Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me Chicago, Illinois

Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me in Chicago and Illinois. If you or a loved one was injured because of someone else's negligence, you are owed compensation. Burger Law holds irresponsible parties accountable and gets great results for our clients. Call a Burger Law Chicago-based personal injury lawyer in Illinois now at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

It is not fair that someone else's negligence has given you and your family emotional and physical hardships, and possibly put your financial security in question. At Burger Law, our personal injury lawyer team fights hard for our clients in Chicago and throughout Illinois to get them justice and make sure their future is secure. We know insurance companies are unfair and try to delay, devalue or deny people's claims when they need money the most. We fight back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and help our clients navigate the complex web of litigation and Illinois Law.

In our over 30 years of experience, we have secured over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Call a Burger Law personal injury lawyer at (314) 500-HURT to see what we can do for you.

If you were injured through no fault of your own in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois, see how much your claim may be worth by using our free personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer in Illinois?

That depends on the specifics of your case, but typically, yes, if you were injured a lawyer is usually necessary to maximize the value of your claim. Most of our Illinois clients have never had to hire a personal injury lawyer before and do not have the same grasp of the claims and lawsuit process that a professional does. When you retain the services of a Burger Law personal injury lawyer, we will immediately get to work:

• Gathering evidence needed to prove your claim
• Consulting with crash experts to determine liability and causation
• Consulting with medical experts to determine the value of your injuries
• Developing a sound and effective legal strategy
• Combating the lies and deceitful tactics of the insurance company
• Keeping you informed throughout your case so you are not left in the dark
• Being tough in negotiations to get you the settlement offer you deserve

If we cannot secure a fair settlement offer in negotiations, we will take your case to trial. With minor injuries that do not require much medical treatment, you may be able to handle your claim without the help of a personal injury lawyer. But with more significant injuries, or if the liable party will not accept blame, you will likely need an attorney to make sure you are reimbursed for all of your medical bills and the effect your injuries have had on your life. We will always be honest with you on how much value we can add to your claim and if the insurance company is being fair. If you have any questions about what a personal injury lawyer can do for your claim in Illinois, call us for a free consultation at (314) 500-HURT.

Common Personal Injury Claims in Chicago and Illinois

Injuries are always surprising and can happen for a variety of reasons. When someone else is responsible for those injuries, Burger Law will step in and make sure you are fully compensated. Some of the injury claims we have gotten maximum compensation for our clients for include:

Motor Vehicle Accidents in Illinois

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2019 there were 312,988 auto accidents in the state, resulting in 89,133 injuries and 1,010 deaths. Auto accidents are the second leading cause of accidental injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Auto claims are also by far the most common tort claim, according to the National Center for State Courts.

• Car Accidents

  The average American in a standard motor vehicle drives 14,263 miles annually, which comes out to 3.2 trillion miles annually. That leaves a lot of opportunity for negligent drivers to hurt people. Some of the most common causes and types of car accidents include:

  • Drunk Driving
  • Distracted Driving
  • Hit and Runs
  • Speeding
  • Intersection Accidents
  • Rear-End Accidents
  • Head-on Accidents
• Truck Accidents

  Given the sheer mass of 18-wheelers and the fact that crashes often happen at highway speeds, trucking accidents can cause incredible damage. Truck drivers and trucking companies must adhere to strict regulations in regards to maintenance, record keeping, how long drivers can drive without a break and more. Because of that, truck accidents often involve many different parties, including large corporations. That's why it's important to have an experienced personal injury lawyer in your corner that you can trust to thoroughly investigate your accident and hold every liable party accountable.

• Motorcycle Accidents

  Motorcycle drivers and their passengers are 27 times more likely to die than people in enclosed vehicles. Given the relative vulnerability of people on motorcycles, injuries can often be devastating and require months or years of rehabilitation.

Construction Accidents in Illinois

Common construction accidents are falls, being stuck in between things and being struck by an object. If you are a construction worker, you can seek compensation for a workplace injury through workers' compensation. However, you may be able to seek additional compensation through a third-party liability claim. If you are a civilian and were injured because of a construction company's negligence, we can help you file a suit against the construction company.

Medical Malpractice in Illinois

Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. While not every error amounts to medical malpractice, too often a doctor or healthcare provider can be negligent and never have to face the consequences for hurting you. Malpractice cases are vigorously defended, but a personal injury lawyer at Burger Law will aggressively investigate your claim and question a doctor's methods in order to get you justice.

Slip and Falls in Illinois

Falling accounts for 20.8 percent of emergency room visits and is the leading reason for days spent off work. A slip and fall claim happens when a property owner or manager does not properly take care of their property or warn about inherent dangers. Common examples include wet floors, uneven floorboards, loose wiring or ice on a sidewalk or parking lot.

Product Liability in Illinois

Product liability claims involve suing a manufacturer, vendor or other party involved in the chain of distribution for a dangerous or defective product that injured you. Common examples of defective products are:

• Motor vehicle components like faulty brakes or airbags
• Medical devices such as pacemakers or knee replacements
• Prescription drugs
• Household appliances
• Cleaning products
• Children's toys

When making a product liability claim, your Chicago-based Illinois personal injury lawyer can do it on the basis of a design defect, a problem in manufacturing or inadequate labeling.

Dog Bites in Illinois

510 ILCS 5/16 stipulates that after a dog bites a person "peaceably conducting" themselves — meaning you did not provoke the dog — the owner of the dog may be held accountable. While different municipalities in Illinois differ in their specific laws, Chicago requires dogs to be leashed or crated when out in public.

While our personal injury lawyer team loves dogs, we understand that vicious dogs can be a danger to the public at large, especially children. An estimated 4.5 million people sustain a dog bite each year. About 800,000 of those require medical attention, either because of injuries or the risk of future infection.

Wrongful Death in Illinois

Sometimes, our worst nightmares come true and a loved one passes away in a wrongful death. It is soul-crushing to lose anyone, but when it happens because somebody else breaks the rules it makes it all the more devastating. Our personal injury lawyer team can help you ease at least some of the pain by getting justice for your loved one and making sure your family is financially secure after your loss. While money can never bring a loved one back, getting compensation for the loss of the emotional support, guidance and company they offered will help make you feel as whole as possible.

No matter how you were injured, if it happened through no fault of your own a Burger Law personal injury lawyer in Illinois will hold the liable party accountable. We have proven over 30 years that we can get our clients great results in a variety of cases. Take a look at some of our case results and client testimonials.

How Much Is My Personal Injury Claim in Illinois Worth?

Your compensation will be based on the extent of your medical bills, any medical expenses you will need in the future and how the injury has affected you physically and emotionally. Some of the factors that determine how much your claim is worth are:

• The severity of your injuries
• Whether we are able to seek punitive damages
• How much time you missed from work because of your injuries
• Whether or not your ability to work in the future has been compromised
• Whether you sustained any disabilities or disfigurement
• Whether your ability to enjoy life has been affected
• Whether you share any blame for your injury

Our personal injury lawyer team will fight hard to make sure the entirety of your damages are taken into account and you receive the maximum compensation you deserve.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me in Illinois?

Fortunately, hiring a personal injury lawyer in Chicago and Illinois is very affordable. As opposed to criminal defense lawyers or corporate lawyers who largely work on an hourly fee, Burger Law's injury and accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. That means that we take a percentage of the final compensation you collect as our fees. There are three main benefits to a contingency fee for the client:

1. There are no upfront costs. No matter what your current income status is or how much time you have lost from work because of your injuries, you can retain the services of a Burger Law personal injury lawyer. We start working on your case immediately, before we receive any money for your case.
2. You can be confident that we are taking on your case because we truly believe in it. We will always be direct about the amount of compensation we believe you are owed. If we cannot add significant value to your claim, we have no reason to waste your time with empty promises. We take on tough and complicated cases all the time; but we do so because we know we can deliver justice in them.
3. You do not pay until we win your case. Our personal injury lawyer team only gets paid when we use our experience and tenacity to secure you the total financial recovery we know you deserve.

The only thing you will ever receive from your Burger Law personal injury lawyer is a check, not a bill. We do what we do because we are dedicated to seeing people whose lives have been upended by the negligence of another made whole again. Do not let concerns about expensive legal fees delay you from starting on a road to true recovery. Call a Chicago-based Illinois personal injury lawyer at Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT.

Is It Worth It to Get a Personal Injury Lawyer in Illinois?

Depending on the specifics of your case, it is usually worth it to get a personal injury lawyer. Insurance adjusters often tell people a personal injury lawyer will cost them more money in the end, but that is simply not the case. According to a study by the Insurance Research Council, claimants who hire a personal injury lawyer receive a settlement 3.5 times greater than people who do not. Even after attorneys' fees, you'll get about three times more by hiring our services.

In a recent case, a Burger Law personal injury lawyer was able to secure a $100,000 settlement for a client in St. Louis after we filed a lawsuit. Before we filed the lawsuit, the insurance company's highest offer was only $3,900.

What If I Am Being Blamed For My Personal Injury in Illinois?

Illinois is a "modified comparative negligence" state, which means that — if you are indeed partially to blame — your compensation is offset by the amount of fault you share for your injuries. So, if your damages total $50,000, but it is determined you are 10 percent to blame for the accident, you would receive $45,000 in compensation.

Trying to place blame on you is a common trick Illinois insurance adjusters use to devalue claims, but we know how to combat it. Your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will be able to prove negligence on the part of somebody else and make sure your financial recovery is not reduced.

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How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Illinois?

Illinois's statute of limitations in personal injury claims is relatively short at two years, according to 735 ILCS 5/13-109.1. That clock starts ticking on the date of the accident, or in some cases from the date that you discovered or should have reasonably discovered your injury. There are some important exceptions:

• If you were under the age of 18, you have until your 20th birthday.
• If the defendant left the state of Illinois before a claim could be made against them, their time out of state does not count against the clock.
• If you had a temporary disability when the accident happened, or at some point between your accident and when you could make a claim, you have two years from the day your disability ended.

While it sounds like two years is a long time, that is not always the case in the legal world. Your personal injury lawyer at Burger Law will have to investigate your claim and communicate with the insurance company you are making a claim against. It is not worth taking the time to wonder whether or not you have a case, or if it is worth pursuing. If you were injured by someone else's negligence, call a Chicago and Illinois Burger Law personal injury lawyer now at (314) 500-HURT.

Do I Have to Go to Court for My Personal Injury Claim in Illinois?

Probably not. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported in 2005 that 96 percent of personal injury claims are settled out-of-court.

If the two sides cannot come to an agreement, they will usually attempt mediation before going to trial, where they argue their case in front of a neutral party, in order to reach a settlement.

Illinois requires court approval for settlements given to a minor that exceed $10,000. Apart from that, you and your personal injury lawyer will likely never have to go to court for your injuries.

Why Do Most Personal Injury Cases in Illinois Settle?

There are a variety of reasons that both the plaintiff and defendant might find a settlement less risky, or more beneficial to them, than going to court for a lengthy jury trial. Some of them are:

• When you hire an experienced and aggressive personal injury lawyer like those at Burger Law, the insurance company will know you mean business and will be motivated to give you a fair settlement offer.
• A settlement provides more certainty. A jury may award more money than the settlement offer, or may award no money at all.
• Settlements are private and largely confidential, while information in trials is made available to the public.
• The language in most settlement agreements lets most defendants agree to pay the plaintiff without admitting liability.
• A settlement will lead to a faster resolution.

While your Burger Law Illinois personal injury lawyer's goal is always to get you everything you deserve in a settlement, we are more aggressive than most law firms in filing suit. We want the defendant and insurance company to know that we will not accept anything less than full compensation.

When Do Personal Injury Cases in Illinois Go to Trial?

When a case does make it to trial, it is usually for one or two reasons. Either the insurance company is not being fair and their offer is significantly below the true value of your claim, or the person or corporation that injured you does not want to take responsibility for their actions. At Burger Law, we know how to prove liability and correctly determine the full extent of your damages. With over 30 years of experience as trial lawyers, we will convince a jury to see your side of the story and award you the money you are owed.

Illinois Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me | Burger Law

If you have been injured by someone else's negligence in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois, you need an experienced, ethical and determined personal injury lawyer who will stand by your side and get you the best possible financial recovery for your injuries. You do not have to go through this trying time and complicated legal process alone. We have dedicated our lives to stepping in and standing up when life does not treat someone fairly and they are at their most vulnerable. You do not pay until we win your case. Call a Burger Law Chicago-based personal injury lawyer in Illinois now at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free consultation.