Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in DuPage County, IL

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in DuPage County, IL

The sense of freedom a motorcycle comes with can be ripped away from you by the injuries careless drivers cause when they do not follow the rules of the road. If another driver injured you in DuPage County, IL, speak to the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a no-risk, no-obligation consultation.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in DuPage 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. Unfortunately, negligent drivers can turn that feeling into catastrophic injuries. Because of their relative lack of protection, the consequences of a motorcycle accident can be devastating. When that happens to you, it carries immediate hardships and you need someone to fight for you. You need to find an attorney with a proven track record of winning motorcycle crash claims in DuPage County, IL.

Burger Law has over three decades of experience getting full financial recoveries for our clients. 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 wants to limit your compensation. Our firm has a proven track record of successfully fighting the insurance companies and making sure that they treat our DuPage County, IL clients fairly.

To learn more about what we can do for you, speak to an attorney at (312) 500-HURT to discuss your motorcycle accident case today.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in DuPage County, IL?

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 research 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 collisions, 2,404 caused injuries and 152 were deadly, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Unfortunately, over 50 percent of those occurred when the motorcycle was driving straight, which means the accidents were often due to another driver failing to notice motorcyclists. Wrecks happen most frequently in densely populated areas, especially on arterial roads.

According to 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 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday.

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

There are a number things you should do, both immediately following the accident 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 collision is surprising and scary, it is vital to think rationally. Immediately after the crash, you should:

• Get to safety — If you can, get to the side of the road and away from oncoming traffic. Leave the bike. It is obviously important to you, but trying to carry it could put you at risk of further harm. If you believe your injuries may be catastrophic, it may be best not to move; instead wait for emergency personnel.
• Do not take off your safety gear — Removing your helmet or other gear could also make injuries worse. Adrenaline may hide how significant an injury actually is.
• Call 911 — Because motorcycle accidents can cause severe injuries, it may be best to be looked over there instead of trying to seek medical attention at urgent care or a doctors’ appointment. Police know how to assign liability in an accident, and will make a police report.
• Gather evidence — Talk to any other motorists involved and get their insurance information. Take photographs of all vehicles and the crash site from a variety of angles. Take as many pictures as possible. Something you do not think matters much may be useful to a motorcycle accident lawyer in DuPage County, IL when trying to prove your case in the future. 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 Days, Weeks and Months Afterwards

Once you have gotten medical treatment, notify the insurance company of everybody involved. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in DuPage 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 detail 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 follow up, chiropractic or physical therapy appointment your doctor wants you to.
• Keep Track of Everything Related to Your Injuries — You are also owed compensation for lost wages from time when you were unable to work due to your injuries, and any out-of-pocket expenses due to your injuries, such as parking or gas money for going to medical appointments or hiring someone to help with household chores. Manage a file with all of your receipts and explanations for why those charges were due to your injury. It may also be a good idea to write down your every day experiences showing the non-tangible impact of your injuries and your pain and suffering.
• Do Not Talk to the Insurance Company — Once you have notified the insurance company about your claim and hired 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 hold the adjuster accountable.
• Stay off 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 tell the insurance company that your injuries prevent you from working, 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 be in contact with you every step of the way until we reach a successful resolution. Allow us to deal with the investigation, documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can focus on healing.

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

For minor and clear-cut accidents, where the liable party is obvious and your medical expenses only include a visit with your primary care physician, a lawyer may not be able to add much value to your claim. Give the insurance company your records and expenses, 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 adjuster 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 it would be nice if insurance companies fulfilled their duty when someone is injured under their coverage, it usually takes a fair amount of fighting to get them to do it. You will probably need a motorcycle accident lawyer in DuPage County, IL if:

• Your injuries require ongoing treatment — The more your medical bills and lost wages, the more the insurance company will try and devalue your injuries. If your injuries require ongoing treatment, you will absolutely need an attorney to precisely value your damages.
• The insurance company is not being fair — If your damages are in the tens or hundreds 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. If you enlist the services of a lawyer, the insurance company will know that you are serious about getting the full compensation you deserve. In a recent case, Burger Law was able to turn a $3,900 offer into a $100,000 settlement.
• There is more than party at fault — With some cases, especially crashes 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 a road hazard that a local government should have fixed. An experienced DuPage County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to investigate the wreck and assign a portion of the damages to each liable party. Identifying everyone who is liable is crucial if you are owed more compensation than the at-fault driver’s policy limits.
• The insurance adjuster is trying to blame you for your injuries — Trying to say your injuries are your own fault is a well-known tactic insurance adjusters use to devalue your claim. When this happens, an attorney will fight back conclusively demonstrate that is not the case. If you were indeed responsible for a portion of the accident, you can still make a recovery under Missouri’s comparative negligence doctrine. However, a lawyer is likely necessary to get you the most possible compensation.

Your DuPage County, 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 speak to an attorney now 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 DuPage County, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

You need a lawyer who has shown they can get results in your type of claim before. Any motorcycle accident lawyer can say they will fight for you, but a lawyer with client testimonials and results to prove it is another thing. Click on 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 DuPage County, IL?

If you want to file any DuPage County, IL injury claim, 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 keep you safe? 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1 states 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 proper procedure behind the wheel?
3. Cause in fact — Were your injuries the direct result of the accident?
4. Proximate cause — Whose breach of duty caused the accident? If the other driver’s brakes were malfunctioning, the person who needs to compensate you may be a manufacturer and not the driver?.
5. Damages — Did your injuries lead to losses, such as lost wages 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. Consult with a motorcycle accident attorney immediately at (312) 500-HURT if you are unsure if you have a claim.

How Much is My DuPage 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, scarring 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 you sustained permanent disfigurement or disability
• How your life has changed because of your injuries

At Burger Law, our injury attorneys know how to calculate the full value of someone’s injury claim and insisting the liable party takes responsibility for 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 DuPage County, IL?

According to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the time limit for motorcycle accident claims in DuPage County, IL is two years. That means the clock starts ticking on the date the accident occurred to file a lawsuit in court. Illinois has three exceptions:

• If you or your loved one was under the age of 18 at the time of accident, 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 negligent party leaves the state of Illinois for a period, that period does not account against 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 contact a motorcycle accident lawyer after you have been injured in DuPage County, IL. Call us immediately at (312) 500-HURT.

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

Motorcycles are not as easy to spot on the road, as they take up less space. As a result of a phenomenon known as “inattentional blindness,” drivers are less likely to see a motorcycle — even when they are looking for one. This is because most drivers have programmed their brains to be aware of other cars, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness contributes to many motorcycle accidents in DuPage County, IL.

Most motorcycle accidents occur because of:

• Left-hand turns — According to the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, almost half of all fatal motorcycle crashes occur when a car turns left while the motorcycle was going straight. These crashes can be the result of a car driver’s drunkenness, speeding or distracted driving.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions also occur frequently between motorcycles and passenger cars. It is also common for a car not see a motorcyclist when turning in front of them. Motorcycles also collide with fixed objects more than any other type of motorist, which may be due to a negligent construction company or governmental entity.
• Road hazards — Uneven pavement, potholes, dead animals, gravel or other roadways debris often do not have much of an impact on a car. However, motorcycles are less stable and these hazards can cause a motorcyclist to fall.
• Malfunctioning parts — 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 cause motorcycle collisions.

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

More than nine out of 10 auto accidents are the result of human error. So, most likely, you will make a claim against another driver. However, other parties that may be held accountable include:

• A governmental agency or contracting company for not repairing or negligent repairing a road
• A motorcycle designer, manufacturer or vendor in a product liability claim
• A company if their employee injured you while driving, such as in a commercial truck accident

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

States and municipalities 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, suing a government entity in Illinois has added complications. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in DuPage 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 DuPage 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 your worst nightmare came true and a loved one died in a motorcycle crash, you can make a wrongful death claim. While no amount of money can fill the whole that is left, it can help provide some sense closure 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 of your loved one’s death, not the date of the accident.
• There are three categories of people who can file a wrongful death claim in Illinois. In order of 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 nieces and nephews can bring a suit
  3. If there are no family members, the court can appoint a plaintiff ad litem to bring a suit
• 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 your loved one, 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 DuPage County, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just experts at securing full compensation. 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 cases we we have had great success with in DuPage 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 DuPage County, IL Today

Our DuPage County, IL motorcycle accident lawyers will fight until you get the maximum compensation you are owed; 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 DuPage County, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a no obligation case review.