Why Hire a Car Accident Attorney in Villa Park, IL?
There are countless factors involved in car accidents that make each case different. For many, a car accident is a shocking event that leaves your head spinning. 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 may 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 factors 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's offer does not come close to covering your damages
- The other driver does not have insurance or enough insurance to cover your damages
- You need help with the insurance and legal process
- The negligent driver or their insurance company is blaming you for your injuries
- You are dealing with complex legal issues, such as being in a multi-vehicle accident, hit and run accident or were injured by a government vehicle
Resources to Help With Your Villa Park, IL Car Accident Claim
Our philosophy at Burger Law is that, as your personal injury law firm, our responsibility extends beyond arguing your case and communicating with the insurance company; we believe it is also important to provide free education and resources to people injured in car accidents to to help them through their injury claims. Burger Law has published books on all types of personal injury cases including car accidents, is active on our Youtube channel and we are always willing to answer questions.
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Why Choose Burger Law For Your Villa Park, IL Car Accident Claim
When you are facing a legal issue, it is important to pick the right law firm to fight for you. Burger Law is highly respected and experienced law firm that has been fiercely fighting for the injured for more than three decades. Here are some of the reasons why you should choose Burger Law for your claim.
Premier Attorneys That Deliver
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 Villa 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 look at their previous victories, and their reputation among their clients and peers. The numerous awards, honors and accolades Burger Law has received from our peers include:
- Martindale-Hubbell Award — AV Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® from NexisLexis® – a significant achievement awarded to not more than 5 percent of all attorneys in the country
- 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 made up of the most qualified attorneys 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 American Bar Association accredited certification board.
Empathetic and Experienced 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. After having fought for more than 30 years, our attorneys have the knowledge and expertise to handle even the most complex legal cases. We are committed to helping our clients achieve the best possible outcome, and we work tirelessly to ensure they do. You need to spend your time on healing; allow us to stand up to the insurance company.
Customized Approach
At Burger Law, we know that every client and every case is unique. That is why we take a personalized approach to each case. Our attorneys explain the legal process to you and always keep you up-to-date on the status of your claim.
Commitment to Excellence
At Burger Law, we are committed to offering the highest standard of legal advocacy. We have high moral standards for the way we pursue compensation and the way we treat our clients. We pursue every possible 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 among 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 results.
Discuss your case for free with an car accident attorney in Villa Park, IL today at (314) 500-HURT, or read on below to find out more about car accident claims and how Burger Law can help.
How Do You Determine Fault in Car Accident in Villa Park, IL?
Assigning fault in a car crash is the first step toward getting compensation. To do that, you and your car accident attorney must prove 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 need to "exercise due care to avoid colliding" with pedestrians, bicyclist and other vehicles.
- Breach of duty — That they neglected their responsibility. Did they drive reckless or drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs?
- Cause in fact — That the accident 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 looking at their phone, or because a manufacturer was negligent and their brakes were not working.
- Damages — That you sustained harm because of the injuries. Do you have medical expenses, lost wages and emotional anguish 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 irresponsible people try to avoid being held accountable for what they did. After an accident, police officers will write a report explaining what they believe happened. Then, insurance adjusters will review the police report and other evidence to assign blame. While adjusters are trained to do this, their real job is to save their insurance company money. That means they may deny that it was the other driver's fault, even if that is patently untrue.
In those cases, you need to hire a car accident attorney to ensure that you are treated fairly. The attorney will acquire more evidence, take depositions of both drivers and eyewitnesses, 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 a neutral third party helps analyze the evidence and determine fault. If that fails, your car accident attorney can take your claim to trial and take your claim to trial.
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 blame you do not share.
Meaning, if your damages total $100,000 but you share 30 percent of the blame for your accident, you can recover $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 cannot make a recovery in Villa Park, IL.
Devastating Injuries in Villa Park, IL Car Accidents
Catastrophic injuries in car accidents have a significant impact on your life, leading to 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 shakes inside of the skull, causing damage to the brain. Symptoms can range from mild, such as a headache or temporarily blurry vision, to grave, such as loss of consciousness or permanent disability.
- Spinal cord injuries — These can occur when the spinal cord is damaged, resulting in loss of mobility or sensation in the arms, legs or other parts of the body. In severe cases, they can cause paraplegia or quadriplegia.
- Fractures — Broken bones can occur in any part of the body in a car accident, leading to severe pain and long-term disability.
- 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 today for a free consultation at (314) 500-HURT.