Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Knox County, IL

The thrill of 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 Knox County, IL, speak to the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (312) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary consultation.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Knox 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. There is a sense of freedom that a car just cannot emulate. Regrettably, there is a potentially dangerous trade-off. Because motorcycles do not protect riders as well as enclosed vehicles, the consequences of a motorcycle accident can be devastating. When that happens to you, there are instant hardships and you need someone to fight for you. You need to find a lawyer with a proven track record of winning motorcycle accident claims in Knox County, IL.

Our attorneys and paralegals have over 30 years of experience getting full financial recoveries for those injured through the negligence of another. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will aggressively pursue every legal avenue to make sure justice is served. Do not talk to your insurance or the other side’s insurance without speaking to an attorney first. The insurance adjuster wants to minimize your recovery. We know how to stand up to insurance companies and ensure that they give 100 percent of what they owe our Knox County, IL clients.

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

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Knox County, IL?

Fourteen percent of traffic fatalities and four percent of injuries were sustained by motorcyclists, despite only only .06 percent of vehicle traffic being motorcycles, according to data from the National Safety Council. In the United States, in 2020 there were 82,500 motorcycle accident injuries and 5,579 fatalities. In Illinois, of 3,077 motorcycle wrecks, 2,404 caused injuries and 152 were deadly, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Sadly, the majority 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 a car or truck driver not respecting motorcyclists on the road. Most of the crashes occurred in metropolitan areas, especially around tolls.

According to data from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, Illinois is eighth in the nation in terms of both registered motorcycles and motorcycle crash fatalities.

Nearly 50 percent of fatal motorcycle accidents occur in the in the summer when the weather is nicer, and 50 percent occur between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday.

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

There are several steps you should take, both immediately following the accident and throughout the length of your claim process, to ensure both your health and the chances of a successful claim.

Immediately After The Accident

While any accident is surprising and scary, it is important to keep a clear head. At the accident site, you should:

• Get out of harm’s way — If you are physically able, move out of the way of other vehicles coming down the street. Leave the bike. It is obviously important to you, but trying to carry it could put you at risk of further harm. If you are seriously injured, it may be best not to move; instead wait for emergency personnel.
• Do not remove your protective gear — Taking off your helmet or other gear could also make injuries worse. Because of adrenaline, a serious injury may not always hurt as much at first.
• Call 911 — As the injuries caused in a motorcycle wreck can be catastrophic, it is probably best to be looked over there instead of trying to seek medical attention at urgent care or a doctors’ appointment. Police will also be able to file a report relating who they believe is responsible for the accident.
• Gather evidence — Speak to the other driver and get their insurance information. Take pictures of all vehicles and the crash site from different positions. Take as many pictures as possible. Something you do not think is that big of a deal may help a motorcycle accident lawyer in Knox County, IL prove someone else’s negligence down the road. See if there are eyewitnesses who can corroborate your side of the story.

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

What to Do in the Days, Weeks and Months Afterwards

After you first seek medical care, notify both your insurance company and the other driver’s. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Knox 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 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 detail all of the costs and treatments directly associated with the accident. The the higher your financial loss, the higher your ultimate compensation will be as well. Make sure you attend every every treatment and use all of the equipment and medication your doctor orders for you.
• Keep Detailed Records — You are also owed compensation for lost wages from time your injuries caused you to miss out from work, 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 household chores. Manage a file with detailed receipts and explanations for why you needed to pay those expenses. It may also be a good idea to 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 informed the insurance company about your injuries and enlisted the services of a motorcycle accident lawyer, let your attorney handle documentation and negotiation. Insurance adjusters utilize a lot of tricks to avoid paying 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 on the Internet. However, posting too much on social media can do damage to your claim. If you say your injuries are debilitating, and the insurance sees pictures of you going out on the weekends, they they can say your injuries are not actually that severe.

From the first time you speak with us, we will keep you completely in the loop until we reach 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 Knox County, IL For My Claim?

For some minor claims, where the liable party is taking accountability and your medical bills are no more than an appointment with your primary care physician, you may not need an attorney to get fair compensation. 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 insurance company is not going to want to waste their time.

However, in most cases, you will need a motorcycle accident attorney for your injury claim. While in a perfect world insurance companies would fulfill their responsibility when someone is injured by their policyholders’ negligence, it usually takes a fair amount of fighting to get them to do it. You will likely need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Knox County, IL if:

• Your injuries are significant — The higher your damages, the more the insurance company will be resistant to reimbursing you for it. If your injuries require future medical treatment or prevent you from earning a living as you used to, you will always 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 starting to creep up into the tens of thousands, and the insurance adjuster is only offering a few thousand, they are trying to take advantage of you. If there is a lawyer working on your claim, 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 injuries, especially multi-vehicle accidents, there may be more than one party that caused your injuries. For example, a driver may cut your off while not looking for you, causing you to take defensive action and hit a pothole that a local government should have fixed. A knowledgeable Knox County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will conduct a full investigation into the accident and assign a portion of the damages to each liable party. Identifying everyone who is liable is crucial if your damages exceed the at-fault driver’s policy limits.
• You are being blamed for the accident — Trying to say your injuries are your own fault is a well-known tactic insurance adjusters use to avoid paying you. If the insurance company say your injuries are your own fault, an attorney use their investigate skills and network of experts to conclusively demonstrate how the other party was negligent. If you were indeed responsible for a portion of the accident, you can still receive some 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 Knox 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 speak to an attorney now at (312) 500-HURT to see what we can do for your claim. We get to work from the moment you hire us, and do not give up until you get every bit of compensation you are owed.

Recent Burger Law Knox 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. A motorcycle accident lawyer saying they know how to get full compensation 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 Knox County, IL?

If you want to file any Knox 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 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 did that breach lead to an accident? Was another driver 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 negligence caused 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 your injuries lead to losses, such as medical expenses and mental anguish? If your accident caused a few small cuts and bruising, but it was not serious enough to seek medical treatment, it would be hard for you to make a claim.

If you were injured because of another’s negligence, you need to file an injury claim. Consult with a motorcycle accident attorney immediately at (312) 500-HURT if you have any doubts about the validity of your claim.

How Much is My Knox 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 recover 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 usually 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, 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 Knox County, IL?

According to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations for motorcycle accident injuries in Knox County, IL is two years. That means you only have two years from the date you were injured to file a claim. There are some 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 negligent party is outside of the state of Illinois for a time, that time does not account against the two years

While two years may seem like a long time, it takes time to properly build your case. Do not hesitate to contact a motorcycle accident lawyer after you were hurt in a motorcycle accident in Knox County, IL. Call us immediately at (312) 500-HURT.

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

Motorcycles are harder for drivers of enclosed vehicles to see, do not take up as much space on the road. Because of a phenomenon called “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 larger vehicles, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness contributes to many motorcycle accidents in Knox County, IL.

Most motorcycle accidents occur because of:

• 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 happen because of a car driver’s intoxication, speeding or simple inattention.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions are also common between motorcycles and cars or trucks. 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, dead animals, gravel 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 lose control.
• Malfunctioning parts — 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 collisions.

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

Almost all motor vehicle accidents are the result of 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 agency or construction company for road hazards
• A vehicle manufacturer for a defective product
• A employer if their employee injured you while driving, for example in a commercial truck accident

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

Governmental entities are supposed to keep their roadways safe for citizens to travel on, and when there are road hazards that cause an accident, the municipality can be held liable for the motorcycle accident. However, suing a government entity in Illinois has added complications. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Knox County, IL can take on your claim and guide you through the complexities of local and state laws to get you the compensation you deserve.

A Loved One Was Killed in a Motorcycle Crash in Knox County, 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 tragedy struck and someone you love passed away in a motorcycle crash, you can make a wrongful death claim. While it is impossible to put a monetary value on your loved one’s life 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. 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 file a claim
  3. If there are no family members, the court can designate 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 their death
  • Funeral expenses
  • Loss of financial support from the deceased, including any work-related benefits
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of instruction, education and moral training the deceased would have provided
  • Survivors’ grief, sorrow and mental suffering

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

In addition to motorcycle accidents, other injury claims we take on and win in Knox 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 Knox County, IL Today

Our Knox County, IL motorcycle accident lawyers will not stop fighting until there is nothing left to fight; 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 Knox 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.