Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in St. Clair County, IL

 

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in St. Clair County, IL

The thrill of riding a motorcycle can be ripped away from you by the harm reckless drivers can do to you when they do not follow the rules of the road. If another driver injured you in St. Clair County, IL, reach out to the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in St. Clair County, 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 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 economic, physical and emotional consequences and you need someone to fight for you. You need to find an attorney that has demonstrated that they can full compensation in motorcycle wreck lawsuits in St. Clair County, IL.

Our team has over 30 years of experience getting full financial recoveries for those injured through the negligence of another. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will fight until you recover all of your damages and there is nothing left to fight. 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 compensation. Our firm has a proven track record of successfully fighting the insurance companies and making sure that they give the full compensation they owe our St. Clair County, IL clients.

To discover more about what we can do for you, call a lawyer at (779) 800-HURT to discuss your motorcycle accident case now.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in St. Clair County, IL?

Even though motorcycles account for only .06 percent of total traffic miles traveled in the country, they accounted for four percent of all injuries and 14 percent of all deaths in traffic-related accidents in 2020, according to data from the National Safety Council. In the United States, in 2020 82,000 people were injured and 5,579 died in motorcycle crashes. In Illinois, of 3,077 motorcycle collisions, 2,404 caused injuries and 152 were fatal, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Sadly, 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, which means the accidents were often due to another driver not respecting motorcyclists on the road. Most of the crashes occurred in metropolitan areas, especially major city streets.

According to research 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 St. Clair County, IL

There are several steps you should take, both immediately following the accident and in the days and weeks that follow, to make sure your recover from your injuries both physically and financially.

Immediately After The Accident

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

• Get out of harm’s way — If you can, move out of the way of other vehicles coming down the street. Leave your motorcycle where it is. We know it is your baby, but staying with the bike or trying to move it could exacerbate your injuries. If you suspect you have a back or head injury, it may be best not to move; instead wait for emergency personnel.
• Do not take off your safety gear — Taking off your helmet or other gear could also make injuries worse. Shock may hide how significant an injury actually is.
• Call 911 — As motorcycle accidents can cause severe injuries, it is probably a good idea to be looked over there instead of trying to seek medical attention at urgent care or a doctors’ appointment. Police will also be able to file a report stating who they believe is liable for the accident.
• Gather evidence — Talk to any other motorists involved and ask for an insurance card. Take photographs of the accident, including damage to all vehicles involved and the surrounding areas. Take as many pictures as possible. Something you do not think is that big of a deal may be useful to a motorcycle accident lawyer in St. Clair County, IL when trying to prove someone else’s negligence 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 immediately.

What to Do Throughout the Claim Process

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

• 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 that you sustained financial losses, and to do that you need to be able to point to medical records which detail the extent of your injuries. The the higher your financial loss, the higher your non-economic damages compensation will be as well. Go to every follow up, chiropractic or physical therapy appointment your doctor wants you to.
• Keep Detailed Records — You also deserve compensation for lost wages from time spent recovering, and any out-of-pocket expenses due to your injuries, such as parking or gas money for going to medical appointments or hiring someone to help take care of your children. Manage a file with all of your receipts and notes about why those charges were necessary. It may also be a good idea to write down your every day experiences showing 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 will now be intermediary between you and the insurance. Insurance adjusters try to employ a lot of tricks to devalue claims, and it is better to leave communication up to a lawyer who knows how to combat them.
• Do Not Post on Social Media — It is commonplace to want to share what is going on with your life with others. However, posting too much on social media can do damage to your claim. If you tell the insurance company that your injuries prevent you from working, and the insurance finds out you have been going out on the weekends, they they can say your injuries are not actually that severe.

From the moment you hire us, we will keep you completely in the loop until we reach the great results you deserve. Let us handle the investigation, documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can focus on your medical treatment.

Do I Need a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in St. Clair County, IL For My Claim?

For minor and clear-cut accidents, where fault is clearly established and your medical expenses are no more than an emergency room visit, a lawyer may not be able to add much value to your claim. 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 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 it would be nice if insurance companies fulfilled their duty when someone is injured by their policyholders’ negligence, it usually takes a fair amount of fighting to get them to be fair. You will likely need a motorcycle accident lawyer in St. Clair County, IL if:

• Your injuries are severe — The higher your damages, the more the insurance company will be resistant to reimbursing you for it. If your injuries require future medical treatment or prevent you from earning a living as you used to, you will always need an attorney to hold the insurance adjuster accountable for all of your damages.
• The insurance company’s offer is not close your damages — 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 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 accidents, especially crashes involving more than one vehicle, there may be more than one liable party. For example, a driver may cut your off 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 experienced St. Clair County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will conduct a full investigation into the wreck and assign a portion of the damages to each liable party. Finding other people who are liable is imperative if you are owed more compensation than 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 well-known move insurance adjusters use to devalue your claim. If the insurance company say your accident was your own doing, an attorney will fight back conclusively demonstrate that is not the case. If you were indeed partially at fault, 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 St. Clair County, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to combat tricks insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for more than 30 years. Our consultations are free, so call us at (779) 800-HURT to see what we can do for your claim. We start developing our legal strategy from the moment you hire us, and do not give up until you get all of compensation you deserve.

Recent Burger Law St. Clair County, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

With any type of legal claim, results matter. You want to feel confident that you are putting your case in the hands of 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. 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 St. Clair County, IL?

In order to file any St. Clair County, IL injury claim, 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 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 cause an accident? Was the other driver speeding, texting and driving, drunk driving or otherwise not following proper procedure behind the wheel?
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 not working, 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 emotional distress? If your accident resulted in a few small lacerations and bruising, but it was not serious enough to seek medical treatment, it would be hard for you to file a claim.

Any time somebody else’s carelessness or recklessness injures you, you can to file an injury claim. Speak to a motorcycle accident attorney now at (779) 800-HURT if you have any doubts about the validity of your claim.

How Much is My St. Clair 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 emotional distress, 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 might make your compensation higher or lower include:

• The severity of your injuries; more significant injuries typically 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 are experts at calculating the full value of someone’s injury claim and demanding the insurance company pay all of it. If your injuries require ongoing medical care, that will also be part of your settlement or verdict, including calculating for inflation.

How Long Do I Have to File a Motorcycle Accident Claim in St. Clair County, IL?

Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the time limit for motorcycle accident claims in St. Clair County, IL is two years. That means you only have two years from the date you were injured to file a claim. Illinois has three exceptions:

• If you or your loved one was a minor when the injuries occurred, they have until their 20th 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 leaves the state of Illinois for a period, that period is not included in the two years

While two years may seem like a long time, it takes time to properly build your case. Do not wait to reach out to a motorcycle accident lawyer after you have been injured in St. Clair County, IL. Call us now at (779) 800-HURT.

What Are Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in St. Clair County, IL?

Motorcycles are not as easy to spot on the road, as they take up less space. Due to something known as “inattentional blindness,” drivers are less likely to see a motorcycle — even when they are looking for one. 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 St. Clair County, IL.

The most common causes of motorcycles accidents are:

• 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 be the result of a car driver’s drunkenness, speeding or generally not paying close enough attention to the road.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions are also common between motorcycles and cars or trucks. A car may also 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 — Uneven 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 fall.
• 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 crashes.

Who is Liable for My Motorcycle Accident Injuries in St. Clair County, IL?

More than nine out of 10 motor vehicle accidents are due to human 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 contracting company for not repairing or negligent repairing a road
• A vehicle manufacturer in a product liability claim
• A employer if their employee injured you while driving, such as in a commercial truck accident

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

States and municipalities 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 municipality can be held liable for the motorcycle accident. However, the state of Illinois does not make it easy to sue them. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in St. Clair County, IL can pick up your claim and guide you through the complexities of local and state laws to get you a full financial recovery.

A Loved One Was Killed in a Motorcycle Crash in St. Clair 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 someone you love died 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 bring a sense of justice 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:

• A wrongful death claim can be made when some is killed by 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.
• 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. Members of the nuclear family, such as a spouse, children, grandchildren and grandparents
  2. If there are no immediate family members, siblings and siblings’ descendants can bring a suit
  3. If no family remains, the court can designate a plaintiff ad litem to bring a suit
• Your compensation will include:
  • Under 755 ILCS 5/27-6, the Illinois Survival Act, the economic and noneconomic damages your loved one incurred from their injuries before their death
  • Funeral expenses
  • Loss of financial support from your loved one, 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 St. Clair County, 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 personal injury cases we we have had great success with in St. Clair County, 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 St. Clair County, IL Today

Our St. Clair 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 St. Clair County, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (779) 800-HURT or complete our online form for a complimentary consultation.