Is It Worth It to Hire Car Accident Attorney in Garfield Park, IL?
Everyone who has been injured in a car accident has a unique experience. For many, a car accident is a jarring event that causes no small amount of residual stress. The fact remains that any time you are injured in a car accident that was not your fault, you deserve compensation from the responsible person and their insurance company. However, to receive the compensation you are rightfully owed, you will often require the help of a good car accident attorney to fight for you.
Sometimes you can resolve a minor car accident in a way that is favorable for all parties without involving car accident attorneys. However there are certain situations that call for legal representation. It is essential that you have a car accident attorney to fight for your if the following applies to your case:
- You sustained serious injuries in a car accident
- The insurance company is not offering a fair settlement
- The other driver is uninsured or underinsured
- You need help with the insurance and legal process
- The other driver disputes liability or fault in the accident
- There are other complications to your case, such as being in a multi-vehicle accident, hit and run accident or were hit by a commercial vehicle
Resources for Your Garfield Park, IL Car Accident Claim
Our philosophy at Burger Law is that, as your personal injury law firm, our responsibility extends beyond presenting your case and communicating with the insurance company; we believe it is also important to offer free materials and resources to people injured in car accidents to to help them make the most of their injury claims. Our team has published books on all types of personal injury cases including car accidents, created a Youtube channel and we are always willing to answer questions.
Other Resources
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Why Choose Burger Law For Your Garfield Park, IL Car Accident Claim
When you are facing a legal issue, it is crucial to choose the best law firm to fight for you. Burger Law is highly respected and experienced law firm that has been fiercely fighting for the injured for over 30 years. Below are some of the reasons why you should choose Burger Law for your legal needs.
Recognized Leaders in Car Accident Claims
To ensure you get full compensation, you need to put your case in the capable hands of a car accident attorney who has earned the respect of the Garfield Park, IL legal community and knows how to get results. In order to have a good understanding of the abilities of a law firm, you need to take into account their previous victories, and their reputation among their clients and peers. The many awards, honors and accolades Burger Law has received from other attorneys 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 U.S.
- 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 comprised 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. Fewer than 4 percent of all practicing attorneys are certified by an ABA accredited certification board.
Compassionate and Experienced Attorneys
At Burger Law, we know the terrible financial, physical and mental hardships an injury can create. That is why our attorneys are compassionate and dedicated to helping our clients be made whole again. With over three decades of experience, our attorneys are willing to take on the tough cases other law firms are not. We are devoted to helping our clients achieve the best possible outcome, and we work relentlessly to ensure they do. You need to focus on healing; allow us to stand up to the insurance company.
Personalized Approach
At Burger Law, we know that every client and every case is unique. That is why we treat each claim individually. Our attorneys explain the legal process to you and always keep you up-to-date on the status of your claim.
Dedication to Excellence
At Burger Law, we are committed to providing the highest standard of legal advocacy. We have high ethical standards for the way we pursue compensation and the way we communicate with our clients. We leave no stone unturned when we investigate cases and search for insurance coverage.
Our Reviews and Victories
A car accident attorney can say just about anything, but proving they are qualified is another matter entirely. We are one of the highest-reviewed law firms, with a 4.9 rating from over 480 reviews. You can also look at our client testimonials and case results.
Get a free consultation with an car accident attorney in Garfield Park, IL now at (314) 500-HURT, or keep reading to find out more about car accident claims and how Burger Law can help.
How Do You Determine Fault in Car Accident in Garfield Park, IL?
Determining liability in a car crash is the first step toward collecting damages. To do that, you and your car accident attorney must prove the five elements of negligence:
- Duty of care — That the other driver had a responsibility to keep you from unreasonable harm. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1, all drivers need to "exercise due care to avoid colliding" with pedestrians, bicyclist and other vehicles.
- Breach of duty — That they failed in their obligation. Did they text while driving or drive drunk?
- Cause in fact — That the crash directly led to your injury. For example, you were t-boned and broke your arm.
- Proximate cause — That the breach of duty caused the crash. Were you rear ended because a driver was distracted, or because a manufacturer was negligent and their brakes were not working.
- Damages — That you sustained losses because of the injuries. Do you have medical bills, lost wages and emotional anguish you can make a claim for?
Liability is determined by a police officer, insurance adjuster, attorney, mediator or jury. Sometimes, the other driver will admit that they are to blame, but too often irresponsible drivers deny they did anything wrong. After an accident, police officers will write a report explaining who they link is liable. Then, insurance adjusters will review the police report and other evidence to determine fault. While adjusters are trained to do this, their primary goal is to pay out as little money as possible. That means they may say they do not owe you a recovery, even if that is demonstrably false.
When that happens, you need to hire a car accident attorney to ensure that you are treated fairly. The attorney will obtain more evidence, take depositions of all parties involved, and hire crash experts to determine how the accident likely occurred. Then they will send this information to the insurance adjuster to get them to be fair.
If the insurance company remains firm, your attorney may recommend mediation, where a neutral third party tries to help both parties come to a fair settlement. If that fails, your car accident attorney can file a lawsuit in civil court, present the evidence to a jury and convince them the other driver was at fault.
The Illinois Comparative Negligence Rule
In many states, including Illinois, adjusters, lawyers and juries can apply the comparative negligence or comparative fault rule to personal injury claims. In comparative fault, you can recover for the portion of the fault you do not share.
Meaning, if your damages total $100,000 but you share 30 percent of the blame for your accident, you will receive $70,000. Keep in mind 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.
Meaning, if you share more of the blame than the other party, you will not be able to recover any compensation in Garfield Park, IL.
Serious Injuries in Garfield Park, IL Car Accidents
Serious injuries in car accidents have a significant impact on your life, causing long-term physical, emotional and financial consequences. Some common examples of serious injuries in car accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) — This can occur when the the brain twists inside of the skull, causing damage to the brain. Symptoms can range from mild, such as a headache or loss of balance, to grave, such as loss of consciousness or lifelong dysfunction.
- Spinal cord injuries — These can occur when the spinal cord is damaged, resulting in loss of movement or feeling in the arms, legs or other parts of the body. In the worst case scenario, they can cause paraplegia or quadriplegia.
- Broken bones — Fractures can often heal well, but cause months or years of pain and discomfort.
- Internal injuries — These can include bleeding or other injuries to the internal organs, such as the heart, lungs, liver and others, and can be life-threatening if not promptly treated.
- Burns — Burns can occur from the ignition of fuel or from contact with hot surfaces, such as a vehicle's engine or exhaust system. They can cause significant pain and disfigurement.
At Burger Law, we know how serious injuries can completely change your life in an instant. But, with the help of Burger Law, you can be made whole again. Call us immediately to discuss your case at (314) 500-HURT.