Personal Injury Lawyer in Norridge, IL

Burger Law fights on behalf of people who get hurt because someone else broke the rules. When you or a loved one has been injured because of someone else’s negligent behavior, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Norridge, 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 fill out our online form.

If you want to know how much your personal injury claim may be worth in Norridge, or anywhere in Illinois, use our free personal injury calculator.

Those who injured you have an obligation to compensate you for all of your damages, but that does not mean they will do it willingly. Burger Law’s personal injury lawyer team fights back for the injured against whoever is standing in the way of justice. That includes anything from suing drunk drivers, holding negligent physicians, product manufacturers, animal owners accountable, taking the fight to the government, to getting justice and financial security for Norridge residents after a a family member passed too soon. If you have questions about your case, what compensation you are owed or other questions regarding personal injury claims, call our personal injury lawyers in Norridge, IL as soon as possible at (779) 800-HURT.

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

Choosing the right personal injury lawyer for your case is of utmost importance. 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 gauge the abilities of an injury law firm, you need to take into account their previous victories, and what their clients and peers say about them:

Award-Winning Norridge, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

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

• Martindale-Hubbell Award — AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® from NexisLexis® – a significant achievement awarded to not more than 5 percent of all attorneys in the country
• 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. Less than 4 percent of all practicing attorneys are certified by an American Bar Association accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Norridge, IL – Cases We Have Won

Our Norridge, 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 insist on nothing but maximum compensation. Our lawyers are dedicated to giving our clients amazing legal representation, and we take tremendous pride in our well-deserved victories. 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 worth pointing out that every case is different, and the compensation you are owed is going to be based entirely upon the your specific injuries. We fight for you so that there is no money left on the table.

Burger Law Client Success Stories

In addition to the videos below, you can watch more client testimonials here.

What Is a Personal Injury Claim in Norridge, IL?

A personal injury claim is your right under Illinois law to get monetary reimbursement for the injuries done by another person’s negligence, and to hold the rule breakers accountable. The compensation you receive is intended to make you whole. The goal is to put you in the same position you were in before another person injured you.

Sometimes, no attorney, settlement or verdict is can truly “put back” all the things you lost in an injury. While you can be reimbursed for the financial losses you sustained, other damages cannot truly be expressed through dollar signs. If you lost a loved one, 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 make that go away. What empathetic and experienced personal injury lawyers like those at Burger Law can do is secure you fair compensation in order to provide a sense of justice and recognition, and to give you relief from the financial losses resulting from your accident.

Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer in Norridge, 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 Norridge, IL. The important question is, will I get more money with them? If your injuries were not severe, you did not miss much time off work and the other party’s fault is clearly established, a lawyer might not be necessary. But, you will need legal representation in Norridge, IL under the following circumstances:

• There is disagreement over liability, or you are being blamed for your injuries
• The insurance company or liable party’s offer is well below what you are owed
• Your injuries are serious and require ongoing care
• There are multiple parties at fault
• Your damages exceed the liable policyholder’s policy limits

We offer consultations for free, and we are always honest about whether or not it is worth it for you to hire our services. Our personal injury lawyers take on cases based on a contingency-fee, meaning you only pay after you have received the full compensation you are owed, and there is no reason for us to accept you as a client 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 Norridge, IL?

While legal doctrine can be confusing, whether or not you can seek compensation depends on the answer to one particular question: did someone else’s negligence cause you injuries? If so, legally speaking you need 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 a responsibility to care for your safety. Sometimes, a duty of care is assumed, as motorists all owe everyone on the Norridge, IL roads a duty of care, or dog owners owe it to others not to let their dog injure anyone. Other times, a particular relationship must have been agreed to, such as a doctor-patient relationship or a vendor-patron relationship.
2. Breach of duty — Did someone fail in that responsibility? Did a driver crash into you you because they were looking at their phone? Did a doctor misdiagnose a condition? Did a trucking company force their employee to drive longer than regulations allow?
3. Cause-in-fact — You must show how the incident 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 needs to be held accountable. If you were rear ended, it is usually because another driver broke the rules of the road. But if the brakes were defective, a manufacturer or mechanic may be the one who is ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Lastly, you have to demonstrate that the incident resulted in financial losses. In personal injury cases, this is usually medical expenses and lost wages. If you hold onto your medical bills, an attorney will be able to establish your financial losses with an insurance company. Once we establish financial losses, we can also pursue compensation for less tangible losses.

The only way to know for certain if you have an injury claim is to speak to an attorney who has handled your type of claim in Norridge, IL before. Call a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

Types of Cases Our Norridge, IL Personal Injury Lawyers Win

Being a personal injury lawyer in Norridge, IL mandates that you 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 regulations 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 have the experience to take on other cases. At Burger Law, we know how to secure justice for the injured in any type of claim. Cases we take on in Norridge and throughout Illinois include:

Auto Accidents

Research from the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicate that there are 300,000 to 500,000 personal injury claims annually. The majority of those are auto accident claims, for instance:

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

Truck accidents can cause serious injuries because trucks emit an incredible amount of force, and motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians are all at heightened risk of catastrophic injury or death as they do not have the same protection closed-vehicle occupants have. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1, all motorist must “exercise due care” to keep everyone else on the road safe. If a driver is negligent and you end up hurt, you can file a claim.

Sometimes, a vehicle manufacturer, construction company or governmental entity may have at least contributed to your injuries. Your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will conduct a full investigation into your claim to find every liable party and hold them accountable.

Premises Liability

Proprietors have a duty to ensure their premises is safe for invitees and licensees. If you are injured in a slip and fall because a property was unsafe, you may have a premises liability claim. 740 ILCS 130/, also referred to as 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 something that is not obvious makes the property unsafe, the owner needs to either repair the hazard, post signage or rope it off. Examples of a dangerous condition on a property include:

• Spills
• A recently mopped floor
• Broken concrete on a walkway
• Broken stairs
• Broken decks and balconies
• Potholes
• Overly steep inclines
• Ledges
• Poor lighting
• Icy or snow-covered concrete
• Wet concrete
• Debris such as litter, fallen leaves and branches, rocks, etc
• Uneven rugs
• Stray 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, such as a “wet floor sign,” or were running or acting dangerously, 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 condition and neglected to repair 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 company in Norridge, 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. 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 each year. While not all of those amount to malpractice, when it does, you can make a medical malpractice claim.

Proving a medical malpractice claim is based on what is referred to as the standard of care. The standard is how a reasonable doctor, in a specific field and specific location, would treat whatever ailment you saw them for.

Pursuant 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 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 health professional corroborating your allegations 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 has a different standard of care than a family doctor in Decorah, Iowa. Burger Law knows numerous expert witnesses in Norridge and throughout Illinois who can help verify that your medical malpractice suit is valid.

Common instances of medical malpractice in Norridge, IL include:

• Nursing home abuse
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnosis
• Leaving objects in during surgery
• Hospital communication errors
• Failure to secure consent
• Not ordering tests that a prudent doctor would
• Ignoring 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, mandates that the owner of a dog is strictly liable for your damages if it bit you, assuming 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 are minor, others can lead to reconstructive surgeries or lifelong scarring. Regardless of the seriousness of your injuries, trust in a Burger Law Norridge, IL personal injury lawyer to ensure you get the best possible compensation you deserve.

Product Liability

Strict liability also applies to anyone involved in the chain of distribution of a defective product. There are three types of product liability claims in Norridge, 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 guard rails do not prevent injuries.
2. Manufacturing defect — This type of defect affects several individual products instead of an entire line of products. Examples include rat droppings getting caught in a soda can, or improperly attached electrical outlets.
3. Failure to warn — This refers to labeling that does not mention certain risks when the product is put to foreseeable use. For example, a medication that does not include certain side-effects in the labeling.

In order to recover compensation, you must demonstrate that the product was “unreasonably dangerous” when it was used in a way a manufacturer could reasonably expect, that it was the proximate cause of injuries and that you had not significantly modified the product.

Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers know how to get great results whenever someone was injured through no fault of their own. One of the benefits of choosing a Burger Law Norridge, 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 Norridge, IL?

The path to securing maximum compensation for your injuries can be long and complex. While some accidents and injuries settle fairly early, others can take several years before a jury finally renders a verdict. From beginning to end, the personal injury claims process includes:

• Seeking Medical Care — Seek medical care as soon as possible after an injury, and keep attending all treatments that your physician recommends. The insurance company will be harder to deal with if you wait, and not attending all your appointments will reduce your final payout. Our personal injury lawyers work with several reliable Norridge, IL health professionals who can ensure you recover physically as best as possible.
• Consulting 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 attorney 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 perform an exhaustive investigation into the circumstances surrounding your injuries, determine who we need to hold accountable and acquire the evidence required for full compensation. You can help by keeping a record of every dollar you have spent because of your injuries, and how keeping a journal detailing how your injuries have affected your life.
• Settlement Demand and Negotiations — Once we 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 how we calculated 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 proceed to litigating the case and setting up a trial. While the case is being litigated, both parties continue negotiating.
• 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 still does not result in a fair settlement, the “discovery” phase begins. In discovery, we will speak to eyewitnesses and expert witnesses, obtain more evidence and both parties will share with the other what they plan to use as evidence in trial.
• Trial — Only six percent of personal injury claims go to trial. Indeed, many times we have gotten a fair settlement offer just before trial begins. 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 Norridge, IL personal injury lawyers have never been through the personal injury claims process before, and are unsure of what lies ahead. Burger Law will be by your side every step of the way, be there to answer all of your questions and manage all documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can focus on healing.

What Compensation Can I Get In My Norridge, IL Personal Injury Claim?

Typically, your compensation will fall into two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages:

• Economic damages compensate you for the economic harm resulting from your injuries, for instance:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity if your injuries result in permanent disability
  • Medical costs, past and future
  • Out-of-pocket expenses
• Non-economic damages compensate you for losses that are harder to quantify, such as:
  • 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 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 We can to get you the best possible financial recovery.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in Norridge, 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 important exceptions:

1. If you were a minor when the injury occurred, 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 under 18. Then you would have until four years after your 18th birthday.

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

Other types of claims we win in Norridge, 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 Norridge, IL Now

Burger Law’s Norridge, IL personal injury lawyers fiercely believe in zealous representation. That means we get started on your case the moment you hire us, pursue every legal option we have, stand up to insurance companies on your behalf and do not let down until you are awarded the maximum recovery you deserve. We offer the highest standard of legal advocacy; 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 Norridge, 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 Norridge, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.