Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Schaumburg, IL

The thrill of riding a motorcycle can be made moot by the injuries careless drivers cause when they do not follow the rules of the road. If another driver injured you in Schaumburg, IL, reach out to the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (312) 500-HURT or contact us online for a no-risk, no-obligation consultation.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Schaumburg, 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 get a feeling of the open road that is not possible in an enclosed vehicle. Regrettably, there is a potentially dangerous trade-off. Because of their relative lack of protection, the consequences of a motorcycle accident can be devastating. When that happens to you, it carries instant 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 accident lawsuits in Schaumburg, IL.

Burger Law has more than three decades of experience getting maximum compensation for those injured through the negligence of another. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will tenaciously pursue every legal avenue to make sure justice is served. Always speak to a lawyer before agreeing to a settlement. The insurance adjuster is out to limit your financial settlement. We know how to fight insurance companies and ensure that they give 100 percent of what they owe our Schaumburg, IL clients.

To learn more about what we can do for you, call an attorney at (312) 500-HURT to go over your motorcycle accident claim immediately.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Schaumburg, IL?

Despite the fact that motorcycles account for less than one percent of total traffic 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 entire country, in 2020 there were 82,500 motorcycle accident injuries and 5,579 fatalities. In Illinois, of 3,077 motorcycle accidents, 2,404 caused injuries and 152 were deadly, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Sadly, the majority of those occurred when the motorcycle was going straight ahead, which leads us to believe that the accidents were often because of a car or truck driver failing to notice motorcyclists. Wrecks happen most frequently in urban areas, especially on arterial roads.

According to data from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, Illinois is eighth in the country with 280,322 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 Schaumburg, IL

There are several things you should do, both immediately following the accident and throughout the length of your claim process, to ensure you make both a physical and financial recovery.

Immediately After The Accident

While any crash can be jarring, try to stay as calm as possible. At the accident site, you should:

• Get out of harm’s way — If you are physically able, move out of the way of oncoming traffic. Leave the bike. It is obviously important to you, but staying with the bike or trying to move it could make your injuries worse. If you are seriously injured, it may be best not to move; instead wait for emergency personnel.
• Keep your gear on — Removing your helmet, gloves, boots, jacket and other gear could also exacerbate your injuries. Shock may hide how serious an injury actually is.
• Call 911 — As motorcycle accidents can cause severe injuries, it is probably a good idea to get medical attention there instead of trying to go to an emergency room yourself. Police are trained to determine liability in an accident, and will make a police report.
• Gather evidence — Speak to the other driver and get their insurance information. Take photographs of the accident, including damage to all vehicles involved and the surrounding areas. 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 Schaumburg, IL when trying to prove your case 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 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 Schaumburg, 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 obviously the best thing 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. Go to every every treatment and use all of the equipment and medication your doctor wants you to.
• 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 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 you needed to pay those expenses. 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.
• 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 use a lot of tricks to minimize claims, but your attorney will know how to deal with them.
• Do Not Post on Social Media — In this day and age, many of us want to share details about our life on the Internet. However, posting too much on social media can hurt your chances of being fully compensated. If you say your injuries are debilitating, and the insurance finds out you have been at a bar, they they can say your injuries are not actually that severe.

From the moment you hire us, we will be in contact with you every step of the way until you get the full financial recovery you are owed. Allow us to handle the investigation, documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can focus on your physical and emotional recovery.

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

For accidents involving minor injuries, where the liable party is obvious and your medical bills are no more than 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 smaller settlement where not much is disputed, the adjuster will only lose money if they try to fight your claim.

However, in most cases, 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. You will almost certainly need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Schaumburg, IL if:

• Your injuries are severe — The more your medical bills and lost wages, the more the insurance company will fight back against your claim. 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 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 much you are owed. If there is an attorney working on your claim, 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 are multiple liable parties — With some injuries, especially multi-vehicle accidents, there may be more than one person who was negligent. For example, a driver may merge into your line while not looking for you, causing you to take defensive action and hit a pothole that a governmental agency should have fixed. An experienced Schaumburg, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will conduct a full investigation into the crash and determine all liable parties. Identifying everyone who is liable is crucial if your damages exceed 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 classic trick insurance adjusters use to avoid paying you. If the insurance company say your injuries are your own doing, an attorney use their investigate skills and network of experts to prove how the other party was negligent. If it is true that you were 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 Schaumburg, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to fight back against tricks insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for over 30 years. We offer an initial conversation and investigation at no charge, so call us at (312) 500-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 give up until you get all of compensation you are owed.

Recent Burger Law Schaumburg, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

With any type of legal claim, results matter. You want to feel confident that you are giving your case to the best possible lawyer, and that they are going to fight hard to make sure you get 100 percent of the recovery and compensation you deserve. Any motorcycle accident lawyer can say they will fight for you, but a lawyer whose former clients will vouch for them and who has the results to prove it is another thing. Check out 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 Schaumburg, IL?

If you want to file any Schaumburg, IL injury claim, 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 liable party have 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 another motorist 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 — Whose breach of duty caused the accident? If the other driver’s brakes were malfunctioning, the liable party may be a manufacturer and not the driver?.
5. Damages — Did your injuries lead to losses, such as medical expenses and emotional distress? If your accident resulted in a few bumps and bruises, 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 have 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 Schaumburg, 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, 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 might make your compensation higher or lower 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 enjoy life

At Burger Law, we are experts at calculating every dime you are owed and insist 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 adjusting for inflation.

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

According to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the time limit for motorcycle accident claims in Schaumburg, 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 period does not account against the two years

While two years may seem like a long time, it takes time to properly build your case. Do not hesitate to reach out to a motorcycle accident lawyer after you were hurt in a motorcycle accident in Schaumburg, IL. Call us today at (312) 500-HURT.

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

Motorcycles are harder for drivers of enclosed vehicles to see, as they take up less space. Due to something known as “inattentional blindness,” drivers are less likely to see a motorcycle — even if they are doing their best to be careful. This is because we train our brains to be aware of larger vehicles, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness is a leading cause of motorcycle accidents in Schaumburg, IL.

Most motorcycle accidents occur because of:

• Left-hand turns — The Motorcycle Legal Foundation reports that over 40 percent of all fatal motorcycle crashes occur when a car turns left while the motorcycle was going straight. These crashes can happen because of a car driver’s drunkenness, reckless driving or generally not paying close enough attention to the road.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions also occur frequently between motorcycles and other types of vehicles. A car may also to fail to 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, dead animals, 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 lose control.
• Defective parts — 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 accidents.

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

More than nine out of 10 motor vehicle accidents are caused by driver error. So, most likely, you will make a claim against another driver. However, depending on the specifics of your case, you may also be able to make a claim against:

• A governmental body or construction company for road hazards
• A vehicle manufacturer 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 Schaumburg, IL Motorcycle Accident if it Did Not Involve Another Vehicle?

States and municipalities 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 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 Schaumburg, IL can pick up your claim and take the fight to city hall to secure you a full financial recovery.

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

Motorcyclists are not only at increased risk of a serious injury, but are more likely to be in a fatal accident. If you were touched by tragedy and someone you love passed away in a motorcycle crash, you can make a recovery through a wrongful death claim. While no settlement or verdict can bring back your loved one, it can bring a sense of justice 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 of the accident.
• 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 no family remains, a judge can designate a plaintiff ad litem to file a claim
• Your compensation will 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 your loved one, including any benefits related to their employment
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of instruction, guidance and moral training the deceased would have provided
  • Survivors’ grief, sorrow and mental suffering

Burger Law’s Schaumburg, 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 comes after a fatal auto accident.

In addition to motorcycle accidents, other personal injury cases we we have had great success with in Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg, IL Today

Our Schaumburg, 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 Schaumburg, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (312) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.