As an accident victim, you have rights. You have the right to be compensated for any injuries you sustained due to another’s negligence. However, the party responsible for your injuries and their insurance company may stand in your way. At Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, our personal injury lawyers are committed to helping accident victims recover compensation for their injuries. Since 1987, we’ve been representing injury victims in a wide range of claims. We attribute our success over the years to the fact that we foster a meaningful relationship with each of our clients, enabling us to understand better how an accident impacted their lives.
As Your Attorneys, Our focus is on you
We take pride in providing the level of attention you would expect from a family-owned, family-oriented law firm. We treat every one of our clients with the same level of care and attention that we would expect if we were facing your same situation. Regardless of whether you have suffered bumps and bruises in a car accident or have been paralyzed by an act of medical malpractice, the personal injury attorneys and staff at will make it clear that we care about you. We’re on your side. Contact us to arrange a free consultation to talk about how we can help.
Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation Claims
Sometimes, a personal injury case is not simply a personal injury case. From time to time, other avenues of compensation open up as well. When a personal injury is the result of an accident in the workplace, there may be a personal injury claim and a workers’ compensation claim. Such a situation often arises when a person is in a car accident while on the job. Likewise, construction accident cases often involve both workers’ compensation claims and personal injury claims against a negligent third party. Almost all employers (99.7 percent) are covered under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation system. Common types of workers’ compensation accidents include repetitive stress, vehicle accidents, equipment mishaps, construction accidents, and neck and back injuries.
If you have experienced a personal injury due to the carelessness of others, you shouldn’t have to worry about fees and case screeners. An attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg will talk to you about your case at no cost.
At Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, we are a full-service personal injury law firm representing clients in all types of injury claims. Regardless of the type of accident that caused your injuries, our knowledgeable lawyers can help. We pride ourselves on being a law firm that is committed to each of our clients and knows them on a personal level. We have the skill and resources allowing us to pursue even the largest and most complex cases. A few of the types of cases we regularly handle include:
Car Accidents
Truck Accidents
Motorcycle Accidents
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents
Wrongful Death Cases
Medical Malpractice
Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Slip-and-Fall Accidents:
Product Liability
Workplace Accidents:
From the moment you bring Briskman Briskman & Greenberg onto your team, you will understand what makes us different from other local personal injury law firms. We firmly believe that obtaining the best possible result depends on our ability to understand how an accident affected your life. For this reason, we take the time necessary to get to know you and how the accident changed your life, whether it be lingering pain, or lifelong physical limitations, persistent psychological issues.
Vigilant Advocates for Car Accident Victims
Nobody ever thinks that a car accident could happen to them. Each year, thousands of unsuspecting motorists find themselves in an accident—often due to no fault of their own.
According to the most recently available data from the Illinois Department of Transportation, over 310,000 Illinois car accidents occur every year. This is truly a shocking number for a state with fewer than 9 million drivers and 13 million people. This means that almost 2.5 out of every 100 people in Illinois are involved in a car accident each year.
Some accidents are minor, such as fender-benders and certain low-speed collisions. However, in about one in five Illinois car accidents, at least one person is seriously injured. For example, in 2019, more than 63,000 people across Illinois were hurt in car accidents.
Most car accidents are entirely avoidable. If drivers followed traffic laws and used sound judgment, accidents would not happen. In our experience, the most common causes of Illinois traffic accidents are:
Studies have shown that between 25 and 50 percent of all traffic accidents involve some level of distraction. Most often, cell phones are responsible, as many drivers continue to talk and text while driving despite the state’s ban on using handheld devices while driving. Other distractions may include talking to passengers, eating, grooming, changing the radio station or daydreaming.
Perhaps in response to the escalating responsibilities many have taken on in recent years, the instances of drowsy driving across Illinois have steadily increased. Motorists who get behind the wheel while fatigued are making a conscious decision to drive in a compromised condition and should be held accountable when their negligence results in another’s injury.
Anyone who has a driver’s license knows that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is extremely dangerous – and illegal. Drunk and drugged driving continue to be a major cause of traffic accidents in Illinois. Each year, over 300 fatal Illinois drunk driving accidents occur, and hundreds of others that cause serious injury.
Speeding, running stop signs and frequently changing lanes are all types of aggressive driving. Aggressive drivers often think that they are better drivers than everyone else on the road. Of course, that simply is not the case. By engaging in aggressive driving behavior, a motorist puts everyone on the road at risk.
Illinois motorists have a duty to always drive in a safe and responsible manner. Those who are injured as a result of another driver’s negligence can pursue a claim for compensation against that driver. Often, these claims are defended by the insurance company that holds the at-fault driver’s policy. At Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, we routinely handle cases against the nation’s largest insurance companies. With over 30 years of experience handling Illinois car accident cases, we can confidently help you navigate this complicated process, vigilantly advocating on your behalf at every step of the way.
Workers' Compensation and Personal Injury Claims
Nobody gets up and heads to work, thinking that they will suffer a serious on-the-job injury. Yet, each year, nearly 105,000 employees are injured and over 150 killed in Illinois workplace accidents. Over 55 percent of Illinois work accidents result in an employee being limited in their ability to work, either by missing one or more days of work or requiring a transfer or reassignment. Most of these accidents are preventable.
When you go to work, you trust that your employer is doing everything they can to provide a safe workplace. And most employers do. However, sometimes an employer overlooks a crucial safety point. Other times, a third party unrelated to your employer causes an accident. Whether an accident is caused by another motorist, a contractor, or a building or job site owner, injured workers have options.
Workers who suffer injuries related to their employment can pursue a claim for compensation through either a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury claim, depending on the circumstances. While there is some overlap between these two types of cases, they are very different.
Workers’ compensation in a no-fault system allowing injured employees to obtain medical benefits and income benefits due to a work-related accident. A personal injury case, on the other hand, requires an injured worker to prove someone else other than their employer was responsible for their injuries. However, personal injury cases typically allow for an accident victim to recover more significant damages.
The question is whether a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury claim is best for your particular situation. At Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, our dedicated team of personal injury and workers’ compensation lawyers represents injured workers and grieving families in all types of Illinois work injury cases.
Of course, nothing can bring back a loved one who was lost in a Chicago car accident or workplace accident; however, a wrongful death claim can help families cope with the financial aspect of their loss.
Workplace accidents are a significant cause of injury and illness in Illinois, especially in and around the Chicago metropolitan area. When discussing workplace accidents, certain types of incidents come to mind like a manufacturing employee being injured by a malfunctioning piece of equipment; however, employees in many industries face unique hazards associated with their job. Common causes of workplace accidents include:
Chief among these issues is the availability of a third-party claim against a non-employer. At Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, our dedicated team of Illinois personal injury lawyers is exclusively dedicated to helping injury victims recover full and fair compensation for their injuries. From the moment you allow us to work on your case, we will unceasingly investigate and litigate your claim to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
Falls are one of the leading causes of emergency room visits in Illinois and across the country. Falls can occur anywhere, including in the hardware store, at the library, or on the job. Under Illinois premises liability law, property owners owe a duty to those whom they invite onto their land.
Falls are the leading cause of both preventable injuries and accidental deaths across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 39,000 people die each year due to a fall, and over three million people are treated in emergency rooms each year for fall-related injuries.
When it comes to fall-related injuries, Illinois is no exception. On average, there are more than 100,000 emergency room visits each year due to fall-related injuries among patients 65 and older. More than 11,000 of these fall victims are admitted to the hospital, and nearly 850 will not survive their injuries.
Falls are not limited to older adults, however. Everyone faces the risk of a fall anytime they visit the store, cross the parking lot or head in to work. Premises liability refers to the area of law governing a landowner’s obligations to their guests. Generally, property owners owe guests a duty to ensure a reasonably safe location.
As long as a person is legally on the property (i.e., not a trespasser), a landowner owes them a duty of care. While the extent of the duty a landowner owes to a guest will vary depending on the circumstances, generally, the law requires a landowner to exercise “reasonable care under the circumstances.”
What constitutes “reasonable care” will depend on the situation. For example, for a grocery store, it may mean conducting routine inspections of all aisles to ensure they are free from spilled liquids or other hazards. For a mechanic’s shop, it may mean ensuring that all dangerous areas are adequately marked, preventing customers from entering. And for an apartment complex, it means promptly addressing tenant complaints about dangerous conditions, such as defective stairs, uneven pavement or any other hazard.
When a property owner fails to provide a safe place for invited guests, they can be held liable through an Illinois premises liability lawsuit.
More than 50 million households own dogs in the United States. While most dogs are friendly companions that will live their whole life without harming a human, that is not always the case. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 1,000 people are bitten by dogs each day, with 800,000 of these attacks resulting in an emergency room visit.
While any dog can attack without notice, the most dangerous breeds of dogs are:
• Pitbull Terriers
• Rottweilers
• German Shepherds
• American Bulldogs
• Mastiffs
The most common injuries after a dog bite include:
• Cuts and laceration
• Bruising
• Torn ligaments
• Broken bones or fractures
• Nerve damage
Anyone who is bitten by a dog also faces the risk of infection. The two most common types of infections caused by dog bites are rabies and Capnocytophaga. Rabies is a virus that is spread through the saliva of infected animals. Once the symptoms of rabies show up, the disease is often fatal. Capnocytophaga is another disease spread through the saliva of cats and dogs. Most people with healthy immune systems will not contract Capnocytophaga if bitten; however, if you suffer from a weakened immune system or are taking certain medication, you may be at a greater risk.
Under Illinois law, dog owners are strictly liable for any injuries caused by their animals. This means that if you have been bit or attacked by a dog, you do not need to prove that the animal’s owner was negligent. Instead, you only need to prove that you were in a place you were legally entitled to be and did not provoke the animal.
In most cases, an animal’s homeowner’s insurance will cover damages stemming from a dog bite. Illinois ranks near the top of the list of dog bite claims, with more than 732 claims settled in 2020 alone. The average value of these claims was over $48,000.
Preventable accidents are the third-leading cause of death in the United States and the fourth-leading cause of death in Illinois. Each year in Illinois, thousands of people die as the result of an accident. In fact, according to the most recently available data from the Centers for Disease Control, there were over 6,000 preventable deaths in Illinois in 2019 alone.
A wrongful death claim is a type of personal injury lawsuit in which a victim’s family brings a civil claim against the person responsible for their loved one’s death. In Illinois, surviving spouses and children can recover compensation for a loved one’s wrongful death.
Wrongful death claims are very similar to other types of personal injury lawsuits, except that they are brought by the personal representative of the accident victim’s estate on behalf of the surviving family members. A personal representative is an individual you name in your will to handle your affairs after you die.
Wrongful death lawsuits can be filed after any type of preventable accident. For example, the following accidents are frequently the basis for wrongful death claims:
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Slip and falls
• Dangerous or defective products
• Medical malpractice
• Birth injuries
• Construction accidents
•Workplace accidents
Damages in a wrongful death claim are also slightly different from damages in a personal injury claim. For example, under Illinois law, the following damages are available through a wrongful death claim:
• The loss of financial support an accident victim would have provided;
• The surviving family members’ grief, sorrow and mental suffering;
• The loss of instruction, education, and moral training the accident victim would have provided to their children; and
• Loss of consortium.
When dividing up the proceeds from a wrongful death claim, the court will consider the level of dependency of the spouse and each child and distribute the damages accordingly.
One of the most important aspects of any personal injury lawsuit is proving that the other party was at fault. While some accidents are the fault of just one party, that is not always the case. If you were hurt in an accident, you should expect that the other party or their insurance company will claim that you shared responsibility.
When determining who can recover for their injures after an accident, Illinois uses the “modified comparative fault” analysis. Under this system, an accident victim who is partially at fault is not prohibited from bringing a claim against another party unless they are more than 50 percent responsible for the accident. However, the accident victim’s total damages award will be reduced by their percentage of fault.
For example, assume John and Linda get into a car accident. John suffers serious injuries, totaling damages of $300,000. Linda was not hurt. If a jury finds that Linda was 80 percent responsible for causing the accident and John 20 percent responsible, John’s total damages award would be reduced by 20 percent, from $300,000 to $240,000. However, if the jury found that John was 55 percent responsible for the collision, he would be entitled to nothing.
Nothing will ever turn back the hands of time to before the accident. However, through a personal injury lawsuit, you may be able to recover meaningful compensation that will allow you to begin moving on with your life more easily.
Of course, accidents impact people in different ways, and every case and every client is unique. The result is that even the most experienced lawyers cannot foresee what an exact damages award will be. However, a skilled attorney can often provide a ballpark figure by considering your possible economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are the out-of-pocket costs that come along with being in an accident. Economic damages in a personal injury suit may include:
• Past medical expenses
• Future medical costs
• Lost income
• Decreased earning capacity
These are the damages that you can prove by presenting receipts, medical records, or paychecks. Some types of economic damages may require an expert witness to forecast the present value of a future sum of money, such as in the case of future earnings. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you understand the likely amount of economic damages with some certainty.
Non-economic damages compensate accident victims for the psychological effect that the accident had on their lives and their ability to live their life the way they had planned. Non-economic damages are much more “personal” than economic damages, as they depend so heavily on an individual’s unique circumstances. However, typically, a non-economic damages award in a personal injury case will include amounts for the following:
• Pain and suffering
• Disability
• Disfigurement
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of society
Unlike economic damages, you cannot present the jury with a piece of paper that adequality conveys what you have been through. Instead, your attorney must tell a compelling story about what your life was like before the accident, what it will be like in the future, and how those two lives are different.
At Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, we believe that personal injury cases are about more than winning. Winning a case means proving that another person is liable for your injuries. However, true advocacy requires an attorney’s ability to tell your story effectively. We have the skills, knowledge and empathetic approach necessary to identify the full extent of your damages. This way, at the conclusion of your case, you can rest assured knowing that you will be fairly compensated for what you have been through.
At Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, recognize that you have many choices regarding personal injury lawyers. However, with more than three decades of experience representing injury victims, we also know that not all personal injury law firms are created equal.
Other firms may claim to put their clients first, but we live by this principle. As a testament to our commitment to each of our clients, we developed the Briskman Guarantee. The Briskman Guarantee is a six-part promise that embodies our guiding principles. We approach every case with a sense of empathy and compassion, always keeping true to the following:
1. You will receive a free consultation with an experienced attorney.
2. Because we do not use call screeners, when you call our office you will speak with an attorney.
3. You will never have to pay a fee unless we can help you obtain compensation for your injuries.
4. We will always treat you with courtesy and respect.
5. We will keep you advised of all significant developments in your case.
6. We will promptly return your calls and emails.
By implementing the Briskman Guarantee in each of our cases, we can develop strong relationships with each of our clients that extend well beyond the life of their case. .
I just wanted to thank you for taking my case so late in the game and for trying to get everything that was so messed up, back on track. I’ve been struggling, stressed out, and depressed while dealing with this insurance company but now I can sleep just a little better knowing you have my case because I know you care. From the bottom of my family’s and my heart we thank you and the BB&G team.
If you or a loved one was recently injured in an accident, it isn’t right for you to bear the brunt of the economic costs associated with your injuries. At Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, we can help. Our attorneys will meet with you to answer your questions, review the recovery process, and help you determine the best course of action. If you decide to bring us on your team, we will immediately prepare your claim.
Since 1987, the lawyers at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg have developed a reputation for being compassionate advocates who aggressively seek compensation on behalf of injury victims. We recognize the challenges that you and your family go through after an accident and cater our representation according to your unique needs. To learn more and schedule a free consultation with one of our Illinois personal injury lawyers, give us a call at 877-595-4878. You can also reach us through our online contact form.
