Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Evergreen Park, IL

 The exhilaration you feel when riding a motorcycle can be made moot by the harm negligent drivers can do to you when they do not respect your safety. If another driver injured you in Evergreen Park, IL, reach out to the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (312) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case review.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Evergreen Park, or anywhere in Illinois, find out how much your claim may be worth by using our free personal injury calculator.

Motorcycles are a great way to give yourself a sense of peace. You get a feeling of the open road that a car just cannot emulate. Regrettably, negligent drivers can turn that feeling into something horrific. Because of their relative lack of protection, the consequences of a motorcycle accident can be devastating. When that happens to you, it carries instant hardships and you need someone to fight for you. You need to find an attorney with a proven track record of winning motorcycle wreck cases in Evergreen Park, IL.

Our attorneys and paralegals have over 70 years of combined litigation and trial experience. 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 will try to minimize 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 Evergreen Park, IL clients.

To learn 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 Evergreen Park, 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 82,000 people were injured and 5,579 perished in motorcycle crashes. In Illinois, there were 3,077 motorcycle accidents which caused 2,404 injuries and 152 deaths, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Regrettably, over 50 percent of those occurred 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 failing to notice motorcyclists. Crashes are most common in metropolitan areas, especially on arterial roads.

According to the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, Illinois is eighth in the country with 280,322 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 between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Evergreen Park, IL

There are a number steps you should take, both at the accident site and throughout the process of recovering from your injuries and seeking compensation, to ensure both your health and the chances of a successful claim.

At the Accident Site

While any collision is surprising and scary, it is important to keep a clear head. Immediately after the crash, you should:

• Get to safety — If possible, move out of the way of other vehicles coming down the street. Leave your motorcycle where it is. It is obviously important to you, but staying with the bike or trying to move it could exacerbate your injuries. If you are seriously injured, stay still and wait for EMTs to arrive.
• Do not take off your safety gear — Removing your helmet, gloves, boots, jacket and other gear could also make serious injuries even worse. Shock may hide how severe an injury actually is.
• Call 911 — As the injuries caused in a motorcycle wreck can be catastrophic, it may be a good idea to be looked over there instead of leaving and planning to seek medical attention later. Police will also be able to file a report stating who they believe is responsible for the accident.
• 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 as many pictures as possible. Something you do not think matters much may help a motorcycle accident lawyer in Evergreen Park, IL prove who is responsible for your injuries when you make your claim. Get the contact info of any eyewitnesses to the accident.

Finally, if you did not opt to get medical treatment at the crash site, do so immediately.

What to Do in the Days, Weeks and Months Afterwards

Once you have gotten medical treatment, inform both your insurance company and the other driver’s. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Evergreen Park, 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 obviously the best thing for your health, but aids your financial recovery as well. You need to prove that you sustained financial losses, and to do that you need to complete copies of medical medical records which show all of the treatments and related expenses directly associated with the accident. The more medical expenses you have, the higher your non-economic damages 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 also deserve reimbursement 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 transportation to and from medical appointments or hiring someone to help take care of your kids. Keep detailed receipts and explanations for why those charges were necessary. It may also be a good idea to write down your every day experiences detailing 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 notified the insurance company about your accident and enlisted the services of a motorcycle accident lawyer, your attorney will handle all communication with the insurance. Insurance adjusters try to employ a lot of ploys to minimize claims, but your attorney will know how to make the adjuster be honest.
• Resist Social Media — It is commonplace to want to share what is going on with your life with others. However, even an honest post can ruin your claim. If you say your injuries are debilitating, and the insurance finds out you have been going out on the weekends, they will use it to attempt to devalue your claim.

From the first time you speak with us, we will keep you completely in the loop until you get the maximum compensation you are owed. Let us handle the legal aspect of your case so you can spend your energy on on your medical treatment.

Do I Need a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Evergreen Park, IL For My Claim?

For accidents involving minor injuries, 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 ask for a little more for the hassle. In a smaller settlement where not much is disputed, the adjuster will only lose money if they try to deny your claim.

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 obligations when their policyholders injure someone, it usually takes a fair amount of fighting to get them to be fair. Situations where you will need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Evergreen Park, IL include:

• Your injuries are severe — The higher your damages, the more the insurance company will try and devalue your injuries. If your injuries require ongoing treatment, you will always need an attorney to precisely value your damages.
• The insurance company is not being fair — 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 convince you that you do not know how what fair compensation means in your case. By hiring an attorney, the insurance company will know that you will not back down without a fight. 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 party that can be held liable for your injuries. For example, a driver may merge into your line because they did not see you, causing you to swerve and hit a pothole that a local government should have fixed. An experienced Evergreen Park, 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 key 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 — Blaming you for your injuries is a well-known tactic insurance adjusters use to avoid paying you. When this happens, an attorney use their investigate skills and network of experts to conclusively demonstrate that is not the case. If it is true that you were responsible for a portion of the accident, you are not completely barred from compensation under Missouri’s comparative negligence rule. However, you will need an attorney to apply the rule of law and get you that compensation.

Your Evergreen Park, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to fight back against tricks insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for more than three decades. We offer an initial conversation and investigation for free, so call us at (312) 500-HURT to see what we can do for your claim. We start developing our legal strategy from the second you hire us, and do not give up until you get every bit of compensation you deserve.

Recent Burger Law Evergreen Park, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

You need a lawyer who has shown they can get maximum compensation in your type of claim before. 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 Evergreen Park, IL?

If you want to file any Evergreen Park, IL injury claim, 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 owe you an obligation to keep you safe? 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 — Did they fail in that duty and did that breach lead to an accident? Was the other driver 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 — Did the person’s breach of duty cause the accident? If the other driver’s brakes were not working, the person who needs to compensate you may be a manufacturer and not another motorist?.
5. Damages — Did your injuries lead to losses, such as lost wages and mental anguish? If your accident caused a few bumps and bruises, but you did not need any medical treatment, you likely do not have a claim.

If you were injured because of another’s negligence, you have an injury claim. Speak to a motorcycle accident attorney today at (312) 500-HURT if you are unsure if you have a claim.

How Much is My Evergreen Park, IL Motorcycle Accident Claim Worth?

Your compensation will be a combination of:

• Economic damages, such as lost wages, 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 recover punitive damages if the liable party’s behavior was especially egregious, such as if they were drunk driving

Factors that might make your recovery higher or lower include:

• The severity of your injuries; more significant injuries tend to lead to higher medical bills and more pain and suffering
• Whether or not you were partially at fault for your injuries
• If you sustained permanent disfigurement or disability
• How your life has changed because of your injuries

At Burger Law, we know how to calculate the full value of someone’s injury claim and insisting the insurance company 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 calculating for inflation.

How Long Do I Have to File a Motorcycle Accident Claim in Evergreen Park, IL?

Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the time limit for motorcycle accident claims in Evergreen Park, IL is two years. That means the clock starts ticking on 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 two years after their 18th birthday
• If you or a loved one was under a legal disability when the injuries occurred, they have until two years after the disability ended
• If the negligent party leaves the state of Illinois for a time, 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 hesitate to reach out to a motorcycle accident lawyer after you were hurt in a motorcycle accident in Evergreen Park, IL. Call us today at (312) 500-HURT.

What Are Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Evergreen Park, IL?

Motorcycles are not as easy to spot on the road, do not take up as much space on the road. As a result of something known as “inattentional blindness,” it is harder for drivers 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 is a leading cause of motorcycle accidents in Evergreen Park, IL.

The most common causes of motorcycles accidents are:

• Left-hand turns — According to the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, almost half of all motorcycle accidents that result in deaths occur when a car turns left while and hits a motorcyclist in an intersection. These crashes can happen because of a car driver’s drunkenness, reckless driving or distracted driving.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions also occur frequently between motorcycles and other types of vehicles. It is also common for a car to fail to see a motorcyclist when merging or changing lanes. Motorcycles also collide with fixed objects more than any other type of driver, which may be due to a negligent construction company or governmental entity.
• Road hazards — Uneven pavement, potholes, animal carcasses, wet or icy roadways or other debris on our streets 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 spin out.
• Defective parts — Manufacturers and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall dozens of motorcycles annually. When dangerous bikes and components are not recalled, it can lead to motorcycle accidents.

Who is Liable for My Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Evergreen Park, IL?

More than nine out of 10 motor vehicle accidents are due to driver 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 construction company for road hazards
• A motorcycle designer, manufacturer or vendor 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 Evergreen Park, IL Motorcycle Accident if it Did Not Involve Another Vehicle?

States and municipalities are tasked with keeping their roadways safe for citizens to travel on, and when obstruction or other objects in the road cause an accident, the municipality can be held accountable for the motorcycle accident. However, suing a government entity in Illinois has added complications. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Evergreen Park, IL can take on your claim and take the fight to city hall to secure you a full financial recovery.

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

Motorcyclists are not only at higher risk of a serious injury, but are more likely to be in a fatal accident. If you were touched by tragedy and a loved one passed away in a motorcycle crash, you can make 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 burden that come with your loved one’s passing. 740 ILCS 180/, the Illinois Wrongful Death Act, details the laws surrounding wrongful death claims:

• You can make a wrongful death claim for negligence, just as your loved one would have made an injury claim if they were injured.
• 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 nieces and nephews can file a claim
  3. If no family remains, a judge can designate a plaintiff ad litem to bring a suit
• 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 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 Evergreen Park, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just experts at getting our clients full recoveries. 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 Evergreen Park, 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 Evergreen Park, IL Today

Our Evergreen Park, 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 did nothing to deserve being in this situation, and you should not have to pay for it. To learn more about how our Evergreen Park, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (312) 500-HURT or complete our online form for a complimentary consultation.