy on your physical recovery.

What Types of Compensation Are Available in My Macomb, IL Personal Injury Claim?

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 related to your injuries, for instance:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity if your injuries result in permanent disability
  • Medical expenses, 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 at-fault 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 available to maximize your compensation.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in Macomb, IL?

In Illinois, the statute of limitations is shorter than most states at just two years, under 735 ILCS 5/. That means you must file a claim within two years of when the injury occurred. However, there are three noteworthy 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 a minor at the time. 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 hesitate to contact an attorney. Call a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

Other types of claims we handle in Macomb, 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 Macomb, IL Now

Burger Law’s Macomb, IL personal injury lawyers fiercely believe in zealous representation. That means we get started on your case immediately, investigate your case thoroughly, fight back against insurance companies on your behalf and do not give up until you get the full recovery you deserve. We only give our clients 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 Macomb, 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 Macomb, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.