Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Streamwood, IL

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Streamwood, IL

The sense of freedom a motorcycle comes with can be neutralized by the harm careless drivers can do to you when they do not follow the rules of the road. If another driver injured you in Streamwood, IL, reach out to the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law now at (779) 800-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary consultation.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Streamwood, 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 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 you are injured, there are financial, physical and mental consequences and you need someone to stand by your side and ensure you are treated fairly. You need to find a lawyer that has demonstrated that they can full compensation in motorcycle accident claims in Streamwood, IL.

Our team has over 30 years of experience getting maximum compensation for our clients. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will fight until we win your case and there is nothing left to fight. Always speak to a lawyer before accepting an insurance company’s offer. The insurance adjuster is out 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 Streamwood, IL clients fairly.

To find out more about what we can do for you, speak to our team at (779) 800-HURT to discuss your motorcycle accident case now.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Streamwood, IL?

Even though motorcycles make up barely over half a percent of all traffic miles traveled in the United States, they accounted for four percent of all injuries and 14 percent of total deaths in traffic-related accidents in 2020, according to the National Safety Council. Nationwide, in 2020 there were 82,500 motorcycle accident injuries and 5,579 deaths. In Illinois, there were 3,077 motorcycle accidents which caused 2,404 injuries and 152 deaths, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Unfortunately, over 50 percent of those crashes came when the motorcycle was going in a straight line, insinuating that the accidents were often due to a car or truck driver not respecting motorcyclists on the road. Most of the crashes occurred in urban areas, especially on arterial roads.

According to data from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, Illinois is eighth in the country with over 280,000 registered motorcycles, and fittingly was eighth in the country in deaths in 2017.

Just under half of fatal motorcycle wrecks occur in the between June and September, and half occur on the weekends.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Streamwood, IL

There are several steps you should take, 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 is jarring, it is vital to think rationally. Immediately after the crash, you should:

• Get to safety — If possible, get to the side of the road and away from other vehicles coming down the street. Leave your motorcycle behind. We know it is your baby, but staying with the bike or trying to move it could put you at risk of further harm. If you suspect you have a spine or head injury, it may be best not to move; instead wait for emergency personnel.
• Keep your gear on — 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 a good idea to get medical attention there instead of trying to go to an emergency room yourself. Police know how to determine fault 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 how the vehicles are positioned 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 Streamwood, IL prove who is responsible for your injuries in the future. See if there are eyewitnesses who can corroborate your side of the story.

Lastly, if you did not seek medical treatment at the crash site, do so as quickly as possible.

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 Streamwood, 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 obviously the best thing for your physical recovery, but is also paramount to building your case. 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 you incurred because 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 Track of Everything Related to Your Injuries — You are also entitled to compensation for lost wages from time spent recovering, and any out-of-pocket expenses that were necessary, such as parking or Uber rides for going to medical appointments or hiring someone to help with household chores. Keep detailed receipts and explanations for why you needed to pay those expenses. It may also be a good idea to keep a daily journal detailing the non-tangible impact of your injuries and your pain and suffering.
• Leave the Insurance Company up to Your Attorney — Once you have notified the insurance company about your accident and hired a motorcycle accident lawyer, let your attorney handle documentation and negotiation. Insurance adjusters utilize a lot of tactics to avoid paying claims, and it is better to leave communication up to an attorney who knows how to combat them.
• Resist Social Media — In this day and age, many of us want to share details about our life with others. However, even an honest post can hurt your chances of being fully compensated. If you say your injuries are debilitating, 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 first time you speak with us, we will keep you updated throughout your claim until you get the full financial recovery you are owed. Allow us to handle the legal aspect of your case so you can spend your energy on on healing.

Do I Need a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Streamwood, 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, you may not need an attorney to get fair compensation. Give the insurance company proof of your financial losses, and ask for a little more for the hassle. In a smaller settlement where their policyholder is clearly liable, the adjuster will only lose money if they try to fight your claim.

However, in most cases, hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer will be the only way to get fair compensation in your injury claim. While in a perfect world insurance companies would fulfill their responsibility when their policyholders injure someone, it usually takes a fair amount of fighting to get them to be fair. Situations where you will need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Streamwood, IL include:

• Your injuries are significant — The more your medical bills and lost wages, the more the insurance company will fight back against your claim. If your injuries require ongoing treatment, you will always 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 what fair compensation means in your case. By hiring a lawyer, 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 are multiple parties at fault — With some cases, 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 an improperly cordoned-off construction zone. An aggressive Streamwood, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to investigate the accident and assign a portion of the damages to each liable party. Finding other people who are liable is essential 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 classic trick insurance adjusters use to minimize your claim. If the insurance company say your accident was your own doing, an attorney use their investigate skills and network of experts to conclusively demonstrate how the other party was negligent. If it is true that you were partially to blame, you can still receive some 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 Streamwood, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to combat dishonest ploys insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for more than three decades. Our consultations are free, so speak to an attorney today at (779) 800-HURT to see what we can do for your claim. We get to work from the second you hire us, and do not let up until you get all of compensation you are owed.

Recent Burger Law Streamwood, 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 are the best, but a lawyer with client testimonials and results to prove it is another thing. Click on 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 Streamwood, IL?

In order to file any Streamwood, 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 states that “every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care,” so anyone else on the road automatically owes you a duty of care.
2. Breach of duty — Did they fail in that duty and cause an accident? Was another driver speeding, texting and driving, drunk driving or otherwise breaking proper procedure behind the wheel?
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 not working, 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 pain and suffering? If your accident caused a few bruises or scrapes, but they healed without any medical treatment, you likely do not have a claim.

If you were injured through another’s negligence, you need to file an injury claim. Speak to a motorcycle accident attorney immediately at (779) 800-HURT if you have any doubts about the validity of your claim.

How Much is My Streamwood, 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 emotional distress, scarring and pain and suffering
• In some rare cases, you can receive punitive damages if the liable party’s behavior was especially egregious, such as if they were drunk driving

Factors that determine how much you will recover 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 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 the full value of someone’s injury claim and insisting the liable party pay 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 calculating for inflation.

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

Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the time limit for motorcycle accident claims in Streamwood, IL is two years. That means you only have two years from the date you were injured to file a lawsuit in court. 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 is outside of the state of Illinois for a time, 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 were hurt in a motorcycle accident in Streamwood, IL. Call us today at (779) 800-HURT.

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

Motorcycles are harder for drivers of enclosed vehicles to see, as they take up less space. As a result 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 look for other cars, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness contributes to many motorcycle accidents in Streamwood, 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 deaths occur when a car turns left while and hits a motorcyclist in an intersection. These crashes can happen because of a car driver’s drunkenness, speeding or distracted driving.
• Other collisions — Head on collisions also occur frequently between motorcycles and passenger cars. 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, dead animals, gravel or other roadways debris usually do not affect a car or truck very much. However, motorcycles are less stable and these hazards can cause a motorcyclist to fall.
• 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 Streamwood, IL?

Almost all motor vehicle accidents are the result of driver error. So, most of the time another driver is responsible for your injuries. However, other parties that may be held liable include:

• A governmental entity or contracting company for road hazards
• A motorcycle manufacturer for a defective product
• A company if their employee injured you while driving, for example in a commercial truck accident

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

Governmental entities are tasked with keeping their roadways safe for citizens to travel on, and when obstruction or other objects in the road cause an accident, the municipality can be held liable for the motorcycle accident. However, suing a government entity in Illinois has added complications. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Streamwood, IL can pick up your claim and guide you through the complexities of local and state laws to secure you the compensation you deserve.

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

The dangers of motorcycles mean that bikers have a higher death rate than people in enclosed vehicles. If your worst nightmare came true and a family member passed away in a motorcycle crash, you can make 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 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. 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 no family remains, a judge 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 personal injury damages incurred by the deceased before their death, for example their medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering
  • Funeral expenses
  • Loss of financial support from your loved one, 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 Streamwood, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just skilled at securing full compensation. We are understanding and kind 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 claims we take on and win in Streamwood, 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 Streamwood, IL Today

Our Streamwood, 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 Streamwood, IL personal injury law firm will fight for your rights, call our team at (779) 800-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.