Serious Injury Attorney Chicago

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What Causes Serious Injuries in Chicago and Illinois?

There are a variety of ways that someone can sustain a severe or catastrophic injury. Some of the most common causes your serious injury attorney has seen in Chicago are:

• Falls. Slip and falls were the number one cause of unintentional injury that required hospitalization for people under 14 and over 45, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Car Accidents, Truck Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents and Bus Accidents. The most common personal injury claims are auto accident claims. Serious injuries typically happen at higher speeds and with larger vehicles because of the amount of force involved.
• Nursing Home Negligence and Nursing Home Abuse. Nursing home residents are among the most vulnerable people in our society. Of the 14,000 complaints filed against nursing homes, 27.4 percent were for physical abuse. Negligence can lead to bedsores, which cause dangerous infections and even wrongful death.
• Medical Malpractice. Missed or incorrect diagnoses, poorly performed surgeries, improper treatments or a range of other medical errors can leave patients with lasting injuries.
• Dog Bites. While minor lacerations may not serious, dog bites can significant injury to soft tissue and sometimes even rabies or infections.
• Defective Products. Product liability suits are relatively common in auto accident claims. A poorly designed or manufactured product can cause major harm, for example if one catches on fire and burns you.

Every Burger Law serious injury attorney has extensive experience litigating all types of personal injury cases in Chicago and throughout Illinois. You can trust us to get the job done and get you the money you need to be made whole again.

What Is My Serious Injury Claim Worth in Chicago, IL?

The amount you receive in compensation will depend on the severity of your injuries, the full impact they have had on your life and the dedication and skill of your serious injury attorney. Typically in personal injury cases you receive compensation for:

• Economic damages, such as:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost or Reduced earning potential
  • Medical expenses, such as:
    • Emergency room visits
    • Surgeries
    • Doctors appointments
    • Physical therapy
    • Medication
    • In-home care
    • Assistive devices such as wheelchairs or household modifications
  • Property damage, such as damage to your car
  • Transportation fees
• Noneconomic damages, which 735 ILCS 5/2-1115.2 defines as:
• Pain and suffering
• Disability
• Disfigurement
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of society

The more serious your injuries, the more they will require future medical care, affect your ability to work and affect your ability to enjoy life. Your Chicago serious injury attorney at Burger Law will make sure you receive every cent you are owed.

The best way to find out how much your claim is worth is to contact a Chicago-based serious injury attorney at Burger Law. We will discuss your case with you for free and give you a realistic idea of what compensation we will get for you. In many serious injury cases, our serious injury attorney team will consult with Chicago medical and economic experts to ensure your future medical needs are accounted for.

Can I Still Receive Compensation in Illinois if I Was Partially to Blame for My Serious Injury?

Yes. Your serious injury attorney may still be able to help you get compensation, although the amount will be less. Illinois is a modified contributory fault state, which means that you will be compensated for the percentage of the accident that is not your fault.

Meaning, if a jury awards you $100,000 in damages, but finds that you share 30 percent of the blame for your injury, you will receive $70,000. It is important to note that 735 ILCS 5/ §2-1116 states that:

The plaintiff shall be barred from recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is more than 50 percent of the proximate cause of the injury or damage for which recovery is sought.

That means that if you are over 50 percent to blame for the accident, you will not be able to recover any compensation in Chicago or Illinois. Your Burger Law serious injury attorney will know how to prove that you are not responsible for the harm someone else caused.

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How Long Do I Have to File a Serious Injury Claim in Chicago and Illinois?

In Illinois, the statute of limitations is relatively short at two years for most personal injury claims, according to 735 ILCS 5/. That means you must file a claim within two years of when the injury occurred. However, there are three notable exceptions:

1. If you were under 18 at the time of injury, 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 injury 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 your 22nd birthday.

Following an injury that happened because of somebody else's reckless actions, there is no time to wait. You only have one opportunity to receive full compensation, and the clock is already ticking. Burger Law's Chicago-based Illinois serious injury attorney team has experience filing and winning claims in a variety of circumstances. Do not delay, call us today 312-500-HURT.