Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Cook County, IL

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Cook County, IL

The exhilaration you feel when riding a motorcycle can be made moot by the harm reckless drivers can do to you when they do not respect your safety. If another driver injured you in Cook County, IL, call the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case review.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Cook 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. You get a feeling of the open road that you do not get in an enclosed vehicle. Regrettably, this freedom also comes with a high price. Because of their relative lack of protection, motorcycle accidents can cause serious injuries. When that happens to you, it carries financial, physical and emotional consequences and you need someone to fight for you. You need to find a law firm that has demonstrated that they can full compensation in motorcycle collision claims in Cook County, IL.

Burger Law has over 30 years of experience getting full financial recoveries for our clients. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will tenaciously pursue your claim to ensure you get the medical care and financial recovery that you are owed and that you deserve. Always speak to a lawyer before agreeing to a settlement. The insurance adjuster wants to devalue your compensation. 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 Cook County, IL clients.

To learn more about what we can do for you, call a lawyer at (779) 800-HURT to go over your motorcycle accident claim today.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Cook County, IL?

Despite the fact that motorcycles make up less than one percent of all vehicle miles traveled in the United States, they made up 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 there were 82,500 motorcycle accident injuries and 5,579 deaths. In Illinois, of 3,077 motorcycle crashes, 2,404 caused injuries and 152 were fatal, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Regrettably, over 50 percent of those crashes came 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 metropolitan 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 between Friday night and Monday morning.

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

There are several steps you should take, both at the accident site and throughout the length of your claim process, to ensure you make both a physical and financial recovery.

Immediately After The Accident

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

• Get to safety — If possible, move out of the way of other vehicles coming down the street. Leave the bike. We know it is your baby, but staying with the bike or trying to move it could make your injuries worse. If you believe your injuries may be catastrophic, it may be best not to move; instead wait for emergency personnel.
• Do not remove your safety gear — Taking off your helmet, gloves, boots, jacket and other gear could also make serious injuries even worse. Adrenaline may hide how severe an injury actually is.
• Call 911 — As the injuries caused in a motorcycle wreck can be catastrophic, it may be best to get medical attention at the scene instead of trying to seek medical attention at urgent care or a doctors’ appointment. Police know how to determine fault in an accident, and will make a police report.
• Gather evidence — Talk to any other drivers involved and get their insurance information. Take pictures of all vehicles and the crash site from different positions. Take more photos than you think you need. Something that may seem like it does not matter at first may help a motorcycle accident lawyer in Cook County, IL prove your case when you make your claim. See if there are eyewitnesses who can back up your side of the story.

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

What to Do in the Ensuing Weeks and Months

Once you have gotten medical treatment, notify the insurance company of everybody involved. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Cook 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:

• Keep Going to Your Medical Appointments — This is not only vital for your health, but aids your financial recovery as well. You need to prove how much that accident hurt you, and to do that you need to be able to point to medical records which detail all of the treatments and related expenses you incurred because of your injuries. The more medical expenses you have, the higher your ultimate compensation will be as well. Go to every every treatment and use all of the equipment and medication your doctor prescribes.
• Keep Detailed Records — You are also owed reimbursement for lost wages from time spent recovering, and any out-of-pocket expenses due to your injuries, such as transportation to and from medical appointments or hiring someone to help with household chores. Manage a file with all of your receipts and notes about why those charges were necessary. You can also write down your every day experiences showing how your injuries have affected you physically and emotionally for a record of your pain and suffering.
• Do Not Talk to the Insurance Company — Once you have filed your claim and hired a motorcycle accident lawyer, let your attorney handle documentation and negotiation. Insurance adjusters utilize a lot of ploys to devalue claims, and it is better to leave communication up to an attorney who knows how to hold the adjuster accountable.
• Do Not Post on Social Media — In this day and age, many of us want to share details about our life with others. However, posting too much on social media can do damage to your case. If you say your injuries are debilitating, and the insurance sees pictures of you at your friend’s barbecue, they they can say your injuries are not actually that severe.

From your initial consultation, we will keep you updated throughout your claim until we attain the great results you deserve. Let us deal with the investigation, documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can focus on your physical and emotional recovery.

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

For minor and clear-cut accidents, where the liable party is taking accountability and your medical expenses only include an urgent care visit, you may not need an attorney to get fair compensation. Supply the insurance company with your records and expenses, and see if they will throw some extra money on top 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 you will need a motorcycle accident attorney for your injury claim. While in a a truly fair society insurance companies would fulfill their duty when someone is injured by their policyholders’ negligence, it usually takes a fair amount of fighting to get them to be fair. You will probably need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Cook County, IL if:

• Your injuries require ongoing treatment — The more your medical expenses and time spent off work, the more the insurance company will fight back against your claim. If your injuries require ongoing treatment, you will absolutely need an attorney to convince the insurance company to pay for future damages as well.
• 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 company’s offer is no where close to that, they are trying to take advantage of you. If there is a lawyer working on your claim, the insurance company will know that you will not back down without a fight. In a recent case, Burger Law was able to turn a $3,900 offer into a $100,000 settlement.
• There is more than liable party — With some injuries, especially wrecks involving more than one vehicle, there may be more than one person who was negligent. For example, a driver may merge into your line because they did not see you, causing you to swerve and hit an improperly cordoned-off construction site. A talented Cook County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will conduct a full investigation into the wreck and assign a portion of the damages to each liable party. Finding other people who are liable is crucial if you are owed more compensation than the at-fault driver’s policy limits.
• You are being blamed for the accident — Blaming you for your injuries is a classic trick 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 partially at fault, you can still make a recovery under Missouri’s comparative negligence doctrine. However, you will need an attorney to apply the rule of law and get you that compensation.

Your Cook County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to combat tricks insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for more than three decades. Our consultations are free, so call us at (779) 800-HURT to see what we can do for your claim. We start working from the moment you hire us, and do not let up until you get all of compensation you are owed.

Recent Burger Law Cook County, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

With any type of legal claim, results matter. You want to feel confident 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 are the best is one thing, but a lawyer with client testimonials and 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 Cook County, IL?

If you want to have a valid claim in Cook County, IL, you must have been injured 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 have an obligation to keep you safe? 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1 mandates that “every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care,” so other drivers always owe you a duty of care.
2. Breach of duty — Did they fail in that duty and cause an accident? Was the other driver speeding, texting and driving, drunk driving or otherwise not following proper procedure behind the wheel?
3. Cause in fact — Did the accident cause your injuries?
4. Proximate cause — Did the person’s breach of duty cause the accident? If the other driver’s brakes were not working, 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 emotional distress? If your accident resulted in a few bruises or scrapes, but you did not need any medical treatment, you likely do not have a claim.

Any time somebody else’s carelessness or recklessness injures you, you have an injury claim. Consult with a motorcycle accident attorney today at (779) 800-HURT if you have any doubts about the validity of your claim.

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

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

• Economic damages, such as lost wages, 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 you were injured by extreme recklessness, such as drunk driving

Factors that might make your compensation higher or lower 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 live the life you are used to

At Burger Law, we are experts at calculating the full value of someone’s injury claim and demanding the insurance company pay all of it. If your injuries lead to future economic damages like lost earning capacity or future surgeries, that will also be part of your settlement or verdict, including adjusting for inflation.

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

Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the time limit for motorcycle accident claims in Cook County, IL is two years. That means you only have two years from the date you were injured to file a lawsuit in court. There are some exceptions:

• If you or your loved one was a minor 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 liable party leaves the state of Illinois for a time, that period does not account against the two years

While two years may seem like a long time, investigating and developing a legal strategy for your claim takes time. Do not hesitate to contact a motorcycle accident lawyer after you have been injured in Cook County, IL. Call us immediately at (779) 800-HURT.

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

Motorcycles are harder for passenger car drivers to see, being smaller. Because of a phenomenon referred to as “inattentional blindness,” it is harder for drivers to see a motorcycle — even if they are doing their due diligence. This is because we train our brains to look for larger vehicles, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness contributes to many motorcycle accidents in Cook County, 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 deaths involve a car turning left while and hits a motorcyclist in an intersection. These crashes can be the result of a motorist’s intoxication, speeding or generally not paying close enough attention to the road.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions are also common between motorcycles and other types of vehicles. 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 is not always the motorcyclist’s fault.
• Road hazards — Uneven pavement, potholes, animal carcasses, wet or icy roadways or other roadways debris 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.
• Malfunctioning components — Manufacturers and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall dozens of motorcycles annually. If bikes or parts that are defective are allowed to stay on the market, it can result in motorcycle crashes.

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

Almost all motor vehicle accidents are due to human 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 road hazards
• A vehicle manufacturer for a defective product
• A company if someone they hired injured you while driving, for example in a commercial truck accident

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

Governmental entities are supposed to keep their roadways safe for use by everyone on the roads, and when there are road hazards that cause an accident, the state can be held responsible for the motorcycle accident. However, the state of Illinois does not make it easy to hold them accountable. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Cook County, IL can handle your claim and guide you through the complexities of local and state laws to get you a full financial recovery.

A Loved One Was Killed in a Motorcycle Crash in Cook 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 you were touched by tragedy and a loved one 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 some of the difficulties associated with their 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 your loved one died, not the date of the accident.
• There are three categories of people who can file a wrongful death claim in Illinois. Beginning with who has the first chance to file, they are:
  1. Members of the nuclear family, such as a spouse, children, grandchildren and grandparents
  2. When there are no immediate family members, siblings and siblings’ descendants can file a claim
  3. If no family remains, a judge 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 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, guidance and moral training the deceased would have provided
  • Survivors’ grief, sorrow and mental suffering

Burger Law’s Cook County, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just experts at getting our clients full recoveries. We are compassionate and have helped many families get through the sorrow, anger and confusion that accompanies a fatal auto accident.

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

• Survival Action Lawyer in Illinois
• 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 Cook County, IL Today

Our Cook 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 Cook County, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (779) 800-HURT or fill out our online form for a free consultation.