Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Pekin, IL

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Pekin, IL

The thrill of riding a motorcycle can be canceled out by the injuries negligent drivers cause when they do not follow the rules of the road. If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Pekin, IL, speak to the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law now at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Pekin, 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. Unfortunately, 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 that happens to you, it carries hardships and you need someone to fight for you. You want a lawyer that has demonstrated that they can full compensation in motorcycle collision lawsuits in Pekin, IL.

Our attorneys and paralegals have more than 30 years of experience getting maximum compensation 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 financial settlement. Our firm has a proven track record of successfully fighting the insurance companies and making sure that they treat our Pekin, IL clients fairly.

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

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Pekin, IL?

Despite the fact that motorcycles account for only .06 percent of all vehicle miles traveled nationwide, 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 United States, in 2020 there were 82,500 motorcycle accident injuries and 5,579 deaths. In Illinois, there were 3,077 motorcycle crashes which caused 2,404 injuries and 152 deaths, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Regrettably, 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 due to a car or truck driver failing to notice motorcyclists. Most of the crashes occurred in urban areas, especially around tolls.

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

Just under half of fatal motorcycle collisions occur in the between June and September, and half happen between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Pekin, IL

There are several steps you should take, both in the immediate wake of an accident and throughout the process of recovering from your injuries and seeking compensation, to ensure you make both a physical and financial recovery.

Immediately After The Accident

While any accident is jarring, 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 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, stay still and wait for emergency personnel.
• Keep your gear on — Taking off your helmet or 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 — Because motorcycle accidents can cause severe injuries, it is probably a good idea to be looked over there instead of leaving and planning to go to an emergency room yourself. Police will also be able to file a report relating who they believe is liable for the accident.
• Gather evidence — Speak to the other driver and request an insurance card. Take photographs of the accident, including how the vehicles are positioned and the surrounding areas. Take more photos than you think you need. Something you do not think matters much may be useful to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Pekin, IL when trying to prove your case when you make your claim. See if there are eyewitnesses who can corroborate your claim.

Finally, if you did not opt to get medical treatment at the crash site, do so immediately.

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 Pekin, 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:

• Get the Full Medical Treatment You Need — This is not only vital for your health, 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 the higher your financial loss, the higher your pain and suffering compensation will be as well. Go to every follow up, chiropractic or physical therapy appointment your doctor wants you to.
• Keep Track of Everything Related to Your Injuries — You are also owed reimbursement for lost wages from time spent recovering, and any out-of-pocket expenses you incur, such as parking or Uber rides for going to medical appointments or hiring someone to help with chores around the house. Keep all of your receipts and explanations for why those charges were due to your injury. You can also write down your every day experiences 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, your attorney will will now be intermediary between you and the insurance. Insurance adjusters try to employ a lot of tactics to avoid paying claims, but your attorney will know how to deal with 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 ruin your case. If you say your injuries are debilitating, and the insurance finds out you have been going out on the weekends, they will use it to try and devalue your claim.

From the moment you hire us, we will keep you updated throughout your claim until you get the maximum compensation you are owed. Allow us to deal with the legal aspect of your case so you can spend your energy on on your physical and emotional recovery.

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

For minor and clear-cut accidents, where the liable party is obvious and your medical expenses only include an emergency room visit, you may not need an attorney to get fair compensation. Supply the insurance company with your records and expenses, 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 insurance company is not going to want to waste their time.

However, more likely than not you will need a motorcycle accident attorney for your injury claim. While it would be nice if insurance companies fulfilled their obligations 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 Pekin, IL include:

• Your injuries require ongoing treatment — The more your medical expenses and lost wages, 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 is not being fair — 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 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. In a recent case, Burger Law was able to turn a $3,900 offer into a $100,000 settlement.
• There is more than liable party — With some injuries, especially crashes involving more than one vehicle, there may be more than one person who was negligent. For example, a driver may cut your off while not looking for you, causing you to take defensive action and hit an improperly cordoned-off construction site. An aggressive Pekin, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will conduct a full investigation into the wreck and determine all liable parties. Finding other people who are liable is imperative 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 well-known tactic 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 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 Pekin, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to combat dishonest ploys insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for over 30 years. Our consultations are free, so speak to an attorney today at (779) 800-HURT to see if we can add value to your claim. We get to work from the second you hire us, and fight until there is nothing left to fight.

Recent Burger Law Pekin, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

You need a lawyer who has shown they can get maximum compensation in your type of claim before. A motorcycle accident lawyer saying they are the best 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 Pekin, IL?

If you want to have a valid claim in Pekin, IL, 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 liable party owe you a responsibility 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 did that breach lead to an accident? Was the other driver speeding, texting and driving, drunk driving or otherwise breaking the rules of the road?
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 the driver?.
5. Damages — Did your injuries lead to losses, such as lost wages and emotional distress? If your accident caused a few bruises or scrapes, but it was not serious enough to seek medical treatment, you likely do not have a claim.

If you were injured because of another’s negligence, 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 Pekin, 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
• 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 recovery 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 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 demanding 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 adjusting for inflation.

How Long Do I Have to File a Motorcycle Accident Claim in Pekin, IL?

Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the time limit for motorcycle accident claims in Pekin, 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 when the injuries occurred, 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 period, that time 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 wait to reach out to a motorcycle accident lawyer after you have been injured in Pekin, IL. Call us immediately at (779) 800-HURT.

What Are Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Pekin, IL?

Motorcycles are harder for passenger car drivers to see, being smaller. Because of something referred to as “inattentional blindness,” it is harder for drivers to see a motorcycle — even if they are doing their due diligence. 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 Pekin, IL.

The most common causes of motorcycles accidents are:

• Left-hand turns — The Motorcycle Legal Foundation reports that almost half of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve a car turning left while and hits a motorcyclist in an intersection. These crashes can be the result of a car driver’s intoxication, reckless driving or generally not paying close enough attention to the road.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions are also common between motorcycles and passenger cars. A car may also to fail to see a motorcyclist when merging or changing lanes. Motorcycles also collide with fixed objects more than any other type of driver, which may be due to a negligent construction company or governmental entity.
• Road hazards — Uneven 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.
• Malfunctioning 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 result in motorcycle crashes.

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

More than nine out of 10 motor vehicle accidents are the result of driver error. So, most of the time another motorist is responsible for your injuries. 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 not repairing or negligent repairing a road
• A motorcycle designer, manufacturer or vendor in a product liability claim
• A company if their employee injured you while driving, such as in a commercial truck accident

Can I Sue For My Pekin, 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 obstruction or other objects in the road cause an accident, the state can be held accountable for the motorcycle accident. However, suing a government entity in Illinois has added complications. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Pekin, IL can take on 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 Pekin, 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 tragedy struck and a loved one passed away in a motorcycle crash, you can make 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 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. 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, a judge can appoint 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 their death
  • Funeral expenses
  • Loss of financial support from the deceased, including any benefits they got from 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 Pekin, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just experts at securing full compensation. 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 cases we take on and win in Pekin, 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 Pekin, IL Today

Our Pekin, IL motorcycle accident lawyers will not stop fighting until there is nothing left to fight; that is our guarantee. 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 Pekin, 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 consultation.