Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in La Grange Park, IL

The exhilaration you feel when riding a motorcycle can be canceled out by the injuries negligent drivers cause when they do not respect your safety. If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in La Grange Park, IL, call the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (312) 500-HURT or complete our online form for a no-risk, no-obligation case evaluation.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in La Grange 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 calm. You get a feeling of the open road that a car just cannot emulate. Unfortunately, this freedom also comes with a high price. Because of their relative lack of protection, the consequences of a motorcycle accident can be devastating. When you are injured, there are instant economic, physical and mental consequences and you need someone to stand by your side and get you the compensation you deserve. You need to find a lawyer that has demonstrated that they can full compensation in motorcycle collision claims in La Grange Park, IL.

Our team has more than three decades of experience getting full financial recoveries for those injured through the negligence of another. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will fight until you recover all of your damages 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 limit your financial settlement. Our firm has a proven track record of successfully fighting the insurance companies and making sure that they give the full compensation they owe our La Grange Park, IL clients.

To learn more about how our personal injury law firm will defend your rights, call our team at (312) 500-HURT to go over your motorcycle accident case immediately.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in La Grange Park, IL?

Despite the fact that motorcycles make up barely over half a percent of total traffic miles traveled in the country, they accounted for four percent of all injuries and 14 percent of total 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 wrecks, 2,404 caused injuries and 152 were fatal, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Sadly, the majority of those occurred when the motorcycle was going in a straight line, which leads us to believe that the accidents were often caused by a car or truck driver failing to notice motorcyclists. Crashes are most common in urban areas, especially on arterial roads.

According to findings from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, Illinois is eighth in the country with 280,322 registered motorcycles, and proportionately was eighth in the country in deaths in 2017.

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 La Grange Park, IL

There are a number steps you should take, both at the accident site and in the days and weeks that follow, to ensure both your health and the chances of a successful claim.

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 to safety — If possible, 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 believe your injuries may be catastrophic, it may be best not to move; instead wait for emergency personnel.
• Keep your gear on — Taking off your helmet, gloves, boots, jacket and 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 may be best to get medical attention there instead of trying to seek medical attention later. Police will also be able to file a report relating who they believe is to blame for the accident.
• Gather evidence — Talk to any other motorists involved and get their insurance information. Take pictures of all vehicles and the crash site from a variety of angles. Take as many pictures as possible. Something you do not think is that big of a deal may be useful to a motorcycle accident lawyer in La Grange Park, IL when trying to prove who is responsible for your injuries 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 Throughout the Claim Process

After you first seek medical care, notify both your insurance company and the other driver’s. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in La Grange 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 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 directly associated with the accident. The more medical expenses you have, the higher your pain and suffering compensation will be as well. Make sure you attend 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 your injuries caused you to miss out from work, and any out-of-pocket expenses that were necessary, such as transportation to and from medical appointments or hiring someone to help with housework. Keep all of your receipts and notes about why you needed to pay those expenses. You can also keep a daily journal detailing the non-tangible impact of your injuries and your pain and suffering.
• Leave the Insurance Company up to Your Attorney — Once you have filed your claim and hired a motorcycle accident lawyer, your attorney will handle all communication with the insurance. Insurance adjusters utilize a lot of tactics to avoid paying claims, and it is better to leave communication up to a lawyer who knows how to make the adjuster be honest.
• Resist Social Media — In this day and age, many of us want to share details about our life on the Internet. However, even a well-meaning post can hurt your chances of being fully compensated. If you tell the insurance company that your injuries are keeping you from working, and the insurance sees pictures of you at a bar, they will use it to try and devalue your claim.

From the first time you speak with us, we will keep you completely in the loop until we reach the great results you deserve. Allow us to handle the investigation, documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can focus on healing.

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

For accidents involving minor injuries, where fault is clearly established and your medical expenses are no more than an urgent care visit, a lawyer may not be able to add much value to your claim. Supply the insurance company with proof of your financial losses, and see if they will throw some extra money on top for the hassle. In a smaller settlement where their policyholder is clearly liable, the adjuster is not going to want to waste their time.

However, in the vast majority of cases, 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, they usually have to be convinced to. You will likely need a motorcycle accident lawyer in La Grange Park, 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 result in permanent disability, you will always need an attorney to hold the insurance adjuster accountable for all of your damages.
• The insurance company’s offer is far below your damages — If your damages are in the tens or hundreds of thousands, and the insurance adjuster is only offering a few thousand, they are trying to take advantage of you. If there is an attorney on the case, 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 multi-vehicle accidents, 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 swerve and hit a pothole that a local government should have fixed. A talented La Grange Park, 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 essential if your damages exceed 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 frequent trick insurance adjusters use to minimize your claim. If the insurance company say your accident was your own fault, an attorney can step in and prove 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 doctrine. However, a lawyer is likely necessary to get you the best possible results.

Your La Grange Park, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to combat tactics insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for over 30 years. Our consultations are free, so call us at (312) 500-HURT to see what we can do for your claim. We get to work from the second you hire us, and fight until there is nothing left to fight.

Recent Burger Law La Grange Park, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

You need a lawyer who has shown they can get maximum compensation in your type of claim before. Any motorcycle accident lawyer can say they are the best, 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 La Grange Park, IL?

In order to have a valid claim in La Grange Park, 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 owe you a duty to protect you from unreasonable harm? 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 — Were they neglectful in that duty and did that breach lead to an accident? Was the other motorist 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 malfunctioning, the liable party 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 bumps and bruises, 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. Speak to a motorcycle accident attorney immediately at (312) 500-HURT if you have any doubts about the validity of your claim.

How Much is My La Grange Park, 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 emotional distress, disfigurement and pain and suffering
• While not common, you might be able to receive punitive damages if you were injured by extreme recklessness, such as drunk driving

Factors that determine how much you will recover include:

• The severity of your injuries; more significant injuries typically lead to higher medical bills and more pain and suffering
• 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 are experts at calculating 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, we will ensure you also get money to pay for that, including accounting for inflation.

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

Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations for motorcycle accident claims in La Grange Park, 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 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 when the injuries occurred, they have until two years after the disability ended
• If the person responsible for your injuries leaves the state of Illinois for a time, that period is not included in the two years

While two years does not sound like it should give you a sense of urgency, investigating and developing a legal strategy for your claim takes time. Do not wait to call a motorcycle accident lawyer after you have been injured in La Grange Park, IL. Call us now at (312) 500-HURT.

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

Motorcycles are harder for passenger car drivers to see, do not take up as much space on the road. Because of a phenomenon called “inattentional blindness,” it is harder for drivers to see a motorcycle — even when they are looking for one. This is because we train our brains to look for larger vehicles, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness contributes to many motorcycle accidents in La Grange Park, 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 fatalities occur when a car turns left while the motorcycle was going straight. These crashes can happen because of a motorist’s drunkenness, speeding or distracted driving.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions are also common between motorcycles and other types of vehicles. A car may also not see a motorcyclist when turning in front of them. Motorcycles also have the highest rate of collisions with fixed objects, which may be due to a negligent construction company or governmental entity.
• Road hazards — Cracked pavement, potholes, animal carcasses, wet or icy roadways or other roadways debris usually do not affect a vehicle with more than two wheels very much. However, motorcycles are less stable and these hazards can cause a motorcyclist to fall.
• 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 La Grange Park, IL?

Ninety-four percent of all auto accidents are due to human error. So, most of the time another driver is responsible for your injuries. However, other parties that may be held accountable include:

• A governmental agency or construction company for not repairing or negligent repairing a road
• A motorcycle manufacturer for a defective product
• A employer if someone they hired injured you while driving, for example in a commercial truck accident

Can I Sue For My La Grange Park, IL Motorcycle Accident if it Did Not Involve Another Vehicle?

Governmental bodies are supposed to keep their roadways safe for use by everyone on the roads, and when obstruction or other objects in the road cause an accident, the agency responsible for the neglect can be held accountable for the motorcycle accident. However, the state of Illinois does not make it easy to sue them. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in La Grange Park, IL can pick up your claim and take the fight to city hall to get you a full financial recovery.

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

Motorcyclists are not only at increased risk of a catastrophic injury, but are more likely to be in a fatal accident. If you were touched by tragedy and a family member passed away in a motorcycle crash, you can make a recovery through a wrongful death claim. While no amount of money 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 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 the first chance to file, they are:
  1. Immediate family members, 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 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 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 La Grange Park, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just tremendous at getting our clients full recoveries. We are compassionate and have helped many families navigate the sorrow, anger and confusion that accompanies a fatal auto accident.

In addition to motorcycle accidents, other personal injury cases we take on and win in La Grange 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 La Grange Park, IL Today

Our La Grange Park, IL motorcycle accident lawyers will not stop fighting until there is nothing left to fight; we promise. 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 La Grange Park, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation.