Personal Injury Lawyer in Moline, IL

Burger Law defends the rights of those who are injured because someone else did no respect their safety. If you are seriously injured all because someone else behaved recklessly or irresponsibly, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Moline, 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 contact us online.

To find out how much compensation you may be owed in Moline, or anywhere in Illinois, complete our free personal injury calculator.

Those who 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 the injured against anyone who is trying to keep them from the money they are owed. That includes anything from making claims against drunk drivers, holding negligent physicians, product manufacturers, business owners accountable, taking the fight to the government, to getting justice and financial security for Moline residents after a loved one 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 Moline, IL today at (779) 800-HURT.

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

Choosing the right personal injury lawyer for your claim is essential. You want someone with a history of winning similar cases and who is not afraid to take your case all the way to trial if they have to. 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 other lawyers say about them:

Premier Moline, 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 significant achievement awarded to less 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 award that is made up 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. Fewer than 4 percent of all practicing attorneys are certified by an ABA accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Moline, IL – Cases We Have Won

Our Moline, IL personal injury lawyers fight for the full rights and recoveries of our clients. We take on all who have hurt our clients, and we fight for a full recovery every time. Our attorneys are devoted to offering our clients amazing legal representation, and we take great pride in our hard-fought successes. 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 mentioning that no two cases are the same, and the financial recovery you receive is going to be based entirely upon the your specific accident. We calculate the full extent of your damages so that you secure what you are owed.

Burger Law Client Success Stories

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

What Is a Personal Injury Claim in Moline, IL?

A personal injury claim is your right under Illinois law to get financial compensation for the harm another person caused, and to hold them accountable for breaking the rules. The compensation you receive is meant to make one whole. The idea 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 truly return you to how things were before the injury. While we can get compensation for the financial losses you sustained, other damages cannot truly be expressed through dollar signs. If you lost a loved one, you are permanently disabled, are disfigured or will have to receive medical care for the rest of your life, no amount of money can make that go away. What empathetic 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 accident.

Is it Worth Hiring Personal Injury Lawyer in Moline, IL?

While some cases can be successfully navigated without a lawyer, most of the time you will need one to recover the full value of your claim in Moline, 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 minor, 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 Moline, IL under the following circumstances:

• There is disagreement over who is at fault, or the insurance company says the injuries are your fault
• The insurance company or liable party’s offer is well below the cost of your damages
• Your injuries are serious and require ongoing care
• There more than one party at fault
• 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 in your best interest 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 deserve, and there is no reason for us to take on your claim if we do not think we can significantly increase your final payout.

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

While the legal specifics concerning negligence and liability can be complex, whether or not you have a claim generally depends on one specific question: were you injured because someone else was negligent? If so, legally speaking you have to prove the five elements of negligence:

1. Duty of care — You first need to show that the person you are making a claim against had an obligation to keep you safe. Sometimes, a duty of care is assumed, as motorists all owe everyone on the Moline, IL roads a duty of care, or dog owners owe it to others not to let their dog injure anyone. In other cases, a unique relationship must be established, for instance a doctor-patient relationship or a vendor-patron relationship.
2. Breach of duty — Did the other party neglect that obligation? Did a driver hit you because they were running a red light? Did a doctor not order the appropriate tests? Did a dog owner let their dog roam unleashed?
3. Cause-in-fact — You must demonstrate how the incident led to your injuries. For instance, you broke your arm when your car was t-boned, or were burned by a defective product when it overheated.
4. Proximate cause — This determines liability. If you were injured in an auto accident, it is usually because another driver was not driving properly. But if the tires were faulty, a manufacturer or mechanic may be the one who is ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Lastly, you must show that you sustained some form of financial loss as a direct result of your injuries. In most cases damages are medical bills and wages you could not earn while you were not able to work. If you hold onto your medical bills, damages are easy to prove with the help of an attorney. After proving economic damages, we can seek compensation for less tangible losses.

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

Types of Cases Our Moline, IL Personal Injury Lawyers Handle

Being a personal injury lawyer in Moline, IL mandates that you know how negligence 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 have the experience to take on other cases. At Burger Law, we know how to hold the liable party accountable whenever negligence results in an injury. Cases we take on in Moline and throughout Illinois include:

Auto Accidents

The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that there are 300,000 to 500,000 personal injury claims annually. About 52 percent of those result from auto accidents, for instance:

• 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, anyone behind the wheel 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 have at least contributed to your injuries. As part of our services, your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will carry out an exhaustive investigation into your claim to find out who and what exactly caused your injuries.

Premises Liability

Property owners and managers have a duty 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 deserve compensation. 740 ILCS 130/, also known as the Illinois Premises Liability Act, mandates that property owners owe a duty of care to people who lawfully 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 something that is not obvious makes the property dangerous, the owner needs to either repair the condition, post signage or rope it off. 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
• 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 lead to a valid premises liability claim. If you were in a part of a property you were not allowed to be, 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. The following must be true in order to make a claim:

• The owner or manager created the dangerous conditions; or
• The owner or manager was aware of the hazard and neglected to fix it; or
• The owner or manager tried to fix the risk 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 store or insurance adjuster in Moline, 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. 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 each year. While not every error amount to negligence, when it does, you can make a medical malpractice claim.

Your medical malpractice cases will come down to what is referred to as the standard of care. The standard is how a prudent doctor, in a specific field and specific location, would treat a specific condition.

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 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 making a claim against. An anesthesiologist in Chicago is held to a different standard of care than a general practitioner in Rockland, Maine. Burger Law relies on numerous expert witnesses in Moline and throughout Illinois who can help verify that your medical malpractice suit is valid.

Common instances of medical malpractice in Moline, IL include:

• Nursing home negligence
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnosis
• Leaving objects in during surgery
• Hospital system errors
• Lack of 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 require emergency care for dog bites, and every year about 12,600 people are hospitalized. 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, assuming there was no provocation and you were legally allowed to be where you were. “Strict liability” means that the owner is liable as a matter of law and you do not have to prove negligence. This means that the owner owes you a recovery regardless of how they acted.

While some dog bites only lead to minor injuries, others can lead to reconstructive surgeries or permanent disfigurement. Regardless of the seriousness of your injuries, trust in a Burger Law Moline, IL personal injury lawyer to ensure you get the full 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 three types of product liability claims in Moline, IL:

1. Design defect — This is a defect that was present when the product was initially conceptualized. 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. Marketing defect — 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 demonstrate that the product carried inherent risks 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 will take on any case in which someone was injured through no fault of their own. One of the benefits of choosing a Burger Law Moline, IL personal injury lawyer is that we are not limited to any one type of claim, and this actually gives our lawyers exceptional experience that they can use towards their clients’ advantage. 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 Moline, IL?

The path to getting maximum compensation for your injuries begins the day you are injured. While some accidents and injuries settle fairly early, others go completely through to a jury trial. Generally, the path to getting compensation consists of:

• Getting Medical Care — Seek medical attention as soon as possible 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 reduce both your economic and noneconomic damages. Our personal injury lawyers know trustworthy Moline, IL doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists 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 recourses are.
• 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, ascertain every liable party and obtain the evidence required for maximum compensation. You should also keep detailed records of your expenses related to your injuries, and how they affect your day-to-day life.
• Settlement Demand and Negotiations — Once we know how much your claim is worth, we will send a settlement demand package to those who are liable for compensating you. In the package we will include full documentation of all of your damages, and insist that nothing but the full amount is acceptable. Usually, they will respond with a lower offer, and there will be several back-and-forths until they decide to be truly fair.
• Filing a Lawsuit — If the insurance company will not be fair in negotiations, we will proceed to litigating the case and setting up a trial. During this time, we will continue negotiating in an effort to avoid a trial.
• Mediation — Mediation is often the last chance for a settlement before trial. In mediation, an objective third party hears arguments from both sides and tries to get everyone to reach an agreement.
• 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 — It is rare that a personal injury claim makes it all the way to trial. Indeed, many times we have gotten the settlement we were seeking on the eve of trial. However, if the insurance company refuses to do the right thing, we will defend your rights in court. Trial consists of:
  • Jury selection
  • Opening statements
  • Testimony and cross-examination
  • Closing arguments
  • Jury instruction
  • Jury deliberation and verdict

Most people who speak with our Moline, 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.

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

Typically, there are two types of damages you can be compensated for in a personal injury claim: economic damages and non-economic damages:

• Economic damages compensate you for the economic harm resulting from your injuries, including:
  • 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 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

In some cases, you may also be eligible for punitive damages if the liable 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 are rarely awarded, your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will pursue every legal avenue possible to get you the best possible financial recovery.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Moline, 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 notable exceptions:

1. If you were a minor at the time of injury, 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 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 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 wait to contact an attorney. Call a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

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

Burger Law’s Moline, 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 let down until you get the maximum compensation you are owed. We only give our clients 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 Moline, 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 Moline, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.