Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Sycamore, IL

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Sycamore, IL

The sense of freedom a motorcycle comes with can be made moot by the injuries careless drivers cause when they do not respect your safety. If another driver injured you in Sycamore, IL, call the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law today at (779) 800-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case evaluation.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Sycamore, 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 a car just cannot emulate. Unfortunately, there is a potentially dangerous trade-off. 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 immediate economic, physical and emotional consequences and you need someone to fight for you. You need to find a lawyer that has demonstrated that they can full compensation in motorcycle wreck cases in Sycamore, IL.

Our team has over seven decades of combined litigation and trial experience. 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 will try to limit your compensation. We know how to stand up to insurance companies and ensure that they give 100 percent of what they owe our Sycamore, IL clients.

To learn more about how our personal injury law firm will defend your rights, speak to a lawyer at (779) 800-HURT to go over your motorcycle accident claim now.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Sycamore, IL?

Fourteen percent of motor vehicle fatalities and four percent of injuries were sustained by motorcyclists, despite only barely over half a percent of vehicle traffic being motorcycles, 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, there were 3,077 motorcycle wrecks which resulted in 2,404 injuries and 152 deaths, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Unfortunately, over 50 percent of those occurred when the motorcycle was going straight ahead, which means the accidents were often caused by another driver was not looking out for bikers. Wrecks happen most frequently in densely populated areas, especially major city streets.

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 fatalities in 2017.

Nearly 50 percent of fatal motorcycle collisions occur in the in the summer when the weather is nicer, and 50 percent happen between Friday night and Monday morning.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Sycamore, IL

There are a number steps you should take, both immediately following the accident and in the days and weeks that follow, to ensure both your health and the chances of a successful claim.

Immediately After The Accident

While any accident is jarring, it is vital to think rationally. At the accident site, you should:

• Get to safety — If you can, move out of the way of other vehicles coming down the street. Leave the bike. It is obviously important to you, but trying to carry it could exacerbate your injuries. If you suspect you have a spine or head injury, it may be best not to move; instead wait for emergency personnel.
• Do not take off your protective gear — Removing your helmet, gloves, boots, jacket and other gear could also make injuries worse. Because of adrenaline, a serious injury may not always hurt as much at first.
• Call 911 — As motorcycle accidents can cause severe injuries, it may be a good idea to be looked over there instead of leaving and planning to seek medical attention later. 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 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 that may seem like it does not matter at first may help a motorcycle accident lawyer in Sycamore, IL prove someone else’s negligence down the road. Get the contact info of any eyewitnesses to the accident.

Lastly, receive medical attention if you did not already do so.

What to Do in the Days, Weeks and Months Afterwards

Once you have gotten medical treatment, inform both your insurance company and the other driver’s. Then, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Sycamore, 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. In order to prove your damages, 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. Go to every every treatment and use all of the equipment and medication your doctor prescribes.
• Keep Detailed Records — You are also owed a financial recovery for lost wages from time your injuries caused you to miss out from work, and any out-of-pocket expenses that were necessary, such as parking or gas money for going to medical appointments or hiring someone to help with housework. Keep detailed receipts and notes about why you needed to pay those expenses. You can also write down your every day experiences showing the non-tangible impact of your injuries and your pain and suffering.
• Leave the Insurance Company up to Your Attorney — Once you have informed the insurance company about your claim and enlisted the services of a motorcycle accident lawyer, let your attorney handle documentation and negotiation. Insurance adjusters use a lot of tricks to avoid paying claims, but your attorney will know how to combat them.
• Do Not Post on Social Media — In this day and age, many of us want to share details about our life with others. 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 sees pictures of you going out on the weekends, they will use it to attempt to deny your claim.

From your initial consultation, we will keep you completely in the loop until you get the full financial recovery you are owed. Let us handle the legal aspect of your case so you can focus on your medical treatment.

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

For some minor claims, where the liable party is obvious and your medical expenses only include an urgent care visit, you may be able to get compensation on your own. Supply the insurance company with proof of your financial losses, and see if they will throw some extra money on top for inconvenience. In a a settlement for a relatively small sum of money where their policyholder is clearly liable, the adjuster 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 responsibility when their policyholders injure someone, they usually have to be convinced to. You will almost certainly need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Sycamore, IL if:

• Your injuries require ongoing treatment — The higher your damages, the more the insurance company will try and devalue your injuries. If your injuries result in permanent disability, you will absolutely need an attorney to precisely value your damages.
• The insurance company’s offer is far below 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 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. 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 wrecks involving more than one vehicle, there may be more than one liable party. 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 zone. A talented Sycamore, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will conduct a full investigation into the wreck and assign a portion of the damages to each liable party. Identifying everyone who is liable is key if your damages exceed 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 avoid paying you. If the insurance company say your injuries are your own doing, an attorney can step in and prove 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 rule. However, a lawyer is likely necessary to get you the best possible results.

Your Sycamore, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to combat tricks 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 start working from the moment you hire us, and do not let up until you get every bit of compensation you deserve.

Recent Burger Law Sycamore, IL Motorcycle Accident Victories

You need a lawyer who has shown they can get maximum compensation in your type of claim before. Any motorcycle accident lawyer can say they will fight for you, but a lawyer whose former clients will recommend them and who has the 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 Sycamore, IL?

In order to file any Sycamore, 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 duty 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 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 — Did the person’s breach of duty cause the accident? If the other driver’s brakes were malfunctioning, the person who needs to be held accountable for your injuries 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 some bumps and bruises, but it was not serious enough to seek 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. 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 Sycamore, 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, disfigurement and pain and suffering
• In some rare cases, you can recover 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 you sustained permanent disfigurement or disability
• How your life has changed because of your injuries

At Burger Law, we know how to calculate every dime you are owed and demand that the insurance company takes responsibility for all of it. If your injuries require ongoing medical care, we will ensure you also get money to pay for that, including calculating for inflation.

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

According to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations for motorcycle accident claims in Sycamore, IL is two years. That means you only have two years from the date of the accident 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 two years after their 18th 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 leaves the state of Illinois for a period, that period is not included in 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 were hurt in a motorcycle accident in Sycamore, IL. Call us today at (779) 800-HURT.

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

Motorcycles are harder for passenger car drivers to see, do not take up as much space on the road. As a result 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 we train our brains to look for larger vehicles, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness is a leading cause of motorcycle accidents in Sycamore, IL.

The most common causes of motorcycles accidents are:

• Left-hand turns — The Motorcycle Legal Foundation reports that over 40 percent of all motorcycle accidents that result in deaths occur when a car turns left while the motorcycle was going straight. 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 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 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 do not have the same level of stability and these hazards can cause a motorcyclist to fall.
• Malfunctioning parts — Manufacturers and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall dozens of motorcycles annually. When dangerous bikes and components are not recalled, it can cause motorcycle accidents.

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

Ninety-four percent of all auto accidents are caused by 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 construction company for road hazards
• A vehicle designer, manufacturer or vendor in a product liability claim
• A company if someone they hired injured you while driving, such as in a commercial truck accident

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

Governmental bodies are tasked with keeping their roadways safe for citizens to travel on, and when there are road hazards that cause an accident, the state may have to compensate you for your injuries. However, the state of Illinois does not make it easy to hold them accountable. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Sycamore, IL can pick up 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 Sycamore, IL. What Are My Legal Options?

Motorcyclists are not only at higher risk of a serious injury, but are more likely to be in a fatal accident. If your worst nightmare came true and a loved one passed away 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 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 of your loved one’s death, not the date that they were first injured.
• 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 siblings’ descendants can bring a suit
  3. If there are no family members, 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 economic and noneconomic damages the deceased incurred from their injuries before passing
  • 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 Sycamore, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just experts at securing full compensation. We are compassionate and have helped many families get through the sorrow, anger and confusion that accompanies a fatal auto accident.

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

Our Sycamore, IL motorcycle accident lawyers will not stop fighting until there is nothing left to fight; 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 Sycamore, 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 complimentary case evaluation.