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(314) 500-HURTBurger Law fights on behalf of people who get hurt because someone else did no respect their safety. If you have sustained serious injuries in an accident or incident caused by another person’s actions, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Waterloo, 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.
To calculate how much compensation you may be owed in Waterloo, or anywhere in Illinois, take a look at our complimentary personal injury calculator.
It can be difficult to know how to choose the right personal injury lawyer for you. You want someone with a history of winning similar cases and who is not afraid of a fight. In order to gauge the abilities of an injury law firm, you need to look at their previous victories, and what their clients and peers say about them:
The numerous awards and recognition Burger Law has received from other lawyers include:
Our Waterloo, IL personal injury lawyers fight for the full rights and recoveries of our clients. We take on all who have injured our clients, and we fight for a full recovery every time. Our firm is devoted to offering our clients amazing legal advocacy, and we take great pride in our hard-fought victories. Read about our recent successes for our personal injury clients below:
It is important to remember that every case is unique, and what you may be eligible to recover is going to depend on the circumstances of your claim. We fight for you so that you are given what you deserve.
Beyond the videos below, you can see our full list of client testimonials here.
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 purpose of personal injury claims is to make you whole. The idea is to put you in the same position you were in before sustained the damages caused by another’s negligence.
In some cases, no attorney, settlement or verdict is can truly return you to how things were before the injury. While you can be reimbursed for the financial losses you sustained, other damages are less tangible. 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 one can truly change that. What empathetic and skilled 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 provide you with relief from the financial losses resulting from your injuries.
That depends on the specifics of your case, but most of the time, yes, you will need a personal injury lawyer to ensure no money is left on the table in Waterloo, IL. The important question 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, a lawyer might not be necessary. But, you will need an attorney in Waterloo, IL under the following circumstances:
We offer consultations for free, and we will always be honest with you about how much value we can add your claim. Our personal injury lawyers take on cases based on a contingency-fee, meaning you only pay after you have received the full compensation you deserve, and we have no reason to take on your claim if we do not think we can significantly increase your final payout.
While civil law can be complex, whether or not you have a claim depends on the answer to one particular question: were you injured because someone else was negligent? If so, legally speaking you need to prove the five elements of negligence:
If you have any doubts about whether or not you have a case, speak to a lawyer in Waterloo, IL who has won a similar claim before. You can speak to a personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT.
Practicing injury law in Waterloo, IL requires 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 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 secure justice for the injured in any type of claim. Cases we take on in Waterloo and throughout Illinois include:
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, including:
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 due to their relatively limited protection. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1, anyone behind the wheel must “exercise due care” to avoid colliding with anybody or anything else on the Illinois roads. If someone breaks the rules of the road and you end up hurt, you have an auto accident claim against them.
Sometimes, a vehicle manufacturer, construction company or local municipality may be fully or partially to blame for your injuries. Your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will perform a comprehensive investigation into your claim to find every liable party and hold them accountable.
Property owners and managers have a duty to take reasonable measures to make sure their premises is safe for people who are legally on it. If you are injured in a slip and fall because a property was unreasonably dangerous, you deserve compensation. 740 ILCS 130/, also called the Illinois Premises Liability Act, stipulates that proprietors owe a duty of care to entrants that is “of reasonable care under the circumstances regarding the state of the premises or acts done or omitted on them.” Generally, if there is a hazardous condition that is not obvious, the owner needs to either fix the hazard or warn against it. Some hazardous conditions include:
Not all injuries on a property result in a premises liability claim. If you were trespassing, did not pay attention to warning signs, for example a “wet floor sign,” or were running or not behaving in a safe manner, it might be hard to get compensation. Successful premises liability claims depend on the following:
A property owner or insurance adjuster in Waterloo, 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 always speak with a personal injury lawyer before accepting any settlement.
Based on research from John Hopkins University, medical errors are responsible for over 250,000 deaths each year. While not every error constitutes negligence, when it does, a physician needs to be held accountable for hurting you.
Proving a medical malpractice claim will come down to what is called the standard of care. The standard refers to how a prudent healthcare professional, in the same area and with the same training as the one you are making a claim against, would treat a specific condition.
Under 735 ILCS 5/2-622, any medical malpractice claim needs to be filed along with an affidavit from a health professional who:
It is imperative that the doctor corroborating your claim is in the same practice area and geographic region as the health professional you are suing. An anesthesiologist in Chicago has a different standard of care than a pediatrician in Kadoka, South Dakota. Burger Law relies on numerous expert witnesses in Waterloo and in other parts of Illinois who can help verify that your medical malpractice suit is valid.
Common instances of medical malpractice in Waterloo, IL include:
Every day, nearly 1,000 people require emergency medical treatment for dog bites, and every year about 12,600 people are hospitalized. According to a Chicago Tribune article, Illinois is the second-highest dog bite state in the country.
510 ILCS 5/, the Illinois Animal Control Act, mandates that 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, 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 result in expensive surgeries or lifelong scarring. Regardless of the seriousness of your injuries, trust in a Burger Law Waterloo, IL personal injury lawyer to ensure you get the full compensation you are owed.
Strict liability also applies to anyone involved in the chain of distribution of a defective product. There are typically three theories a personal injury lawyer will use to make a product liability claim in Waterloo, IL:
In order to make a product liability claim, you must show that the product carried inherent risks when used in a foreseeable manner, that it caused your injuries and that you had not significantly modified the product.
Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers know how to get great results whenever a wrongdoer injured someone else. One of the benefits of choosing a Burger Law Waterloo, IL personal injury lawyer is that our team takes on all types of personal injury claims, 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.
The path to getting maximum compensation for your injuries can be long and complex. While some cases only take a few months, others can take several years before a jury finally renders a verdict. Generally, the path to getting compensation includes:
Most people who speak with our Waterloo, 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, keep you up to date on the status of your claim and oversee all documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can spend your energy on healing.
We offer free consultations and are available 24/7 to take your call. Live chat, text, and virtual meetings are available.
In general, there are two types of compensation available in a personal injury claim: economic damages and non-economic damages:
Though rare, we may also be able to pursue punitive damages if the at-fault harmed you on purpose or they were grossly negligent. Examples can include a drunk driver, or a doctor who performs surgery after drinking. While punitive damages do not apply to most personal injury claims, your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will pursue every legal avenue We can to maximize your compensation.
In Illinois, the statute of limitations is relatively short at two years for most personal injury claims, under 735 ILCS 5/. That means you must file a claim within two years of when the injury occurred. However, there are three noteworthy exceptions:
While two years may not cause immediate concern, your attorney will want as much time as possible to build your case. Do not hesitate to contact an attorney. Call a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.
Other cases we get great results in in Waterloo, IL include:
Burger Law’s Waterloo, IL personal injury lawyers hold ourselves to the standard of zealous representation. That means we get started on your case immediately, pursue every legal option we have, fight back against insurance companies on your behalf and do not give up until you receive the maximum recovery you are owed. We offer the highest standard of legal advocacy; all of our advice will be sincere and in your best interest, but we always leave the ultimate decisions on your claim to you and your Waterloo, 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 Waterloo, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you determine which personal injury lawyer is right for you? As you
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Do you know how long you have to file a personal injury claim? Or when
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When To Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer. Accidents and injuries are always
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This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Gary Burger who has more than 30 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury trial attorney. Gary’s robust legal knowledge is recognized by his peers as demonstrated by his industry awards and frequent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) lectures.
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