Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Lake County, IL

 The sense of freedom a motorcycle comes with can be made moot by the harm careless drivers can do to you when they do not respect your safety. If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Lake County, IL, speak to the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law immediately at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Lake County, 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 enjoy yourself and connect with people who share your passions. There is a sense of freedom that a car just cannot emulate. Unfortunately, negligent drivers can turn that feeling into something horrific. Because motorcycles do not protect riders as well as enclosed vehicles, motorcycle accidents can cause serious injuries. When you are injured, there are immediate financial, physical and mental consequences and you need someone to stand by your side and ensure you are treated fairly. You need to find a law firm that has demonstrated that they can full compensation in motorcycle wreck cases in Charleston, IL.

Our attorneys and paralegals have over three decades of experience getting full financial recoveries for those injured through the negligence of another. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will fight until we win your case and there is nothing left to fight. Always speak to a lawyer before agreeing to a settlement. 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 Charleston, IL clients fairly.

To find out more about what we can do for you, call a lawyer at (312) 500-HURT to discuss your motorcycle accident case today.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Lake County, IL?

Even though motorcycles make up only .06 percent of all vehicle miles traveled in the country, they made up four percent of all injuries and 14 percent of total deaths in traffic-related accidents in 2020, according to the National Safety Council. In the entire country, in 2020 there were 82,500 motorcycle accident injuries and 5,579 fatalities. In Illinois, there were 3,077 motorcycle accidents which resulted in 2,404 injuries and 152 fatalities, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Unfortunately, over 50 percent of those happened 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 another driver failing to notice motorcyclists. Most of the crashes occurred in densely populated 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.

The most common season for motorcycle crashes is summer, and half of all wrecks happen on the weekends.

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

There are several 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.

Immediately After The Accident

While any collision can be surprising and scary, it is vital to think rationally. At the accident site, you should:

• Get to safety — If possible, get to the side of the road and away from other vehicles coming down the street. Leave your motorcycle behind. We know it is a treasure for you, but trying to carry it could exacerbate your injuries. 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 — Removing your helmet or other gear could also exacerbate your injuries. 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 be looked over there instead of trying to seek medical attention at urgent care or a doctors’ appointment. Police know how to determine liability in an accident, and will make a police report.
• Gather evidence — Talk to any other motorists involved and request an insurance card. Take pictures of all vehicles and the crash site from a variety of angles. Take as many pictures as possible. Something that may seem like it does not matter at first may be useful to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Lake County, IL when trying to prove who is responsible for your injuries down the road. Get the contact info of any eyewitnesses to the accident.

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

What to Do in the Ensuing Weeks and Months

After you first seek medical care, notify the insurance company of everybody involved. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Lake 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:

• Continue Medical Treatment — This is not only vital for your health, but is also paramount to making sure you get full compensation. In order to prove your damages, you need to be able to point to medical records which detail all of the costs and treatments you incurred because of your injuries. The the higher your financial loss, the higher your ultimate compensation will be as well. Make sure you attend every follow up, chiropractic or physical therapy appointment your doctor wants you to.
• Keep Detailed Records — You are also owed reimbursement 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 housework. Keep all of your 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 detailing the non-tangible impact of your injuries and your pain and suffering.
• Do Not Talk to the Insurance Company — Once you have filed your claim and enlisted the services of a motorcycle accident lawyer, let your attorney handle documentation and negotiation. Insurance adjusters try to employ a lot of ploys to avoid paying claims, and it is better to leave communication up to a lawyer who knows how to deal with them.
• Resist 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 ruin your claim. 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 completely in the loop until you get the maximum compensation you are owed. Let us handle the investigation, documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can spend your energy on on your medical treatment.

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

For accidents involving minor injuries, where the liable party is obvious and your medical expenses are no more than an urgent care visit, you may be able to get compensation on your own. Supply the insurance company with proof of your financial losses, 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 not much is disputed, the insurance company 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 in a perfect world insurance companies would fulfill their responsibility when their policyholders injure someone, they usually have to be convinced to. You will almost certainly need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Lake County, IL if:

• Your injuries are severe — The more your medical expenses and time spent off work, the more the insurance company will be resistant to reimbursing you for it. If your injuries result in permanent disability, you will absolutely 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 convince you that you do not know how what fair compensation means in your case. If there is a lawyer on the case, the insurance company will know that you mean business. In a recent case, Burger Law was able to turn a $3,900 offer into a $100,000 settlement.
• There are multiple liable parties — With some cases, especially wrecks involving more than one vehicle, there may be more than one liable party. For example, a driver may merge into your line because they did not see you, causing you to take defensive action and hit a road hazard that a local government should have fixed. An aggressive Lake County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to investigate the wreck and determine all liable parties. 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 — Trying to say your injuries are your own fault is a frequent trick insurance adjusters use to avoid paying you. When this happens, an attorney can step in and conclusively demonstrate how the other party was negligent. If you were indeed partially to blame, 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 Lake County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to fight back against dishonest ploys insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for more than 30 years. We offer an initial conversation and investigation for free, so speak to an attorney today 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 let up until you get every bit of compensation you are owed.

Recent Burger Law Lake County, 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. 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 Lake County, IL?

In order to file any Lake 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 have a responsibility to keep you safe? 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1 stipulates that “every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care,” so anyone else on the road automatically owes you a duty of care.
2. Breach of duty — Were they neglectful in that duty and cause an accident? Was the other driver speeding, texting and driving, drunk driving or otherwise not following the rules of the road?
3. Cause in fact — Were your injuries the direct result of the accident?
4. Proximate cause — Did the person’s negligence 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 you sustain losses because of your injuries, such as medical bills and mental anguish? If your accident caused some bruises or scrapes, but you did not need any medical treatment, it would be hard for you to make a claim.

Any time somebody else’s carelessness or recklessness injures you, you need to file an injury claim. Consult with a motorcycle accident attorney now at (312) 500-HURT if you are unsure if you have a claim.

How Much is My Lake County, 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 mental anguish, disfigurement and pain and suffering
• While not common, you may be able to be awarded 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 were partially to blame for your injuries
• If the accident led to 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, 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 Lake County, IL?

Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations for motorcycle accident claims in Lake County, IL is two years. That means the clock starts ticking on the date the accident occurred to file a claim. 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 is outside of 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 reach out to a motorcycle accident lawyer after you have been injured in Lake County, IL. Call us now at (312) 500-HURT.

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

Motorcycles are harder for passenger car drivers to see, as they take up less space. Because of a phenomenon known as “inattentional blindness,” drivers are less likely 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 is a leading cause of motorcycle accidents in Lake County, IL.

Most motorcycle accidents occur because of:

• Left-hand turns — According to data from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, over 40 percent of all motorcycle accidents that result in fatalities involve a car turning left while the motorcycle was going straight. These crashes can be due to a motorist’s drunkenness, speeding or distracted driving.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions also occur frequently between motorcycles and cars or trucks. It is also common for a car not see a motorcyclist when merging or changing lanes. 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, slick surfaces or other debris on our streets often do not have much of an impact on a car. However, motorcycles are less stable and these hazards can cause a motorcyclist to spin out.
• Malfunctioning 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 crashes.

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

Ninety-four percent of all auto accidents are the result of driver error. So, most of the time another motorist is liable. However, depending on the specifics of your case, you may also be able to make a claim against:

• A governmental body or contracting company for road hazards
• A vehicle designer, manufacturer or vendor for a defective product
• A company if someone they hired injured you while driving, such as in a commercial truck accident

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

Governmental bodies are tasked with keeping 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 may have to compensate you for your injuries. However, suing a government entity in Illinois has added complications. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Lake County, IL can handle 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 Lake 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 you were touched by tragedy and a family member died in a motorcycle crash, you can make a recovery through a wrongful death claim. While no amount of money can bring back your loved one, it can help provide some sense closure and ease the financial hardships 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 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. When 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 Lake County, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just skilled at getting our clients full recoveries. We are understanding and kind and have helped many families get through the sorrow, anger and confusion that accompanies a fatal auto accident.

In addition to motorcycle accidents, other personal injury claims we take on and win in Lake 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

HIRE BURGER LAW

Speak to a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Lake County, IL Today

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