Personal Injury Lawyer in Morton Grove, IL

Burger Law defends the rights of those who get hurt due to the negligence of another. If you or a family member have sustained serious injuries because of someone else’s negligent behavior, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Morton Grove, 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 contact us online.

To calculate the value of your personal injury claim in Morton Grove, or anywhere in Illinois, check out our free personal injury calculator.

Those who injured you are financially and legally responsible for taking care of your injuries and paying you all of what you are owed, but they will not 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 money they deserve. That includes anything from suing drunk drivers, holding negligent physicians, product manufacturers, business owners responsible, suing the government, to securing justice and financial security for Morton Grove residents after a a family member passed too soon. If you want to know if you have a claim, what compensation you are owed or anything else about the personal injury claims process, speak to one of our personal injury lawyers in Morton Grove, IL immediately at (779) 800-HURT.

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

Choosing the right personal injury lawyer for your case is essential. 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 have a good understanding of the abilities of a law firm, you need to look at the cases they have won, and their reputation among their clients and peers:

Premier Morton Grove, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

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

• Martindale-Hubbell Award — AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® from NexisLexis® – a remarkable achievement awarded to less 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 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 lawyers are certified by an American Bar Association accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Morton Grove, IL – Cases We Have Won

Our Morton Grove, IL personal injury lawyers fight for the full rights and recoveries of our clients. We fight all who harm our clients, and we insist on nothing but full compensation. Our firm is devoted to providing our clients the highest standard of legal representation, and we have great pride in our well-deserved successes. 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 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 secure what you are owed.

Burger Law Reviews

In addition to the videos below, you can see our full list of client testimonials here.

What Is a Personal Injury Claim in Morton Grove, IL?

Under Illinois and U.S. law, you have a right to file a personal injury claim to get monetary reimbursement for the damage another person caused, and to achieve justice. The compensation you receive is meant to make one whole. The goal is convert all the ways an injury affected you into a dollar amount.

Sometimes, no outcome in your claim can truly “put back” all the things you lost in an injury. While we can get compensation for medical bills, time spent off work recovering and other financial losses, other damages are harder to quantify. If a family member died, you lost a limb, are permanently scarred or will have to live the rest of your life in chronic pain, no amount of money can change that. What empathetic 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 Morton Grove, 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 Morton Grove, IL. The important question is, will I get more money with them? 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 should hire an attorney in Morton Grove, IL if the following is true about your claim:

• There is a dispute over liability, or the insurance company says the injuries are your fault
• The insurance company or liable party’s offer is substantially below what you are owed
• Your injuries are serious and require ongoing medical treatment
• There are multiple parties that is liable for your damages
• Your damages are more than the liable policyholder’s policy limits

Our initial conversations and investigations are free, and we are always direct about how much value we can add 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 take on your claim if we do not think we can significantly increase your final payout.

How Do I Know if I Have a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Morton Grove, IL?

While state statutes can be complex, whether or not you have a claim depends on the answer to one particular question: did another person’s negligence cause you injuries? From a legal standpoint, you need to prove the five elements of negligence:

1. Duty of care — You first need to show that the liable party had a responsibility to care for your safety. In some cases this is automatic, as motorists all owe everyone on the Morton Grove, IL roads a duty of care, or store owners need their properties to be reasonable safe for anyone who legally enters. In other cases, a unique relationship must have formed, for instance a doctor-patient relationship or a vendor-patron relationship.
2. Breach of duty — Did someone neglect that duty? Did a driver crash into you you while they were running a red light? Did a doctor prescribe the wrong dosage? Did a store owner not salt the ice in front of their property sufficiently?
3. Cause-in-fact — You must show how the breach of duty led to your injuries. For example, you sustained a whiplash injury after being rear ended, or had bad side effects from a prescription drug.
4. Proximate cause — This determines who ultimately is at fault. If you were injured in an auto accident, it is usually because another driver broke the rules of the road. But if the tires were faulty, a manufacturer or mechanic may be the one who is ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Finally, you must demonstrate that you sustained some form of financial loss as a direct result of your injuries. 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, damages are easy to prove with the help of an attorney. Once we establish financial losses, we can also seek compensation for less tangible losses.

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

Types of Cases Our Morton Grove, IL Personal Injury Lawyers Take on

Practicing injury law in Morton Grove, IL requires that your lawyers and firm know how liability laws apply to a wide range of cases. 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 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 secure justice for the injured whenever negligence results in an injury. Cases we take on in Morton Grove and throughout Illinois include:

Auto Accidents

The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that there are 300,000 to 500,000 personal injury claims annually. Just over half 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 trucks emit so much, and motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians are all at heightened 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, 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 fully or partially to blame for your injuries. 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 a responsibility to take reasonable measures to make sure their property is safe for people who are not trespassing. If you sustain damages in a slip and fall because a property was unsafe, you deserve compensation. 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.” Essentially, if there is a hazardous condition that is not obvious, the owner has a responsibility to either repair the condition or warn against it. Examples of hazardous conditions are:

• Spills
• A recently mopped floor
• Broken concrete on a walkway
• Broken stairs
• Broken decks and balconies
• Potholes
• Overly steep inclines
• 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

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, such as 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 hazardous conditions; or
• The owner or manager was aware of the condition 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 property owner or insurance adjuster in Morton Grove, IL may try to convince you that they do not owe you anything 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 research from John Hopkins University, medical errors cause more than 250,000 deaths annually. While not every error amount to malpractice, when it does, you can make a medical malpractice claim.

Your medical malpractice cases is based on what is called 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 suing, would treat whatever ailment you saw them for.

According to 735 ILCS 5/2-622, any medical malpractice suit must be accompanied by an affidavit from a health professional who:

• is knowledgeable in the relevant issues of the claim
• practices or teaches the same field as the doctor you are suing, or has practiced or taught in that field within the last six years
• is qualified to review the facts of your case, and determines your claim is “reasonable and meritorious”

It is essential that the physician corroborating your claim is in the same practice area and geographic region as the health professional you are suing. A thoracic surgeon in Chicago is held to a different standard of care than a general practitioner in Decorah, Iowa. Burger Law relies on a network of expert witnesses in Morton Grove and throughout Illinois who can help verify that your medical malpractice suit is valid.

Common examples of medical malpractice in Morton Grove, IL include:

• Nursing home abuse
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnosis
• Forgetting to remove objects after surgery
• Hospital system errors
• Lack of consent
• Failing to order tests that a prudent doctor would
• Blowing off a patient’s complaints
• Not seeking a second opinion or recommending a different treatment plan when theirs is not working
• Prescribing the wrong medication or the wrong dosage

Dog Bites

Every day, almost 1,000 people seek emergency care for dog bites, and annually 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, stipulates that the owner of a dog 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 that the owner owes you a recovery even if they did not necessarily do anything wrong.

While some dog bites are minor, others can lead to expensive surgeries or lifelong scarring. Regardless of the severity of your injuries, you likely need an experienced and skilled Morton Grove, IL personal injury lawyer to ensure you get the full financial recovery you are owed.

Product Liability

Like dog owners, anyone in the chain of distribution of a product is strictly liable for the harm a defective product causes. There are generally three theories a personal injury lawyer will use to make a product liability claim in Morton Grove, 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 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 a bug getting caught in packaging, or a seatbelt with a loose screw that comes undone during impact.
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 used in a foreseeable manner, that it was the proximate cause of injuries and that you had not substantially modified the product.

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 Morton Grove, IL personal injury lawyer is that we are not limited to any one type of claim, 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 Morton Grove, IL?

The path to getting maximum compensation for your injuries begins the day you are injured. While some cases only take a few months, 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 attention as soon as possible after an injury, and follow your doctor’s treatment plans to a “T.” The insurance company will be harder to deal with if you wait, and not attending all your sessions will lower how much compensation you receive. Our personal injury lawyers work with several trustworthy Morton Grove, IL health professionals who can help you in your recovery.
• Discussing Your Case With an Attorney — Even if you do not know if you need an attorney, you need to consult with one as soon as possible so they can become familiar with your case. A good lawyer will be honest with you about whether or not their services are needed.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have hired an attorney, your personal injury lawyer will carry out a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding your injuries, determine who we need to hold accountable and acquire the evidence required for the best possible financial recovery. 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 demand a financial recovery for all the ways your injuries have affected you. Usually, the insurance company will counter our offer with a lower number, and we keep negotiating until they offer full compensation.
• Filing a Lawsuit — If negotiations do not lead anywhere, we will proceed to litigating the case and setting up a trial. While the case is being litigated, both parties continue negotiating.
• Mediation — Mediation is often the last option for a settlement before trial. In mediation, a neutral third party listens to arguments from both sides and tries to break the stalemate.
• Pre-Trial — If mediation fails, 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 — Only six percent of personal injury claims go to trial. Indeed, we often finally get a fair settlement offer on the eve of trial. However, if the insurance company refuses to do the right thing, 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 of our Morton Grove, 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 your advocate from our initial consultation to full compensation, keep you up to date on the status of your claim and handle all documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can spend your energy on healing.

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

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 your financial losses resulting from your injuries, including:
  • 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 losses that are harder to quantify, 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 are rarely awarded, your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will pursue every legal avenue possible to maximize your compensation.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in Morton Grove, 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 a minor 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 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 not cause immediate concern, 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 Morton Grove, 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 Morton Grove, IL Now

Burger Law’s Morton Grove, IL personal injury lawyers hold ourselves to the standard of zealous representation. That means we start working for your recovery the moment you hire us, investigate your case thoroughly, stand up to insurance companies on your behalf and do not give up until you receive the maximum recovery you are owed. We only give our clients the highest standard 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 Morton Grove, 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 Morton Grove, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.