Lawyer for Motorcycle Accident Normal, IL

Lawyer for Motorcycle Accident in Normal, IL. If a negligent driver injured you and turned you life upside down, count on the compassionate, seasoned and aggressive legal representation of Burger Law to stand by your side and secure you a full recovery. Our motorcycle accident lawyers fight for the injured in Normal and throughout Illinois. Call our office now at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form.

It is unarguable that motorcyclists are second-class citizens on the Normal, IL roads. Riding a motorcycle offers a sort of meditative connection between the mind and body and can provide a great sense of fellowship with other bikers. Unfortunately, it is not without its dangers: that can all come to a screeching halt when a careless driver fails to notice you. You did nothing to deserve the hospital bills and physical and mental pain that are haunting you right now. At Burger Law, our lawyer for motorcycle accident team loathes bullies who think they can disrespect motorcyclists' safety and dishonest insurance companies that try to wriggle out of their duty. That is why we work tirelessly litigating cases, standing up in trial and accepting nothing less than full compensation for those injured through no fault of their own. This wrong needs to be made right, and the Normal, IL motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law will see to it that it is. Call us now at (314) 500-HURT. You do not pay until you receive the compensation you deserve.

If you were injured because of someone else's negligence, see the value of your claim by using our free personal injury calculator.



How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Normal and Illinois?

Fourteen percent of motor vehicle fatalities and four percent of injuries were sustained by motorcyclists, despite only only .06 percent of vehicle traffic being motorcycles, according to data from the National Safety Council. In the entire country, in 2020 there were 82,500 motorcycle accident injuries and 5,579 fatalities. In Illinois, there were 3,077 motorcycle crashes which resulted in 2,404 injuries and 152 deaths, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Unfortunately, the majority of those happened when a passenger car or truck collided with a motorcycle when the biker was driving in a straight line, insinuating that the accidents were often because of a car or truck driver not respecting motorcyclists on the road. Most of the crashes occurred in densely populated 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.

The most common season for motorcycle crashes is summer, and half of all wrecks happen on the weekends.

What Can a Lawyer for Motorcycle Accident in Normal, IL Do for

A tenacious and knowledgeable motorcycle accident lawyer will be your rock when you need help the most. From the first time we meet to the day you receive your payment, we will:

• Investigate your accident and determine which parties are liable for your damages

  We have decades of experience investigating and litigating all categories of auto accidents, and know how to determine the causes of accidents. We will gather every type of evidence we can, including proof of your damages, pictures, eyewitness testimony and more. Then, we will rely on our experience and consult with accident recreation experts to determine who we need to make a claim against.

• Determine the value of your injuries

  Then, we will put a precise dollar amount on all of your medical expenses, lost wages and the way your injuries have emotionally and physically harmed you, and write the insurance company on your behalf informing them that we will settle for nothing less than the maximum compensation. How much you receive depends on a variety of factors. We have settled auto crash cases for anything from $20,000 to $5,000,000.

• Stand up to the insurance company

  An insurance adjuster's main interest is to minimize your injuries to the fullest extent they believe that are able to. Our Normal, IL motorcycle accident lawyers will immediately make them reverse track and put them on their heels. Insurance companies in Normal and throughout Illinois know they need to treat out clients fairly because they know that partial compensation is unacceptable to us. awards, honors and accolades that we are proud to have received are the Top 100 Trial Lawyers and being board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

When you hire Burger Law, we start working on your claim without delay and keep fighting until there is nothing left to fight. Speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Normal, IL today at (314) 500-HURT to take the first step on your journey to true recovery.

What Causes Motorcycle Accidents in Normal, IL?

Every accident is its own beast, but research paints a stark picture of common scenarios that lead to motorcyclists being injured on the road. Most motorcycle wrecks are the result of:

• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs causes 34 percent of fatal motorcycle crashes.
• Distracted driving, such as talking to someone in the backseat.
• Speeding causes 33 percent of motorcycle fatalities.
• Road hazards including ruts in the road or animals crossing are especially dangerous for motorcyclists.
• A left-hand turn by a vehicle while a motorcyclist was going straight causes 42 percent of motorcycle collisions.
• Failing to notice a motorcyclist is involved in in four-tenths of motorcycle crashes. Unfortunately, this can often be chalked up to the phenomenon of "inattentional blindness. The phenomenon states there is so much sensory information when driving that many people's brains do not recognize motorcycles because they are small and relatively uncommon. This may help us understand why three-fourths of collisions involving a motorcycle and another type of vehicle are head-on collisions.

Whatever caused your collision, once you hire us the Normal, IL lawyer for motorcycle accident team of Burger Law will immediately begin to carry out a thorough investigation and determine exactly whose negligence caused your injuries.

Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Normal, IL

As motorcyclists are are easily flung from their vehicles, injuries often require extensive medical treatment and can have lifelong consequences. While just 11.7 percent of people injured in car accidents sustained an A-injury — meaning an injury that include severe lacerations, broken limbs, skull or chest injuries and abdominal injuries — that number jumps up to over a third of motorcycle drivers, according to the 2020 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics. Some of the injuries we see most often in motorcycle wrecks include:

• Head injuries such as concussions
• Whiplash injures
• Back, neck and spine injuries
• Internal injuries
• Burns
• Broken bones
• Road rash
• Crush injuries
• Severe lacerations

Whatever the extent of your or your loved one's injuries, Burger Law's motorcycle accident lawyer team in Normal, IL is here to fight for you and make sure the insurance company cannot minimize the impact of your damages.

Normal, IL Lawyer for Motorcycle Accident: Frequently Asked Questions

Most of the people who come to us for legal counsel never been in an accident and naturally have questions about how a motorcycle accident claim works. Some of the most common questions we get are:

Does it Matter if I Was Not Wearing a Helmet?

The National Safety Council found that between 2002 and 2017, helmets were 37 percent effective at preventing fatal injuries. That is because head injuries account for 41.4 percent of fatal motorcycle injuries.

Driving safely saves lives, and that means wearing the right equipment when you are on a motorcycle. Still, according to the 2022 Illinois Motorcycle Operator Manual, it is not illegal to drive a motorcycle without a helmet in Illinois. That means that there is no basis for blaming you for being negligent under the law. There is no reason for your claim to be affected if you did not wear a helmet.

Will I Have to Go to Court to Get Compensation for My Motorcycle Injuries?

Most likely, no. According to research from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, only three percent of tort claims are resolved by a jury. Settlements are usually favorable to both parties, as long as you have a great lawyer on your side.

Can I Still Recover if I Was Injured by an Emergency Maneuver?

If you performed the maneuver because another driver broke the rules of the road, yes. Proving a personal injury claim means showing someone was negligent and that their negligence caused the accident that injured you. So if you had no choice but to try an emergency maneuver because a driver did not see you when turning left, you could still pursue a claim because your injuries are ultimately their fault.

How Much Does a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Cost?

We know that injuries are always unexpected, and few people save up just in case they will ever have to deal with being injured because somebody else broke the rules. That is why our Normal, IL motorcycle accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. That means we take a percentage of your final compensation as our fees. You pay nothing upfront. Beyond easier access to quality legal representation, there are two other advantages for you:

1. We will only agree to take on your case if we truly believe in its merits and that we can add significant value to it.
2. You will not receive any empty promises.

At Burger Law, our Normal, IL motorcycle crash lawyers believe that honesty and integrity are as important as any other quality in a law firm.

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Will I Just End Up Losing Out on Money if I Hire a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?

Insurance companies always try to say that a lawyer will only take money out of your pocket in the end. If your injury only required a quick trip to the emergency room it is true that we may not be able to add much value to your claim, with more severe injuries that affect your life in greater ways, you will almost certainly get get a higher payout if you hire a motorcycle accident lawyer.

According to the study "Attorney Involvement in Auto Injury Claims" from the Insurance Research Council, you are likely to get up to 350 percent more for an auto accident with an attorney, even after we take our percentage. The council also found that people who hire a motorcycle accident lawyer are more likely to get. Another survey concluded that over nine in 10 respondents with an attorney got compensation, compared to barely over half of people who did not seek legal representation.

Are There Any Third Parties Liable for My Injuries?

That depends on things such as road conditions, if the driver was operating a vehicle in relation to their job and motorcycle or car parts, but motorcycle accident lawyers often reveal other liable parties:

• You can make a product liability claim anyone involved in the chain of distribution in motor vehicles if a defective product such as faulty steering systems caused your injuries.
• A business can owe you compensation for your injuries if they were caused by bus accident, truck accident or rideshare accident.
• A local, state or federal government if a road hazard or poorly designed road contributed to your accident.
• A construction company if you were injured near a construction site if they were negligent in not exposing civilians to unreasonable risk harm.

Making a claim against a driver is much different than filing one against a government entity, so it is essential to hire a lawyer for motorcycle accident who knows Illinois statutes and who is not afraid to go after every liable party. For example, product liability cases become complicated when the manufacturer no longer exists.

Can I Still Recover Compensation for My Motorcycle Accident if I Am Partially Responsible?

With the help of an aggressive attorney, yes. It may be true that you were not faultless in an accident somebody else caused. Illinois is referred to as a "modified comparative fault" state. That means the compensation you receive may be reduced by the portion of blame you share. For example, if a jury determines your economic and noneconomic damages add up to $100,000 but that you are 20 percent to liable for your injuries, you would receive $80,000.

It is important to mention that under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, you are not eligible for compensation if you were more than half to blame.

What Compensation Can I Recover for My Normal, IL Motorcycle Accident?

The idea of "being made whole again" is meant to compensate you for more than just being in pain and recovery. There are also hospital cost, consequences for your ability to work, possibly disfigurement and mental anguish as well. Compensation in personal injury claims is divided into two categories: economic damages and noneconomic damages.

Economic damages compensate you for the economic impact of your injuries. That includes all medical treatments like prescriptions, physical rehabilitation, assistive devices and more. It also includes any wages you lost from not being able to perform the tasks of your job for a period while recovering. In the most awful situations, you may have future economic damages as well. For example, if you were a warehouse worker who can no longer lift over 20 pounds, or if you need assistive devices that will have to be replaced in the future. In those cases we work with our network of economic experts to determine what those costs will be in the future.

Economic damages also compensate you for other costs such as the cost of fixing your motorcycle.

Noneconomic damages are not as cut-and-dry, but essentially compensate you for physical, emotional and mental hardships your injuries have caused. This can be anything from the physical pain and suffering you have undergone to not being able to play with your kids like before. If you were the MVP in your local basketball league and now can no longer jump the same, Burger Law's Normal, IL motorcycle accident lawyers will demand that your recovery reflects that.

Our motorcycle crash and personal injury lawyers take on a variety types of cases, including:

• Accident Lawyer Illinois
• Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers Illinois
• Personal Injury Attorney Illinois

How to Stay Safe on a Motorcycle in Normal, IL

The fun and freedom that motorcycles offer can be offset by how dangerous they can be when appropriate safety measures are not taken. It is important to never underestimate how dangerous road hazards and other drivers are to you. You can keep you and others as safe as possible by:

• Taking a safety course — A safety course will instill in you how to use good judgment on a motorcycle. After a basic course, you can take a further course that teaches advanced turning and emergency braking techniques.
• Looking at the forecast — Inclement weather both results in slippery roads and reduces visibility for you and other drivers.
• Not forgetting about safety gear — If an accident is unavoidable, safety equipment such as helmets and gloves specifically designed for bikers work wonders in avoiding more severe injuries.
• Obeying traffic laws — While it may be tempting to test your limits, we all have an obligation to keep the roads safe. Avoid weaving in between cars, drive the speed limit and make sure your bike's seat, handlebars and headlight are all compliant with 625 ILCS 5/11.
• Staying visible — Illinois law requires motorcyclists to have their headlights on at all times. Having a bike and equipment with visibility stripes will ensure you can be seen at night.
• Riding defensively — Motorcyclists are hard for other drivers to see on the road, and beyond the dangers of road hazards, some motorists are even aggressive towards them. Pay attention at all times and do not assume others will see you.

Of course, you can still become injured through no fault of your own. That is when Burger Law steps in. Contact a motorcycle crash lawyer in Normal, IL now at (314) 500-HURT to get maximum compensation.

In our three decades years of experience, we have have secured our clients in Normal and throughout Illinois over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. We have seen up close the devastation reckless drivers can cause for motorcyclists who are just trying to enjoy a passion of theirs. This too shall pass. Burger Law's Normal, IL lawyer for motorcycle accident team will balance the scales of justice and deliver a full financial recovery. It is not for nothing that we are the most- and highest-rated personal injury law firm in the Midwest: we always get great results for our clients. Contact a veteran motorcycle accident lawyer in Normal, IL immediately at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation.