Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Adams County, IL

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Adams County, IL

The thrill of riding a motorcycle can be made moot by the injuries careless drivers cause when they do not respect your safety. If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Adams County, IL, call the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law now at (779) 800-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Adams County, 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 get your blood racing. There is a sense of freedom that you do not get in an enclosed vehicle. Unfortunately, there is a potentially dangerous trade-off. Because of their relative lack of protection, motorcycle accidents can cause serious injuries. When you are injured, it carries economic, physical and emotional consequences and you need someone to fight for you. You want an attorney with a proven track record of winning motorcycle crash lawsuits in Adams County, IL.

Our team has more than 70 years of combined litigation and trial experience. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will fight until you recover all of your damages and there is nothing left to fight. Do not talk to your insurance or the other side’s insurance without speaking to an attorney first. The insurance adjuster wants to limit your financial settlement. Our firm has a proven track record of successfully fighting the insurance companies and making sure that they give 100 percent of what they owe our Adams County, IL clients.

To discover more about how our personal injury law firm will defend your rights, speak to our team at (779) 800-HURT to go over your motorcycle accident case for free.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Adams County, IL?

Fourteen percent of motor vehicle deaths and four percent of injuries were sustained by motorcyclists, despite only barely over half a percent of vehicle traffic being motorcycles, according to the National Safety Council. In the entire country, in 2020 82,000 people were injured and 5,579 passed away in motorcycle crashes. In Illinois, of 3,077 motorcycle wrecks, 2,404 caused injuries and 152 were fatal, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Sadly, the majority 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. Most of the crashes occurred in densely populated areas, especially on arterial roads.

According to data from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, Illinois is eighth in the country with 280,322 registered motorcycles, and fittingly was eighth in the country in deaths in 2017.

Nearly 50 percent of deadly motorcycle accidents occur in the summer months, and half occur on the weekends.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Adams County, IL

There are several things you should do, both immediately following the accident and in the days and weeks that follow, to ensure you make both a physical and financial recovery.

At the Accident Site

While any crash is jarring, it is important to keep a clear head. Immediately after the crash, you should:

• Get to safety — If you can, move out of the way of oncoming traffic. Leave the bike. We know it is your baby, but staying with the bike or trying to move it could put you at risk of further harm. If you suspect you have a spine or head injury, stay still and wait for EMTs to arrive.
• Do not remove your safety gear — Taking off your helmet or other gear could also exacerbate your injuries. Because of adrenaline, a serious injury may not always hurt as much at first.
• Call 911 — Because the injuries caused in a motorcycle wreck can be catastrophic, it may be a good idea to get medical attention there instead of leaving and planning to go to an emergency room yourself. Police are trained 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 photographs of all vehicles and the crash site from a variety of angles. Take more photos than you think you need. Something you do not think matters much may help a motorcycle accident lawyer in Adams County, IL prove who is responsible for your injuries in the future. Get the contact info of any eyewitnesses to the accident.

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

What to Do Throughout the Claim Process

Once you have gotten medical treatment, notify the insurance company of everybody involved. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Adams County, 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 aids your financial recovery as well. In order to prove your damages, you need to be able to point to medical records which show all of the treatments and related expenses you incurred because of your injuries. The more medical expenses you have, the higher your pain and suffering compensation will be as well. Go to every every treatment and use all of the equipment and medication your doctor wants you to.
• Keep Detailed Records — You are also owed reimbursement for lost wages from time your injuries caused you to miss out from work, and any out-of-pocket expenses due to your injuries, such as transportation to and from medical appointments or hiring someone to help with housework. Manage a file with detailed receipts and explanations for why those charges were due to your injury. It may also be a good idea to keep a daily journal detailing the non-tangible impact of your injuries and your pain and suffering.
• Leave the Insurance Company up to Your Attorney — Once you have informed the insurance company about your accident and enlisted the services of a motorcycle accident lawyer, let your attorney handle documentation and negotiation. Insurance adjusters utilize a lot of tactics to minimize claims, but your attorney will know how to combat them.
• Stay off Social Media — It is normal to want to share what is going on with your life with others. However, posting too much on social media can hurt your chances of being fully compensated. If you say your injuries are debilitating, and the insurance sees pictures of you going out on the weekends, they will use it to attempt to deny your claim.

From your initial consultation, we will keep you updated throughout your claim until we reach a successful resolution. Let us deal with the investigation, documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can spend your energy on on your medical treatment.

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

For some minor claims, where fault is clearly established and your medical expenses are no more than a visit with your primary care physician, you may be able to get compensation on your own. Give the insurance company your records and expenses, and see if they will throw some extra money on top for inconvenience. In a smaller settlement where their policyholder is clearly liable, the insurance company is not going to want to waste their time.

However, in the vast majority of cases, 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 obligations when someone is injured by their policyholders’ negligence, it usually takes a fair amount of fighting to get them to be fair. Situations where you will need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Adams County, IL include:

• Your injuries are severe — The more your medical expenses and time spent off work, the more the insurance company will fight back against your claim. If your injuries result in permanent disability, you will absolutely need an attorney to hold the insurance adjuster accountable for all of your damages.
• The insurance company’s offer is not close your damages — 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 much you are owed. By hiring a lawyer, the insurance company will know that you mean business. 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 injuries, especially multi-vehicle accidents, there may be more than one liable party. For example, a driver may cut your off while not looking for you, causing you to take defensive action and hit a road hazard that a local government should have fixed. An experienced Adams County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will conduct a full investigation into the wreck and assign a portion of the damages to each liable party. Identifying everyone who is liable is imperative if you are owed more compensation than the at-fault driver’s policy limits.
• The insurance adjuster is trying to blame you for the accident — Blaming you for your injuries is a classic tactic insurance adjusters use to devalue your claim. If the insurance company say your injuries are your own doing, an attorney can step in and prove how the other party was negligent. If it is true that you were partially at fault, 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 Adams County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to fight back against tactics insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for over 30 years. Our consultations are free, so call us at (779) 800-HURT to see if we can add value to your claim. We get to work from the second you hire us, and fight until there is nothing left to fight.

Recent Burger Law Adams County, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

With any type of legal claim, results matter. You want to know that you are giving your case to the best possible lawyer, and that they are going to fight hard to make sure you get 100 percent of the recovery and compensation you deserve. A motorcycle accident lawyer saying they know how to get full compensation is one thing, but a lawyer whose past clients will recommend them and who has the results to prove it is another thing. Here are several of our most recent victories as well as client 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 Adams County, IL?

In order to have a successful claim in Adams County, IL, you must have sustained an injury that was caused by someone else’s negligence. There are five elements to proving negligence in a personal injury claim:

1. Duty of care — Did the other person owe you an obligation to protect you from unreasonable harm? 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1 mandates that “every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care,” so anyone else on the road automatically owes you that duty.
2. Breach of duty — Were they neglectful in that duty and cause an accident? Was another motorist speeding, texting and driving, drunk driving or otherwise breaking the rules of the road?
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 person who needs to be held accountable for your injuries may be a manufacturer and not the driver?.
5. Damages — Did you sustain losses because of your injuries, such as medical bills and pain and suffering? If your accident resulted in some bruises or scrapes, but it was not serious enough to seek medical treatment, you likely do not have a claim.

Any time somebody else’s carelessness or recklessness injures you, you can to file an injury claim. Speak to a motorcycle accident attorney today at (779) 800-HURT if you are unsure if you have a claim.

How Much is My Adams County, IL Motorcycle Accident Claim Worth?

In any personal injury claim, you are owed compensation for:

• 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
• In some rare cases, you can receive punitive damages if the liable party’s behavior was especially egregious, such as if they were drunk driving

Factors that determine how much you will recover include:

• The severity of your injuries; more significant injuries typically lead to higher medical bills and more pain and suffering
• Whether or not you were partially at fault for your injuries
• If the accident led to 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 know how to calculate the full value of someone’s injury claim and demanding the insurance company pay all of it. If your injuries require ongoing medical care, that will also be part of your settlement or verdict, including calculating for inflation.

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

According to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the time limit for motorcycle accident claims in Adams County, IL is two years. That means you only have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim. Illinois has three exceptions:

• If you or your loved one was under the age of 18 when the injuries occurred, they have until their 20th birthday
• If you or a loved one was under a legal disability at the time of accident, they have until two years after the disability ended
• If the person responsible for your injuries is outside of the state of Illinois for a time, that time does not account against the two years

While two years does not sound like it should give you a sense of urgency, investigating and developing a legal strategy for your claim takes time. Do not wait to call a motorcycle accident lawyer after you have been injured in Adams County, IL. Call us now at (779) 800-HURT.

What Are Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Adams County, IL?

Motorcycles are harder for passenger car drivers to see, as they take up less space. Because of something referred to as “inattentional blindness,” drivers are less likely to see a motorcycle — even if they are doing their best to be careful. This is because most drivers have programmed their brains to be aware of larger vehicles, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness is a leading cause of motorcycle accidents in Adams County, IL.

The most common causes of motorcycles accidents are:

• Left-hand turns — According to the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, over 40 percent of all motorcycle accidents that result in deaths involve a car turning left while and hits a motorcyclist in an intersection. These crashes can be due to a car driver’s intoxication, reckless driving or distracted driving.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions also occur frequently between motorcycles and cars or trucks. It is also common for a car to fail to see a motorcyclist when turning in front of them. Motorcycles also collide with fixed objects more than any other type of motorist, which is not always the motorcyclist’s fault.
• Road hazards — Uneven pavement, potholes, dead animals, slick surfaces or other roadways debris usually do not affect a vehicle with more than two wheels very much. However, motorcycles do not have the same level of stability and these hazards can cause a motorcyclist to lose control.
• Malfunctioning components — Dozens of motorcycles are recalled every year, either by the manufacturer or by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If bikes or parts that are defective are allowed to stay on the market, it can lead to motorcycle crashes.

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

Almost all auto accidents are caused by human error. So, most likely, you will make a claim against another driver. However, depending on the specifics of your case, you may also be able to make a claim against:

• A governmental entity or contracting company for road hazards
• A motorcycle manufacturer in a product liability claim
• A employer if someone they hired injured you while driving, such as in a commercial truck accident

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

Governmental bodies are supposed to keep their roadways safe for citizens to travel on, and when there are road hazards that cause an accident, the municipality may have to compensate you for your injuries. However, the state of Illinois does not make it easy to hold them accountable. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Adams County, IL can take on your claim and take the fight to city hall to get you the compensation you deserve.

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

The dangers of motorcycles mean that bikers have a higher death rate than people in passenger cars. If tragedy struck and a family member passed away in a motorcycle crash, you can make a recovery through a wrongful death claim. While no settlement or verdict can fill the whole that is left, it can bring a sense of justice and ease the financial hardships that come with your loved one’s passing. 740 ILCS 180/, the Illinois Wrongful Death Act, details the laws surrounding wrongful death claims:

• A wrongful death claim can be made when some dies because of another’s negligence or wrongdoing.
• The Illinois statute of limitations for wrongful death claims is two years from the date of your loved one’s death, not the date of the accident.
• Three groups of people related to the deceased can file a wrongful death claim in Illinois. Beginning with who has priority, they are:
  1. Members of the nuclear family, such as a spouse, children, grandchildren and grandparents
  2. If there are no immediate family members, siblings and siblings’ descendants can file a claim
  3. If there are no family members, a judge can designate a plaintiff ad litem to bring a suit
• The damages you can recover include:
  • Under 755 ILCS 5/27-6, the Illinois Survival Act, the economic and noneconomic damages your loved one incurred from their injuries before their death
  • Funeral expenses
  • Loss of financial support from the deceased, including any work-related benefits
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of instruction, guidance and moral training the deceased would have provided
  • Survivors’ grief, sorrow and mental suffering

Burger Law’s Adams County, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just skilled at getting our clients full recoveries. We are empathetic and have helped many families navigate the sorrow, anger and confusion that comes after a fatal auto accident.

In addition to motorcycle accidents, other injury claims we we have had great success with in Adams County, IL include:

• Truck Crash Lawyers in Illinois
• Wrongful Death Lawyers in Illinois
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Illinois
• Car Accident Attorney in Illinois

Speak to a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Adams County, IL Today

Our Adams County, IL motorcycle accident lawyers will not stop fighting until there is nothing left to fight; that is our guarantee. 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 Adams County, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.