Is It Worth It to Hire Car Accident Attorney in Madison County, IL?
Everyone who has been injured in a car accident has a unique experience. For many, a car accident is an upsetting event that leaves your head spinning. Regardless of the specifics, when you are hurt in a car accident that was not your fault, you deserve financial compensation from the person who caused you harm and their insurance company. To get the full compensation for your damages, you will often require the help of a good car accident attorney to fight for you.
While some minor car accidents can be resolved successfully without the use of an auto accident attorney, there are certain situations that call for legal representation. It is crucial that you have a car accident attorney to fight for your in the following situations:
- Your injuries are significant
- The insurance company's offer does not come close to fairly compensating you
- The other driver is uninsured or underinsured
- You are unsure of the legal procedures and rights following a car accident
- The negligent driver or their insurance company is blaming you for your injuries
- There are other complications to your case, such as being in a multi-vehicle accident, hit and run accident or were injured by a government vehicle
Resources to Help With Your Madison County, IL Car Accident Claim
At Burger Law, we believe that our role as your personal injury law firm extends beyond presenting your case and negotiating with the insurance company; we have also taken it upon ourselves to offer free materials and resources to people injured in car accidents to to help them through their injury claims. Burger Law has written books on car accident and personal injury cases, created a Youtube channel and we are always willing to answer questions.
Other Resources
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Why Choose Burger Law For Your Madison County, IL Car Accident Claim
When you are facing a legal issue, it is imperative to pick the right law firm to represent you. Burger Law is highly respected and experienced law firm that has been defending the rights of the injured for over 30 years. Below are some of the reasons why you should choose Burger Law for your legal needs.
Acclaimed Attorneys Know How to Win
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 Madison County, IL legal community and knows how to get results. In order to gauge the abilities of an injury law firm, you need to look at the cases they have won, and their reputation among their clients and peers. The numerous 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 attorneys nationwide
- 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 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 lawyers are certified by an ABA accredited certification board.
Compassionate and Knowledgeable Attorneys
At Burger Law, we know that being injured through another's negligence is stressful and overwhelming. That is why we strive to build personal relationships with our clients. With over 30 years of experience, our attorneys are willing to take on the tough cases other law firms are not. We are devoted to helping our clients recovery both physically and financially, and we work tirelessly to ensure that their rights are protected. You need to spend your time on healing; let us fight the insurance company.
Personalized Approach
At Burger Law, we know that every client and every case is unique. That is why we personalize our legal strategies to meet the specific needs of each client. Our attorneys explain the legal process to you and keep in constant contact so you know the status of your claim.
Dedication to Excellence
At Burger Law, we are dedicated to excellence in everything we do. We have high ethical standards for the way we pursue compensation and the way we communicate with our clients. We pursue every legal avenue to get you the compensation you deserve.
Our Reviews and Results
A car accident attorney can say just about anything, but having a demonstrated track record of success is another matter entirely. We are one of the most- and best-reviewed law firms, with a 4.9 rating from over 480 reviews. You can also check out our client testimonials and case victories.
Discuss your case for free with an car accident attorney in Madison County, IL now at (314) 500-HURT, or read on below to discover more about car accident claims and how Burger Law can help.
How Do You Determine Fault in Car Accident in Madison County, IL?
Assigning fault in a car crash is the first step toward getting compensation. Liability comes down to proving the five elements of negligence:
- Duty of care — That the other driver had an obligation to keep you from unreasonable harm. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1, all drivers owe all others on the road "due care."
- Breach of duty — That they neglected their obligation. Did they drive with excessive speed or drive drunk?
- Cause in fact — That the crash caused 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 following you too close, or because a mechanic was negligent and their brakes were not working.
- Damages — That you sustained harm because of your injuries. Do you have medical expenses, lost wages and emotional distress you can make a claim for?
Fault is determined by a police officer, insurance adjuster, attorney, mediator or jury. Sometimes, the other driver will admit fault, but too often negligent actors deny they did anything wrong. After an accident, police officers will write a report explaining what they believe happened. Then, insurance adjusters will analyze the police report and other evidence to determine fault. While this is part of an adjuster's job, their primary goal is to save their insurance company money. That means they may deny that it was the other driver's fault, 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 acquire more evidence, take depositions of all parties involved, and hire crash experts to evaluate how the accident likely occurred. Then they will send this information to the insurance adjuster to get them to change their position.
If the insurance company remains firm, your claim might require a mediation, where an unbiased attorney or judge tries to help both parties find common ground. If they will not be fair in negotiations, your car accident attorney can file a lawsuit in civil court and take your claim in front of a judge and jury.
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 bare.
Meaning, if your damages total $100,000 but you share 30 percent of the fault for your accident, 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 share more of the blame than the other party, you cannot make a recovery in Madison County, IL.
Devastating Injuries in Madison County, IL Car Accidents
Serious injuries in car accidents have a significant impact on your daily life and future, leading to long-term physical, emotional and economic consequences. Some injuries we have helped people get compensation for are:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) — This can occur when the the brain moves inside of the skull, causing damage to the brain. Symptoms can range from mild, such as a headache or confusion, to significant, such as loss of consciousness or permanent cognitive impairment.
- 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 lead permanent paralysis.
- Fractures — 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 require prompt medical attention in order not to be deadly.
- 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 scarring.
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 now to discuss your case at (314) 500-HURT.