Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Champaign County, IL

The sense of freedom a motorcycle comes with can be ripped away from you by the injuries negligent drivers cause when they do not pay attention to your safety. If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Champaign County, IL, speak to the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law immediately at (312) 500-HURT or complete our online form for a complimentary case evaluation.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Champaign 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 enjoy the road and relax. You are connected to the road and your motorcycle in a way that a car just cannot emulate. Regrettably, there is a potentially dangerous trade-off. Because of their relative lack of protection, motorcycle accidents can cause serious injuries. When that happens to you, there are economic, physical and mental consequences and you need someone to stand by your side and ensure you are treated fairly. You need to find a law firm that has demonstrated that they can full compensation in motorcycle crash lawsuits in Champaign County, IL.

Our team has more than 70 years of combined experience winning cases in negotiations and in the court room. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will fight until we win your case 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 is out to minimize your recovery. We know how to fight insurance companies and ensure that they treat our Champaign County, IL clients fairly.

To discover more about how our personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, speak to an attorney at (312) 500-HURT to go over your motorcycle accident case for free.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Champaign County, IL?

Fourteen percent of traffic fatalities and four percent of injuries were sustained by motorcyclists, despite only less than one 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 deaths. In Illinois, there were 3,077 motorcycle crashes which resulted in 2,404 injuries and 152 fatalities, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Sadly, the majority of those occurred when the motorcycle was going straight ahead, which leads us to believe that the accidents were often caused by another driver was not looking out for bikers. Wrecks happen most frequently in urban areas, especially around tolls.

According to data from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, Illinois is eighth in the country with over 280,000 registered motorcycles, and proportionately was eighth in the country in fatalities in 2017.

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

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

There are a number steps you should take, both at the accident site and in the days and weeks that follow, to make sure your recover from your injuries both physically and financially.

Immediately After The Accident

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

• Get out of harm’s way — If possible, move out of the way of oncoming traffic. Leave your motorcycle behind. We know it is a treasure for you, but staying with the bike or trying to move it could make your injuries worse. If you are seriously injured, stay still and wait for EMTs to arrive.
• Do not take off your safety gear — Taking off your helmet or other gear could also make serious injuries even worse. Because of adrenaline, a serious injury may not always hurt as much at first.
• Call 911 — As motorcycle accidents can cause severe injuries, it is probably best to get medical attention at the scene instead of trying to go to an emergency room yourself. Police know how to determine fault in an accident, and will make a police report.
• Gather evidence — Speak to the other driver and ask for an insurance card. Take pictures of the accident, including damage to all vehicles involved and the surrounding areas. Take more photos than you think you need. Something that may seem unimportant at first may help a motorcycle accident lawyer in Champaign County, IL prove someone else’s negligence down the road. Get the contact info of any eyewitnesses to the accident.

Lastly, receive medical attention if you did not already do so.

What to Do in the Ensuing Weeks and Months

Once you have gotten medical treatment, inform both your insurance company and the other driver’s. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Champaign 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:

• Continue Medical Treatment — This is obviously the best thing 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 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 also deserve reimbursement for lost wages from time spent recovering, and any out-of-pocket expenses you incur, such as parking or gas money for going to medical appointments or hiring someone to help with chores around the house. Manage a file with all of your receipts and explanations for why you needed to pay those expenses. You can also write down your every day experiences 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, your attorney will will now be intermediary between you and the insurance. Insurance adjusters try to employ a lot of ploys to devalue claims, and it is better to leave communication up to a lawyer who knows how to deal with them.
• Resist Social Media — It is normal to want to share what is going on with your life with others. However, even a well-meaning post can hurt your chances of being fully compensated. If you say your injuries are debilitating, and the insurance finds out you have been at a bar, they will use it to attempt to devalue your claim.

From the moment you hire us, we will be in contact with you every step of the way until you get the full financial recovery you are owed. Let us handle the investigation, documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can spend your energy on on healing.

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

For some minor claims, where the liable party is obvious and your medical bills are no more than an emergency room visit, you may not need an attorney to get fair compensation. Give the insurance company proof of your financial losses, and see if they will throw some extra money on top for the trouble. 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, in the vast majority of cases, you will need the assistance of a motorcycle accident attorney for your injury claim. While in a a truly fair society insurance companies would fulfill their responsibility when someone is injured under their coverage, they usually have to be convinced to. Situations where you will need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Champaign County, IL include:

• Your injuries require ongoing treatment — The higher your damages, the more the insurance company will try to avoid their responsibility. If your injuries require future medical treatment or prevent you from earning a living as you used to, you will absolutely need an attorney to hold the insurance adjuster accountable for all of your damages.
• Your damages and the insurance company’s offer are way too far apart — If your damages are in the tens or hundreds of thousands, and the insurance company’s offer is no where close to that, they are trying convince you that you do not know how what fair compensation means in your case. If you enlist the services of a lawyer, 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 accidents, especially wrecks involving more than one vehicle, 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 take defensive action and hit a road hazard that a governmental agency should have fixed. A knowledgeable Champaign County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to investigate the wreck and assign a portion of the damages to each liable party. Finding other people who are liable is essential if your damages exceed 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 well-known move insurance adjusters use to devalue your claim. If the insurance company say your injuries are your own doing, an attorney use their investigate skills and network of experts to prove how the other party was negligent. If it is true that you were responsible for a portion of the accident, you can still receive some compensation under Missouri’s comparative negligence doctrine. However, a lawyer is likely necessary to get you the most possible compensation.

Your Champaign County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to fight back against dishonest ploys insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for over three decades. We offer an initial conversation and investigation for free, so speak to an attorney today at (312) 500-HURT to see what we can do for your claim. We start working from the second you hire us, and fight until there is nothing left to fight.

Recent Burger Law Champaign County, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

With any type of legal claim, results matter. You want to feel confident that you are putting your case in the hands of 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. Any motorcycle accident lawyer can say they are the best, but a lawyer whose former 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 Champaign County, IL?

In order to have a valid claim in Champaign 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 liable party owe you an obligation to keep you safe? 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1 says that “every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care,” so other drivers always owe 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 the rules of the road?
3. Cause in fact — Were your injuries the direct result of the accident?
4. Proximate cause — Did the person’s negligence cause the accident? If the other driver’s brakes were malfunctioning, the person who needs to compensate you may be a manufacturer and not another motorist?.
5. Damages — Did you sustain losses because of your injuries, such as medical bills and emotional distress? If your accident caused a few bruises or scrapes, but it was not serious enough to seek medical treatment, it would be hard for you to make a claim.

If you were injured through another’s negligence, you have an injury claim. Speak to a motorcycle accident attorney today at (312) 500-HURT if you have any doubts about the validity of your claim.

How Much is My Champaign County, 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 mental anguish, disfigurement and pain and suffering
• In some rare cases, you can be awarded 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 economic and noneconomic damages
• Whether or not you contributed to the accident
• If the accident led to permanent disfigurement or disability
• The impact the injuries have had on your ability to enjoy life

At Burger Law, we know how to calculate every dime you are owed and demand that the liable party takes responsibility for all of it. If your injuries require ongoing medical care, we will ensure you also get money to pay for that, including adjusting for inflation.

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

According to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations for motorcycle accident claims in Champaign County, IL is two years. That means the clock starts ticking on the date you were injured to file a lawsuit in court. Illinois has three 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 at the time of accident, they have until two years after the disability ended
• If the liable party is outside of the state of Illinois for a time, that time is not included in the two years

While two years does not sound like it should give you a sense of urgency, it takes time to properly build your case. Do not wait to reach out to a motorcycle accident lawyer after you were hurt in a motorcycle accident in Champaign County, IL. Call us immediately at (312) 500-HURT.

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

Motorcycles are harder for passenger car drivers to see, being smaller. As a result of something referred to as “inattentional blindness,” drivers are less likely to see a motorcycle — even when they are looking for one. This is because we train our brains to be aware of larger vehicles, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness is a leading cause of motorcycle accidents in Champaign County, IL.

Most motorcycle accidents occur because of:

• Left-hand turns — The Motorcycle Legal Foundation reports that over 40 percent of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve a car turning left while the motorcycle was going straight. These crashes can be the result of a motorist’s drunkenness, speeding or simple inattention.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions are also common between motorcycles and passenger cars. A car may also 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 — Cracked pavement, potholes, animal carcasses, gravel or other debris on our streets often do not have much of an impact on a car. However, motorcycles do not have the same level of stability and these hazards can cause a motorcyclist to spin out.
• Defective 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 Champaign County, IL?

More than nine out of 10 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 not repairing or negligent repairing a road
• A vehicle designer, manufacturer or vendor in a product liability claim
• A employer if someone they hired injured you while driving, for example in a commercial truck accident

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

Governmental agencies are supposed to keep their roadways safe for citizens to travel on, and when obstruction or other objects in the road cause an accident, the municipality may have to compensate you for your injuries. However, the state of Illinois does not make it easy to sue them. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Champaign County, IL can handle 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 Champaign County, IL. What Are My Legal Options?

The dangers of motorcycles mean that bikers have a higher death rate than people in enclosed vehicles. If your worst nightmare came true and someone you love 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 help provide some sense closure 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 that they were first injured.
• 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, the court can appoint a plaintiff ad litem to file a claim
• Your compensation will include:
  • Under 755 ILCS 5/27-6, the Illinois Survival Act, the economic and noneconomic damages the deceased incurred from their injuries before passing
  • Funeral expenses
  • Loss of financial support from the deceased, including any benefits they got from their employment
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of instruction, guidance and moral training the deceased would have provided
  • Survivors’ grief, sorrow and mental suffering

Burger Law’s Champaign County, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just skilled at securing full compensation. We are understanding and kind 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 cases we take on and win in Champaign County, IL include:

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

HIRE BURGER LAW

Speak to a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Champaign County, IL Today

Our Champaign County, IL motorcycle accident lawyers will fight until you get the maximum compensation you are owed; that is our guarantee. You deserve to be financially compensated for your motorcycle accident. You do not have to pay for someone else’s mistakes. To learn more about how our Champaign County, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation.