Waukegan, IL Personal Injury Lawyer

Burger Law fights on behalf of those who are injured because someone else did no respect their safety. If you are seriously injured because of someone else’s negligent behavior, Burger Law’s personal injury lawyers in Waukegan, 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 find out how much your personal injury claim may be worth in Waukegan, or anywhere in Illinois, complete our complimentary personal injury calculator.

The negligent parties that hurt you are responsible for compensating you for all of your damages, but that does not mean they will do it willingly. Burger Law’s personal injury lawyer team fights hard for the injured against whoever is standing in the way of justice. That includes anything from making claims against drunk drivers, holding negligent healthcare professionals, product manufacturers, pet owners accountable, taking the fight to the government, to securing justice and financial security for Waukegan residents after the wrongful death of a family member. 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 Waukegan, IL today at (779) 800-HURT.

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

It can be hard to know how to choose the right personal injury lawyer for you. You want someone with a history of winning similar cases and who you know will not back down from a fight. In order to have a good understanding of the abilities of a law firm, you need to look at their previous victories, and their reputation among their clients and peers:

Premier Waukegan, IL Personal Injury Lawyers

The many 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 lawyers in the United States
• 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 honor that is made up of the most qualified lawyers 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 lawyers are certified by an ABA accredited certification board.

Personal Injury Lawyer Waukegan, IL – Cases We Have Won

Our Waukegan, IL personal injury lawyers have a demonstrated history of getting great results. We take on all who have injured our clients, and we insist on nothing but full compensation. Our lawyers are committed to giving our clients amazing legal advocacy, and we take tremendous pride in our hard-fought victories. Read about our recent successes 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 important to remember that no two cases are the same, and what you may be eligible to recover is going to depend on the your specific injuries. We calculate the full extent of your damages so that there is no money left on the table.

Burger Law Client Success Stories

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

What Is a Personal Injury Claim in Waukegan, IL?

Under Illinois and U.S. law, you have a right to file a personal injury claim to get financial compensation for the harm done by another person’s negligence, and to achieve justice. The aim of personal injury claims is to make one whole. The idea is to put you in the same position you were in before another person injured you.

In some cases, no outcome in your claim can fully “put back” all the things you lost in an injury. While you can be reimbursed for the financial losses you sustained, other damages are less tangible. 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 legal process can make that go away. What empathetic and experienced personal injury lawyers like those at Burger Law are able to 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 accident.

Is it Worth Hiring Personal Injury Lawyer in Waukegan, IL?

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 Waukegan, IL. The important question is, can they increase my compensation? If your injuries were not severe, you have minimal lost wages and the insurance adjuster is being reasonable, a lawyer might not be necessary. But, you will need an attorney in Waukegan, IL under the following circumstances:

• There is disagreement over liability, or you are being blamed for your injuries
• The insurance company is denying they have to cover certain damages
• Your injuries are significant and require extensive care
• There are multiple parties that is liable for your injuries
• Your damages exceed the liable policyholder’s policy limits

We offer consultations for free, and we will always be honest with you about whether or not it is worth it for you to hire our services. Our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency-fee basis, 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.

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case in Waukegan, IL?

While the legal specifics concerning negligence and liability can be complex, whether or not you have a claim 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 demonstrate that the person you are making a claim against owed it to you to value your safety. Sometimes, a duty of care is assumed, as Waukegan, IL driver owe everyone else on the roads a duty of care, or dog owners owe it to others not to let their dog injure anyone. In other cases, a special relationship must have formed, such as a doctor-patient relationship or a vendor-patron relationship.
2. Breach of duty — Did someone neglect that responsibility? Did a driver crash into you you because they were drunk? Did a physician not take into account your medical history? Did a trucking company force their employee to drive longer than regulations allow?
3. Causation — You must show how the accident resulted in your injuries. For example, you broke your arm when your car was t-boned, or were burned by a defective product when it overheated.
4. Proximate cause — This determines liability. If you were rear ended, the liable party is usually the driver that hit you. But if the tires were not safe, a manufacturer or mechanic may be the one who is ultimately liable.
5. Damages — Lastly, you must show that the accident caused economic harm. In personal injury cases, this is usually medical expenses and lost wages. With access to your medical records, an attorney will be able to establish your financial losses with an insurance company. Once we establish financial losses, we can also seek compensation for the other ways your injuries have affected you.

If you have any doubts about the validity of your claim, speak to a lawyer in Waukegan, IL who has won a similar claim before. Call a personal injury lawyer today at (779) 800-HURT.

What Are Common Personal Injury Case in Waukegan, IL?

Being a personal injury lawyer in Waukegan, IL requires that your lawyers and firm know how negligence laws apply to a wide range of cases. Knowing the difference between the laws and defendants applicable to different types of claims is paramount. 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 whenever negligence results in an injury. Cases we take on in Waukegan and throughout Illinois include:

Auto Accidents

The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that there are about 400,000 personal injury claims annually. About 52 percent of those result from auto accidents, including:

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

Truck accidents can cause serious injuries because of the amount of force they carry in an accident, and motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians are all at increased 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 keep everyone else on the road safe. If a driver is negligent and you end up hurt, you can file a claim.

In some cases, a vehicle manufacturer, construction company or local municipality may be at fault. As part of our services, your Burger Law personal injury lawyer will perform a full investigation into your accident to find every liable party and hold them accountable.

Premises Liability

Property owners and managers have a duty to take reasonable measures to make sure their premises is safe for people who are not trespassing. If you sustain damages in a slip and fall because a property was unsafe, you can make a premises liability claim. 740 ILCS 130/, also known as the Illinois Premises Liability Act, states that proprietors have 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.” 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
• Sudden changes in surface level
• Ledges
• Poor lighting
• Black ice
• Wet concrete
• Debris such as litter, fallen leaves and branches, rocks, etc
• Uneven rugs
• Wiring
• 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 in a part of a property you were not allowed to be, ignored warning signs, such as a “wet floor sign,” or were running or acting dangerously, it might be hard to get compensation. Successful premises liability claims depend on the following:

• The owner or manager created the unsafe conditions; or
• The owner or manager knew about the condition and failed to fix it; or
• The owner or manager tried to fix the condition 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 company in Waukegan, IL may try to convince you that 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 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 are responsible for over a quarter of a million deaths a year. While not all of those amount to negligence, when it does, a doctor needs to pay for hurting you.

Proving a medical malpractice claim is based on what is called the standard of care. The standard refers to how a prudent doctor, in a specific field and specific location, would treat a specific condition.

Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/2-622, any medical malpractice claim needs to be filed along with 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 who writes the affidavit is in the same practice area and geographic region as the health professional you are suing. A thoracic surgeon in Chicago has a different standard of care than a family doctor in Rockport, Maine. Burger Law has a network of expert witnesses in Waukegan and in other parts of Illinois who can help verify that your medical malpractice suit is valid.

Common examples of medical malpractice in Waukegan, IL include:

• Nursing home abuse
• Birth injuries
• Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnosis
• Leaving objects in during surgery
• Hospital system errors
• Lack of consent
• Failing to order tests that a prudent doctor would
• Ignoring a patient’s complaints
• Not changing course when their treatment plan is not working
• Prescription errors

Dog Bites

Every day, almost 1,000 people seek emergency medical treatment for dog bites, and every year about 12,480 people are hospitalized. 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, states that the owner of a dog is strictly liable for your the injuries their dog causes, assuming there was no provocation and you were legally allowed to be where you were. “Strict liability” means that the owner is liable as a matter of law and you do not have to prove negligence. This means that the owner owes you a recovery even if they did not necessarily do anything wrong.

While some dog bites lead to only superficial wounds, others result in reconstructive surgeries or lifelong disfigurement. Regardless of the seriousness of your injuries, you likely need an experienced and skilled Waukegan, IL personal injury lawyer to secure you the maximum financial recovery you deserve.

Product Liability

Strict liability also applies to anyone involved in the chain of distribution of a defective product. There are generally three theories a personal injury lawyer will use to make a product liability claim in Waukegan, IL:

1. Design defect — This is a defect that was present when the product was initially designed. This could include tables or furniture that naturally tip over, or a power tool whose safety guards do not prevent injuries.
2. Manufacturing defect — This type of defect usually occurs to only one or several individual products, instead of every product with the same design. Examples include rat droppings getting caught in packaging, or improperly attached electrical outlets.
3. Failure to warn — This refers to a product that did not carry sufficient warnings when it was put to foreseeable use. For example, an electric shaver not mentioning that shock can occur if used in the shower.

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 the product had not been “substantially” changed from its state at the initial sale.

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 Waukegan, 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.

What Is the Personal Injury Claims Process in Waukegan, IL?

The path to getting maximum compensation for your injuries begins the second you are injured. While some cases only take a few months, others go completely through to a jury trial. Generally, the path to getting compensation consists of:

• Getting 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 lower how much compensation you receive. Our personal injury lawyers work with several trustworthy Waukegan, IL doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists who can help you in your recovery.
• Speaking With an Attorney — Even if you do not know if you need an attorney, it is best to consult with one as soon as possible so they can become familiar with your case. A good attorney will tell you bluntly what your legal recourses are.
• Investigation and Documentation — Once you have legal representation, your personal injury lawyer will carry out a full investigation into your claim, ascertain every liable party and acquire the evidence they need to get you the best possible financial recovery. You should also keep a record of every dollar you have spent because of 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 the liable party’s insurance company. In the package we will include full documentation of all of your damages, and insist that nothing but the full amount is acceptable. Usually, the insurance company will counter our offer with a lower number, and we keep negotiating until they decide to be truly fair.
• Filing a Lawsuit — If negotiations do not result in fair compensation, we will file a lawsuit in court, which begins the formal process of your claim going to 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 listens to arguments from both sides and tries to get everyone to reach an agreement.
• Pre-Trial — If mediation fails, the “discovery” phase begins. In this phase, we will speak to eyewitnesses and expert witnesses, acquire more evidence and share with and request documentation with the other side.
• Trial — It is rare that a personal injury claim makes it all the way to trial. Indeed, many times we have gotten the settlement we were seeking just before trial begins. However, if the insurance company still cannot see reason, we will fight for your compensation 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 Waukegan, IL personal injury lawyers have never had to deal with seeking compensation for an injury before, and do not know what to expect. Burger Law will be by your side from our initial consultation to full compensation, keep you up to date on the status of your claim and manage all the legal aspects of your case so you can focus on your physical recovery.

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

In general, there are two types of damages you can seek in a personal injury claim: economic damages and non-economic damages:

• Economic damages compensate you for your financial losses resulting from your injuries, for instance:
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity if your injuries result in permanent disability
  • Medical expenses, past and future
  • Out-of-pocket expenses
• Non-economic damages compensate you for losses that are harder to put a dollar figure on, including:
  • Pain and suffering
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Loss of ability to enjoy life
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Inconvenience
  • Physical impairment
  • Loss of consortium

Though rare, we may also be able to pursue punitive damages if the liable harmed you intentionally or they were incredibly reckless. 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 get you the best possible financial recovery.

What Is the Time Limit for Personal Injury Claims in Waukegan, 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 noteworthy exceptions:

1. If you were under 18 at the time of injury, 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 your 22nd 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 cases we take on in Waukegan, 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 Waukegan, IL Now

Burger Law’s Waukegan, 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, fight back against insurance companies on your behalf and do not give up until you are awarded the maximum recovery you deserve. 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 Waukegan, 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 Waukegan, IL personal injury lawyer now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.