Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in North Utica, IL

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in North Utica, IL

The sense of freedom a motorcycle comes with can be canceled out by the harm careless drivers can do to you when they do not pay attention to your safety. If another driver injured you in North Utica, IL, speak to the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (779) 800-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case review.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in North Utica, 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 get your blood racing. You are connected to the road and your motorcycle in a way that you do not get in an enclosed vehicle. Unfortunately, negligent drivers can turn that feeling into catastrophic injuries. 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, it carries immediate hardships and you need someone to stand by your side and get you the compensation you deserve. You want a law firm with a proven track record of winning motorcycle crash lawsuits in North Utica, IL.

Our attorneys and paralegals have over 70 years of combined litigation and trial experience. 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 will try to devalue your financial settlement. Our firm has a proven track record of successfully fighting the insurance companies and making sure that they treat our North Utica, IL clients fairly.

To learn more about what we can do for you, speak to our team at (779) 800-HURT to go over your motorcycle accident claim now.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in North Utica, IL?

Fourteen percent of motor vehicle deaths 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. Nationwide, 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 happened when a passenger car or truck collided with a motorcycle when the biker was driving in a straight line, which means the accidents were often due to another driver failing to notice motorcyclists. Crashes are most common in densely populated areas, especially on arterial roads.

According to data from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, Illinois is eighth in the country with close to 300,000 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 on the weekends.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in North Utica, IL

There are a number things you should do, both at the accident site and throughout the length of your claim process, to make sure your recover from your injuries both physically and financially.

Immediately After The Accident

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

• Get out of harm’s way — If possible, move out of the way of oncoming traffic. Leave your motorcycle behind. It is obviously important to you, but staying with the bike or trying to move 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.
• Do not take off your safety gear — 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 the injuries caused in a motorcycle wreck can be catastrophic, it may be best to be looked over there instead of trying to go to an emergency room yourself. 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 the accident, including damage to all vehicles involved and the surrounding areas. Take more photos than you think you need. Something that may seem like it does not matter at first may help a motorcycle accident lawyer in North Utica, IL prove your case in the future. Get the contact info of any eyewitnesses to the accident.

Lastly, receive medical attention if you have not already.

What to Do Throughout the Claim Process

After you first seek medical care, inform both your insurance company and the other driver’s. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in North Utica, 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 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 the extent of your injuries. The more medical expenses you have, the higher your ultimate compensation will be as well. Make sure you attend every follow up, chiropractic or physical therapy appointment your doctor orders for you.
• Keep Detailed Records — You are also owed compensation for lost wages from time when you were unable to work due to your injuries, and any out-of-pocket expenses you incur, such as transportation to and from medical appointments or hiring someone to help take care of your children. Keep detailed receipts and notes about why those charges were due to your injury. You can also 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 informed the insurance company about your injuries and enlisted the services of a motorcycle accident lawyer, your attorney will will now be intermediary between you and the insurance. Insurance adjusters use a lot of tactics to minimize claims, and it is better to leave communication up to a lawyer who knows how to make the adjuster be honest.
• 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 ruin your case. If you tell the insurance company that your injuries prevent you from working, and the insurance finds out you have been at a bar, they will use it to try and deny your claim.

From your initial consultation, we will be in contact with you every step of the way until you get the maximum compensation you are owed. Let us handle the legal aspect of your case so you can focus on healing.

Do I Need a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in North Utica, IL For My Claim?

For some minor claims, where fault is clearly established and your medical bills only include an urgent care visit, you may be able to get compensation on your own. Give the insurance company proof of your financial losses, and ask for a little more for the hassle. In a a settlement for a relatively small sum of money where not much is disputed, the insurance company will only lose money if they try to fight your claim.

However, in the vast majority of cases, you will need the assistance of a motorcycle accident attorney for your injury claim. While it would be nice if insurance companies fulfilled their duty when their policyholders injure someone, it usually takes a fair amount of fighting to get them to do it. Situations where you will need a motorcycle accident lawyer in North Utica, IL include:

• Your injuries are significant — The more your medical bills and time spent off work, the more the insurance company will be resistant to reimbursing you for it. If your injuries require ongoing treatment, you will always need an attorney to convince the insurance company to pay for future damages as well.
• The insurance company’s offer is far below your damages — If your damages are in the tens or hundreds 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. If there is an attorney working on your claim, the insurance company will know that you mean business. Burger Law has added hundreds of thousands of dollars to claims, including turning a $3,900 offer into a $100,000 settlement.
• There are multiple liable parties — 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 road hazard that a governmental agency should have fixed. An experienced North Utica, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will conduct a full investigation into the crash 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 the accident — Trying to say your injuries are your own fault is a well-known tactic insurance adjusters use to devalue your claim. When this happens, an attorney will fight back conclusively demonstrate that is not the case. If you were indeed responsible for a portion of the accident, you can still make a recovery under Missouri’s comparative negligence rule. However, you will need an attorney to apply the rule of law and get you that compensation.

Your North Utica, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to fight back against dishonest ploys 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 if we can add value to your claim. We start developing our legal strategy from the second you hire us, and do not let up until you get all of compensation you are owed.

Recent Burger Law North Utica, 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 North Utica, IL?

In order to file any North Utica, IL injury claim, you must have been injured by another person’s negligence. There are five elements to proving negligence in a personal injury claim:

1. Duty of care — Did the liable party have a responsibility 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 cause an accident? Was another 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 malfunctioning, the liable party may be a manufacturer and not the driver?.
5. Damages — Did you sustain losses because of your injuries, such as medical expenses and mental anguish? If your accident caused some small cuts and bruising, but they healed without any medical treatment, it would be hard for you to make a claim.

If you were injured through another’s negligence, you have an injury claim. Consult with a motorcycle accident attorney immediately at (779) 800-HURT if you are unsure if you have a claim.

How Much is My North Utica, IL Motorcycle Accident Claim Worth?

In any personal injury claim, you are owed compensation for:

• 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 recover 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 tend to lead to higher economic and noneconomic damages
• Whether or not you were partially to blame for your injuries
• If the accident led to permanent disfigurement or disability
• The impact the injuries have had on your ability to live the life you are used to

At Burger Law, our injury attorneys are experts at calculating the full value of someone’s injury claim and insisting the insurance company pay all of it. If your injuries require ongoing medical care, 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 North Utica, IL?

Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations for motorcycle accident claims in North Utica, IL is two years. That means you only have two years from the date the accident occurred 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 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 period, 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 wait to contact a motorcycle accident lawyer after you have been injured in North Utica, IL. Call us immediately at (779) 800-HURT.

What Are Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in North Utica, IL?

Motorcycles are harder for drivers of enclosed vehicles to see, as they take up less space. Because of something referred to as “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 look for larger vehicles, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness is a leading cause of motorcycle accidents in North Utica, IL.

Most motorcycle accidents occur because of:

• Left-hand turns — According to data from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, 42 percent of all motorcycle accidents that result in deaths occur when a car turns left while the motorcycle was going straight. These crashes can be the result of a car driver’s drunkenness, reckless driving or simple inattention.
• 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 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 — 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.
• Defective components — Dozens of motorcycles are recalled every year, either by the manufacturer or by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 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 North Utica, IL?

Almost all motor vehicle accidents are caused by driver error. So, most of the time another motorist is liable. However, other parties that may be held accountable include:

• A governmental body or contracting company for not repairing or negligent repairing a road
• A vehicle designer, manufacturer or vendor for a defective product
• A company if someone they hired injured you while driving, for example in a commercial truck accident

Can I Sue For My North Utica, 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 liable for the motorcycle accident. However, suing a government entity in Illinois has added complications. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in North Utica, 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 North Utica, IL. What Are My Legal Options?

Motorcyclists are not only at increased risk of a serious injury, but are more likely to perish in a crash. If you were touched by tragedy and a loved one died in a motorcycle crash, you can make a recovery through 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 some of the difficulties associated with their 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.
• Three groups of people related to the deceased can file a wrongful death claim in Illinois. In order of priority, they are:
  1. Immediate family members, such as a spouse, children, grandchildren and grandparents
  2. If there are no immediate family members, siblings and nieces and nephews can bring a suit
  3. If there are no family members, the court can designate a plaintiff ad litem to file a claim
• 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 the deceased, including any benefits related to their employment
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of instruction, education and moral training the deceased would have provided
  • Survivors’ grief, sorrow and mental suffering

Burger Law’s North Utica, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just experts at getting our clients full recoveries. We are empathetic 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 we have had great success with in North Utica, 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 North Utica, IL Today

Our North Utica, 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 do not have to pay for someone else’s mistakes. To learn more about how our North Utica, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (779) 800-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.