Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Chicago, IL

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Chicago, IL

They injured you. We get you maximum compensation.

The thrill of riding a motorcycle can be canceled out by the harm negligent drivers can do to you when they do not follow the rules of the road. If another driver injured you in Chicago, IL, call the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Chicago, or anywhere in Illinois, find out how much your claim may be worth by using our free personal injury calculator.

Motorcycles are an ideal way to enjoy the road and relax. There is a sense of freedom that a car just cannot emulate. Unfortunately, there is a potentially dangerous trade-off. Because of their relative lack of protection, the consequences of a motorcycle accident can be devastating. When that happens to you, there are immediate hardships and you need someone to stand by your side and ensure you are treated fairly. You want an attorney with a proven track record of winning motorcycle accident cases in Chicago, IL.

Our team has more than 70 years of combined litigation and trial experience. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will fight until we win your case and there is nothing left to fight. Always speak to a lawyer before accepting an insurance company’s offer. The insurance adjuster is out to limit your compensation. We know how to stand up to insurance companies and ensure that they treat our Chicago, IL clients fairly.

To find out more about how our personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, speak to an attorney at (314) 500-HURT to discuss your motorcycle accident case now.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Chicago, IL?

Despite the fact that motorcycles account for barely over half a percent of total vehicle miles traveled in the country, they accounted for four percent of all injuries and 14 percent of all fatalities in traffic-related accidents in 2020, according to data from the National Safety Council. In the United States, in 2020 82,000 people were injured and 5,579 died in motorcycle crashes. In Illinois, of 3,077 motorcycle wrecks, 2,404 caused injuries and 152 were deadly, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Regrettably, over half of those happened when a passenger car or truck collided with a motorcycle when the biker was driving in a straight line, which leads us to believe that the accidents were often due to another driver was not looking out for bikers. Crashes are most common in urban areas, especially major city streets.

According to data from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, Illinois is eighth in the nation in terms of both registered motorcycles and motorcycle crash fatalities.

Almost 50 percent of deadly motorcycle wrecks occur in the between June and September, and 50 percent occur on the weekends.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Chicago, IL

There are several things you should do, both in the immediate wake of an accident and throughout the process of recovering from your injuries and seeking compensation, to ensure both your health and the chances of a successful claim.

At the Accident Site

While any wreck is surprising and scary, try to stay as calm as possible. At the accident site, you should:

• Get to safety — If you are physically able, move out of the way of other vehicles coming down the street. Leave the bike. We know it is your baby, but trying to carry it could exacerbate your injuries. If you suspect you have a back or head injury, stay still and wait for EMTs to arrive.
• Keep your gear on — Removing your helmet or other gear could also exacerbate your injuries. Adrenaline may hide how significant an injury actually is.
• Call 911 — As motorcycle accidents can cause severe injuries, it may be a good idea to get medical attention at the scene instead of leaving and planning to seek medical attention at urgent care or a doctors’ appointment. Police know how to assign fault in an accident, and will make a police report.
• Gather evidence — Speak to the other driver and get their insurance information. Take pictures of all vehicles and the crash site from a variety of angles. Take more photos than you think you need. Something that may seem unimportant at first may be useful to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Chicago, IL when trying to prove your case in the future. See if there are eyewitnesses who can back up your side of the story.

Finally, if you did not opt to get medical treatment at the crash site, do so as quickly as possible.

What to Do in the Days, Weeks and Months Afterwards

After you first seek medical care, notify both your insurance company and the other driver’s. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Chicago, IL about your case. If your injuries are significant, you will likely need one to get full compensation. While communicating with your attorney, it is important to:

• Get the Full Medical Treatment You Need — This is not only vital for your health, but is also key to building your case. You need to prove that you sustained financial losses, and to do that you need to complete copies of medical medical records which show the extent of your injuries. The the higher your financial loss, the higher your ultimate compensation will be as well. Make sure you attend every follow up, chiropractic or physical therapy appointment your doctor orders for you.
• Keep Detailed Records — You are also entitled to compensation for lost wages from time your injuries caused you to miss out from work, and any out-of-pocket expenses that were necessary, such as transportation to and from medical appointments or hiring someone to help with household chores. Keep all of your receipts and explanations for why those charges were due to your injury. You can also write down your every day experiences detailing the non-tangible impact of your injuries and your pain and suffering.
• Do Not Talk to the Insurance Company — Once you have filed your claim and enlisted the services of a motorcycle accident lawyer, your attorney will will now be intermediary between you and the insurance. Insurance adjusters try to employ a lot of tricks to avoid paying claims, but your attorney will know how to deal with them.
• Resist Social Media — In this day and age, many of us want to share details about our life on social media. However, posting too much on social media can do damage to your case. If you tell the insurance company that your injuries are keeping you from working, and the insurance sees pictures of you going out on the weekends, they they can say your injuries are not actually that severe.

From the first time you speak with us, we will be in contact with you every step of the way until we attain a successful resolution. Allow us to handle the legal aspect of your case so you can spend your energy on on your physical and emotional recovery.

Do I Need a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Chicago, IL For My Claim?

For some minor claims, where there is no discrepancy about who is at fault and your medical bills only include an emergency room visit, a lawyer may not be able to add much value to your claim. Give the insurance company your records and expenses, and ask for a little more for inconvenience. In a a settlement for a relatively small sum of money where their policyholder is clearly liable, the insurance company is not going to want to waste their time.

However, more likely than not hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer will be the only way to get fair compensation in your injury claim. While in a perfect world insurance companies would fulfill their duty when someone is injured under their coverage, they usually have to be convinced to. You will almost certainly need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Chicago, IL if:

• Your injuries are severe — The higher your damages, the more the insurance company will fight back against your claim. If your injuries require ongoing treatment, you will always need an attorney to hold the insurance adjuster accountable for all of your damages.
• The insurance company is not being fair — If your damages are starting to creep up into the tens of thousands, and the insurance adjuster is only offering a few thousand, they are trying convince you that you do not know how what fair compensation means in your case. If there is a lawyer on the case, the insurance company will know that you are serious about getting the full compensation you deserve. Burger Law has added hundreds of thousands of dollars to claims, including turning a $3,900 offer into a $100,000 settlement.
• There is more than party at fault — With some cases, especially multi-vehicle accidents, there may be more than one person who was negligent. For example, a driver may cut your off because they did not see you, causing you to swerve and hit a pothole that a local government should have fixed. A knowledgeable Chicago, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to investigate the crash and assign a portion of the damages to each liable party. Finding other people who are liable is imperative if you are owed more compensation than the at-fault driver’s policy limits.
• You are being blamed for the accident — Trying to say your injuries are your own fault is a well-known tactic insurance adjusters use to minimize your claim. If the insurance company say your accident was your own fault, an attorney will fight back prove how the other party was negligent. If you were indeed partially to blame, you are not completely barred from compensation under Missouri’s comparative negligence rule. However, a lawyer is likely necessary to get you the most possible compensation.

Your Chicago, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to combat tricks insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for over 30 years. Our consultations are free, so call us at (314) 500-HURT to see if we can add value to your claim. We get to work from the moment you hire us, and do not give up until you get every bit of compensation you deserve.

Recent Burger Law Chicago, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

You need a lawyer who has shown they can get maximum compensation in your type of claim before. A motorcycle accident lawyer saying they are the best is one thing, but a lawyer whose past clients will recommend them and who has the results to prove it is another thing. Check out the following links to see some recent Burger Law motorcycle accident victories and testimonials:

• $495,000 Uninsured Motorcycle Accident Verdict
• $327,000 Motorcycle Accident Settlement
• $250,000 Policy Limits Settlement
• $100,000 Motorcycle Liability Claim
• Maximum Recovery Obtained for Motorcycle Accident

Do I Have a Motorcycle Accident Claim in Chicago, IL?

If you want to file any Chicago, IL injury claim, you must have sustained an injury that was caused by another person’s negligence. There are five elements to proving negligence in a personal injury claim:

1. Duty of care — Did the liable party have an obligation to keep you safe? 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1 stipulates that “every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care,” so anyone else on the road automatically owes you a duty of care.
2. Breach of duty — Were they neglectful in that duty and cause an accident? Was the other motorist speeding, texting and driving, drunk driving or otherwise breaking proper procedure behind the wheel?
3. Cause in fact — Did the accident cause your injuries?
4. Proximate cause — Whose negligence caused the accident? If the other driver’s brakes were malfunctioning, the liable party may be a manufacturer and not the driver?.
5. Damages — Did you sustain losses because of your injuries, such as lost wages and mental anguish? If your accident resulted in a few small cuts and bruising, but they healed without any medical treatment, you likely do not have a claim.

If you were injured because of another’s negligence, you have an injury claim. Speak to a motorcycle accident attorney now at (314) 500-HURT if you are unsure if you have a claim.

How Much is My Chicago, IL Motorcycle Accident Claim Worth?

Your compensation will be a combination of:

• Economic damages, such as money you lost out on from time off work recovering, medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses
• Non-economic damages, such as emotional distress, disfigurement and pain and suffering
• While not common, you might be able to be awarded punitive damages if you were injured by extreme recklessness, such as drunk driving

Factors that might make your recovery higher or lower include:

• The severity of your injuries; more significant injuries usually lead to higher economic and noneconomic damages
• Whether or not you were partially at fault for your injuries
• If you sustained permanent disfigurement or disability
• The impact the injuries have had on your ability to live the life you are used to

At Burger Law, we are experts at calculating the full value of someone’s injury claim and insisting the liable party takes responsibility for all of it. If your injuries require ongoing medical care, that will also be part of your settlement or verdict, including accounting for inflation.

How Long Do I Have to File a Motorcycle Accident Claim in Chicago, IL?

Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the time limit for motorcycle accident claims in Chicago, IL is two years. That means the clock starts ticking on the date the accident occurred to file a claim. There are some exceptions:

• If you or your loved one was a minor at the time of accident, they have until two years after their 18th birthday
• If you or a loved one was under a legal disability when the injuries occurred, they have until two years after the disability ended
• If the person responsible for your injuries leaves the state of Illinois for a time, that time does not account against the two years

While two years may seem like a long time, it takes time to properly build your case. Do not hesitate to reach out to a motorcycle accident lawyer after you were hurt in a motorcycle accident in Chicago, IL. Call us now at (314) 500-HURT.

What Are Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Chicago, IL?

Motorcycles are not as easy to spot on the road, being smaller. As a result of something known as “inattentional blindness,” it is harder for drivers to see a motorcycle — even when they are looking for one. This is because we train our brains to look for larger vehicles, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness contributes to many motorcycle accidents in Chicago, IL.

The most common causes of motorcycles accidents are:

• Left-hand turns — The Motorcycle Legal Foundation reports that over 40 percent of all motorcycle accidents that result in fatalities occur when a car turns left while and hits a motorcyclist in an intersection. These crashes can be due to a motorist’s drunkenness, reckless driving or generally not paying close enough attention to the road.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions also occur frequently between motorcycles and cars or trucks. A car may also not see a motorcyclist when merging or changing lanes. Motorcycles also have the highest rate of collisions with fixed objects, which may be due to a negligent construction company or governmental entity.
• Road hazards — Cracked pavement, potholes, dead animals, slick surfaces or other debris on our streets often do not have much of an impact on a car. However, motorcycles are less stable and these hazards can cause a motorcyclist to spin out.
• Malfunctioning components — Dozens of motorcycles are recalled every year, either by the manufacturer or by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. When dangerous bikes and components are not recalled, it can cause motorcycle crashes.

Who is Liable for My Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Chicago, IL?

Almost all motor vehicle accidents are due to driver error. So, most likely, you will make a claim against another driver. However, other parties that may be held accountable include:

• A governmental entity or contracting company for not repairing or negligent repairing a road
• A vehicle manufacturer for a defective product
• A company if their employee injured you while driving, such as in a commercial truck accident

Can I Sue For My Chicago, IL Motorcycle Accident if it Did Not Involve Another Vehicle?

Governmental bodies are supposed to keep their roadways safe for use by everyone on the roads, and when obstruction or other objects in the road cause an accident, the state can be held accountable for the motorcycle accident. However, suing a government entity in Illinois has added complications. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Chicago, IL can handle your claim and guide you through the complexities of local and state laws to get you the compensation you deserve.

A Loved One Was Killed in a Motorcycle Crash in Chicago, IL. What Are My Legal Options?

The dangers of motorcycles mean that bikers have a higher death rate than people in enclosed vehicles. If you were touched by tragedy and someone you love passed away in a motorcycle crash, you can make a wrongful death claim. While it is impossible to put a monetary value on your loved one’s life can bring a sense of justice and ease the financial burden that come with your loved one’s passing. 740 ILCS 180/, the Illinois Wrongful Death Act, details the laws surrounding wrongful death claims:

• You can make a wrongful death claim for negligence, just as your loved one would have made an injury claim if they were injured.
• The Illinois statute of limitations for wrongful death claims is two years from the date your loved one died, not the date of the accident.
• Three groups of people related to the deceased can file a wrongful death claim in Illinois. In order of priority, they are:
  1. Immediate family members, such as a spouse, children, grandchildren and grandparents
  2. If there are no immediate family members, siblings and nieces and nephews can file a claim
  3. If there are no family members, the court can appoint a plaintiff ad litem to file a claim
• The damages you can recover include:
  • Under 755 ILCS 5/27-6, the Illinois Survival Act, the personal injury damages incurred by the deceased before their death, for example their medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering
  • Funeral expenses
  • Loss of financial support from the deceased, including any benefits they got from their employment
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of instruction, education and moral training the deceased would have provided
  • Survivors’ grief, sorrow and mental suffering

Burger Law’s Chicago, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just tremendous at securing full compensation. We are understanding and kind and have helped many families get through the sorrow, anger and confusion that comes after a fatal auto accident.

In addition to motorcycle accidents, other injury cases we we have had great success with in Chicago, IL include:

• Personal injury
• Car accident
• Truck accident
• Motorcycle accident
• Wrongful death

Speak to a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Chicago, IL Today

Our Chicago, IL motorcycle accident lawyers will fight until you get the maximum compensation you are owed; we promise. You are owed a recovery for your motorcycle accident. You do not have to pay for someone else’s mistakes. To learn more about how our Chicago, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation.