Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Mount Prospect, IL

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Mount Prospect, IL

The exhilaration you feel when riding a motorcycle can be neutralized by the harm negligent drivers can do to you when they do not follow the rules of the road. If another driver injured you in Mount Prospect, IL, call the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (779) 800-HURT or fill out our online form for a no-risk, no-obligation case review.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Mount Prospect, 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. Regrettably, negligent drivers can turn that feeling into something horrific. Because motorcycles do not protect their occupants as well as enclosed vehicles, motorcycle accidents can cause serious injuries. When you are injured, it carries immediate hardships and you need someone to fight for you. You want a law firm with a proven track record of winning motorcycle collision cases in Mount Prospect, IL.

Burger Law has more than three decades of experience getting maximum compensation for our clients. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will aggressively pursue your claim to ensure you get the medical care and financial recovery that you are owed and that you deserve. Always speak to a lawyer before agreeing to a settlement. The insurance adjuster is out to limit your compensation. We know how to stand up to insurance companies and ensure that they give the full compensation they owe our Mount Prospect, IL clients.

To find out more about how our personal injury law firm will defend your rights, speak to a lawyer at (779) 800-HURT to discuss your motorcycle accident claim today.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Mount Prospect, IL?

Fourteen percent of motor vehicle deaths and four percent of injuries were sustained by motorcyclists, despite only barely over half a percent of vehicle traffic being motorcycles, according to research 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 crashes which caused 2,404 injuries and 152 fatalities, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Regrettably, the majority of those crashes came when the motorcycle was going straight ahead, which leads us to believe that the accidents were often caused by another driver was not looking out for bikers. Most of the crashes occurred in densely populated areas, especially on arterial roads.

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 between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Mount Prospect, IL

There are a number things you should do, both in the immediate wake of an accident and in the days and weeks that follow, to ensure you make both a physical and financial recovery.

Immediately After The Accident

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

• Get to safety — If you are physically able, move out of the way of other vehicles coming down the street. Leave your motorcycle behind. It is obviously important to you, but staying with the bike or trying to move it could make your injuries worse. If you believe your injuries may be catastrophic, stay still and wait for EMTs to arrive.
• Keep your gear on — Taking off your helmet, gloves, boots, jacket and other gear could also exacerbate your injuries. Adrenaline may hide how severe an injury actually is.
• Call 911 — As motorcycle accidents can cause severe injuries, it may be a good idea to get medical attention there instead of leaving and planning to go to an emergency room yourself. Police are trained to assign liability in an accident, and will make a police report.
• Gather evidence — Talk to any other drivers involved and request an insurance card. Take photographs of all vehicles and the crash site from different positions. Take more photos than you think you need. Something that may seem unimportant at first may be useful to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Mount Prospect, IL when trying to prove someone else’s negligence when you make your claim. 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

Once you have gotten medical treatment, inform both your insurance company and the other driver’s. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Mount Prospect, 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 obviously the best thing for your physical recovery, but is also essential to making sure you get full compensation. In order to prove your damages, you need to complete copies of medical medical records which show 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. Go to every follow up, chiropractic or physical therapy appointment your doctor orders for you.
• Keep Track of Everything Related to Your Injuries — You are also entitled to compensation for lost wages from time your injuries caused you to miss out from work, and any out-of-pocket expenses due to your injuries, such as transportation to and from medical appointments or hiring someone to help with chores around the house. Keep detailed receipts and notes about why those charges were due to your injury. It may also be a good idea to keep a daily journal 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 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 tactics to avoid paying claims, but your attorney will know how to make the adjuster be honest.
• Do Not Post on Social Media — It is commonplace to want to share what is going on with your life with others. However, even a well-meaning post can do damage to your claim. 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 they can say your injuries are not actually that severe.

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 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 Mount Prospect, IL For My Claim?

For some minor claims, where fault is clearly established and your medical expenses are no more than an appointment with your primary care physician, you may not need an attorney to get fair compensation. Supply the insurance company with your records and expenses, and ask for a little more for the trouble. In a smaller settlement where not much is disputed, the adjuster will only lose money if they try to deny your claim.

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 responsibility when their policyholders injure someone, they usually have to be convinced to. Situations where you will need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Mount Prospect, IL include:

• Your injuries require ongoing treatment — The more your medical bills and lost wages, the more the insurance company will fight back against your claim. If your injuries require future medical treatment or prevent you from earning a living as you used to, you will absolutely need an attorney to precisely value 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 company’s offer is no where close to that, they are trying convince you that you do not know how much you are owed. By hiring a lawyer, 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 liable party — With some injuries, especially wrecks involving more than one vehicle, there may be more than one party that caused your injuries. For example, a driver may merge into your line because they did not see you, causing you to take defensive action and hit an improperly cordoned-off construction zone. An experienced Mount Prospect, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to investigate the crash and determine all liable parties. Finding other people who are liable is key if your damages exceed the at-fault driver’s policy limits.
• You are being blamed for your injuries — Trying to say your injuries are your own fault is a frequent trick insurance adjusters use to devalue your claim. If the insurance company say your injuries are your own fault, an attorney use their investigate skills and network of experts to prove that is not the case. If you were indeed responsible for a portion of the accident, you are not completely barred from compensation under Missouri’s comparative negligence doctrine. However, you will need an attorney to apply the rule of law and get you that compensation.

Your Mount Prospect, 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 call us at (779) 800-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 Mount Prospect, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

You need a lawyer who has shown they can get results in your type of claim before. 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 Mount Prospect, IL?

In order to have a valid claim in Mount Prospect, IL, you must have sustained an injury that was caused by another person’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 cause an accident? Was the other motorist speeding, texting and driving, drunk driving or otherwise breaking proper procedure behind the wheel?
3. Cause in fact — Did the accident cause your injuries?
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 you sustain losses because of your injuries, such as lost wages and emotional distress? If your accident resulted in a few 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 have an injury claim. Speak to a motorcycle accident attorney today at (779) 800-HURT if you have any doubts about the validity of your claim.

How Much is My Mount Prospect, 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 you were injured by extreme recklessness, such as drunk driving

Factors that might make your compensation 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 to blame for your injuries
• If you sustained permanent disfigurement or disability
• The impact the injuries have had on your ability to live the life you are used to

At Burger Law, we are experts at calculating every dime you are owed and demand that the insurance company pay 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 Mount Prospect, IL?

Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations for motorcycle accident claims in Mount Prospect, IL is two years. That means the clock starts ticking on the date of the accident to file a lawsuit in court. Illinois has three 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 person responsible for your injuries is outside of the state of Illinois for a time, that time 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 call a motorcycle accident lawyer after you have been injured in Mount Prospect, IL. Call us immediately at (779) 800-HURT.

What Are Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Mount Prospect, IL?

Motorcycles are harder for drivers of enclosed vehicles to see, as they take up less space. Because of something 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 other cars, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness is a leading cause of motorcycle accidents in Mount Prospect, IL.

The most common causes of motorcycles accidents are:

• Left-hand turns — The Motorcycle Legal Foundation reports that almost half of all motorcycle accidents that result in fatalities occur when a car turns left while the motorcycle was going straight. These crashes can be the result of a motorist’s intoxication, 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 is not always the motorcyclist’s fault.
• 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 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. If bikes or parts that are defective are allowed to stay on the market, it can lead to motorcycle collisions.

Who is Liable for My Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Mount Prospect, IL?

More than nine out of 10 motor vehicle 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 entity or contracting company for not repairing or negligent repairing a road
• A vehicle designer, manufacturer or vendor for a defective product
• A company if their employee injured you while driving, such as in a commercial truck accident

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

Governmental agencies 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 state can be held responsible for the motorcycle accident. However, the state of Illinois does not make it easy to hold them accountable. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Mount Prospect, 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 Mount Prospect, 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 your worst nightmare came true and a family member passed away in a motorcycle crash, you can make a recovery through a wrongful death claim. While it is impossible to put a monetary value on your loved one’s life 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 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 priority, they are:
  1. Immediate family members, 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 there are no family members, a judge can designate a plaintiff ad litem to bring a suit
• The damages you can recover 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 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 Mount Prospect, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just experts at securing full compensation. We are compassionate 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 Mount Prospect, IL include:

• 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 Mount Prospect, IL Today

Our Mount Prospect, IL motorcycle accident lawyers will fight until you get the maximum compensation you are owed; we promise. 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 Mount Prospect, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (779) 800-HURT or complete our online form for a free case evaluation.