Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Villa Park, IL

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Villa Park, IL

The sense of freedom a motorcycle comes with can be ripped away from you by the harm reckless drivers can do to you when they do not respect your safety. If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Villa Park, IL, reach out to the motorcycle accident lawyers of Burger Law immediately at (312) 500-HURT or complete our online form for a free consultation.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Villa Park, 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 give yourself a sense of calm. You are connected to the road and your motorcycle in a way that you do not get in an enclosed vehicle. Regrettably, negligent drivers can turn that feeling into catastrophic injuries. Because of their relative lack of protection, motorcycle accidents can cause serious injuries. When that happens to you, it carries hardships and you need someone to stand by your side and ensure you are treated fairly. You want a law firm that has demonstrated that they can get great results in motorcycle collision cases in Villa Park, IL.

Our team has more than seven decades of combined litigation and trial experience. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will aggressively pursue every legal avenue to make sure justice is served. Always speak to a lawyer before accepting an insurance company’s offer. The insurance adjuster will try to limit your financial settlement. 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 Villa Park, IL clients.

To learn more about what we can do for you, speak to our team at (312) 500-HURT to discuss your motorcycle accident claim now.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Villa Park, IL?

Fourteen percent of traffic 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 United States, 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. 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 leads us to believe that the accidents were often caused by a car or truck driver was not looking out for bikers. Most of the crashes occurred in metropolitan areas, especially on arterial roads.

According to research from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, Illinois is eighth in the country with close to 300,000 registered motorcycles, and proportionately was eighth in the country in deaths in 2017.

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

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Villa Park, IL

There are a number things you should do, both at the accident site and throughout the process of recovering from your injuries and seeking compensation, to ensure both your health and the chances of a successful claim.

Immediately After The Accident

While any collision is jarring, try to stay as calm as possible. At the accident site, you should:

• Get out of harm’s way — If possible, move out of the way of other vehicles coming down the street. Leave your motorcycle where it is. 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.
• Do not take off your safety gear — Removing your helmet or other gear could also make serious injuries even worse. Shock may hide how significant an injury actually is.
• Call 911 — Because the injuries caused in a motorcycle wreck can be catastrophic, it may be a good idea to be looked over there instead of trying to go to an emergency room yourself. Police know how to determine liability in an accident, and will make a police report.
• 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 as many pictures as possible. Something you do not think is that big of a deal may help a motorcycle accident lawyer in Villa Park, IL prove someone else’s negligence when you make your claim. See if there are eyewitnesses who can back up your side of the story.

Lastly, if you did not opt to get medical treatment at the scene, 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 Villa Park, 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 physical recovery, 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 show the extent of your injuries. The the higher your financial loss, the higher your ultimate compensation will be as well. Make sure you attend every follow up, chiropractic or physical therapy appointment your doctor wants you to.
• Keep Track of Everything Related to Your Injuries — You are also entitled to 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 parking or Uber rides 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. It may also be a good idea to keep a daily journal showing the non-tangible impact of your injuries and your pain and suffering.
• Do Not Talk to the Insurance Company — Once you have notified the insurance company about your claim and enlisted the services of a motorcycle accident lawyer, your attorney will handle all communication with the insurance. Insurance adjusters use a lot of tricks to avoid paying claims, but your attorney will know how to combat them.
• Resist 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 tell the insurance company that your injuries prevent you from working, and the insurance sees pictures of you at a bar, they will use it to try and deny your claim.

From your initial consultation, we will keep you updated throughout your claim until we attain a successful resolution. Allow us to deal with the investigation, documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can spend your energy on on your medical treatment.

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

For some minor claims, where there is no discrepancy about who is at fault and your medical bills are no more than an appointment with your primary care physician, 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 trouble. In a smaller settlement where their policyholder is clearly liable, the insurance company is not going to want to waste their time.

However, in the vast majority of cases, you will need the assistance of a motorcycle accident attorney for your injury claim. While in a perfect world insurance companies would fulfill their duty when someone is injured under their coverage, they usually have to be convinced to. Situations where you will need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Villa Park, IL include:

• Your injuries require ongoing treatment — The more your medical bills and time spent off work, the more the insurance company will try and devalue your injuries. 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 convince the insurance company to pay for future damages as well.
• Your damages and the insurance company’s offer are way too far apart — If your damages are in the tens or hundreds 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 cases, especially multi-vehicle accidents, 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 a pothole that a governmental agency should have fixed. A knowledgeable Villa Park, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to investigate the wreck and determine all liable parties. Identifying everyone who is liable is crucial 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 — Blaming you for your injuries is a well-known trick insurance adjusters use to avoid paying you. When this happens, an attorney will fight back prove how the other party was negligent. If it is true that you were 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 most possible compensation.

Your Villa Park, IL motorcycle accident lawyer at Burger Law knows how to fight back against dishonest ploys insurance adjusters use. We have been doing it for more than 30 years. We offer an initial conversation and investigation at no charge, so call us at (312) 500-HURT to see what we can do for your claim. We start working from the second you hire us, and fight until there is nothing left to fight.

Recent Burger Law Villa Park, 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 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 Villa Park, IL?

If you want to have a successful claim in Villa Park, 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 duty to protect you from unreasonable harm? 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1 stipulates that “every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care,” so other drivers always owe you that duty.
2. Breach of duty — Did they fail in that duty and did that breach lead to an accident? Was the other motorist speeding, texting and driving, drunk driving or otherwise not following proper procedure behind the wheel?
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 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 pain and suffering? If your accident caused a few small cuts and bruising, but they healed without any medical treatment, you likely do not have a claim.

Any time somebody else’s carelessness or recklessness injures you, you have an injury claim. Speak to a motorcycle accident attorney immediately at (312) 500-HURT if you have any doubts about the validity of your claim.

How Much is My Villa Park, 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
• While not common, you might be able to receive 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 medical bills and more pain and suffering
• Whether or not you contributed to the accident
• If you sustained permanent disfigurement or disability
• The impact the injuries have had on your ability to live the life you are used to

At Burger Law, we know how to calculate the full value of someone’s injury claim and insisting the insurance company takes responsibility for all of it. If your injuries require ongoing medical care, that will also be part of your settlement or verdict, including accounting for inflation.

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

According to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations for motorcycle accident injuries in Villa Park, 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 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 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 time is not included in the two years

While two years does not sound like it should give you a sense of urgency, 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 Villa Park, IL. Call us immediately at (312) 500-HURT.

What Are Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Villa Park, IL?

Motorcycles are not as easy to spot on the road, as they take up less space. Due to something referred to 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 look for larger vehicles, but not for motorcycles. Inattentional blindness contributes to many motorcycle accidents in Villa Park, IL.

Most motorcycle accidents occur because of:

• Left-hand turns — According to the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, almost half of all motorcycle accidents that result in fatalities involve a car turning 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 are also common between motorcycles and passenger cars. A car may also to fail to see a motorcyclist when turning in front of them. 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 — Uneven pavement, potholes, dead animals, wet or icy roadways 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 spin out.
• Malfunctioning components — Manufacturers and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall dozens of motorcycles annually. When dangerous bikes and components are not recalled, it can cause motorcycle crashes.

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

Ninety-four percent of all motor vehicle accidents are the result of human error. So, most of the time another motorist is responsible for your injuries. However, other parties that may be held accountable include:

• A governmental body or construction company for road hazards
• A vehicle designer, manufacturer or vendor in a product liability claim
• A company if their employee injured you while driving, for example in a commercial truck accident

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

States and municipalities are supposed to keep their roadways safe for use by everyone on the roads, and when there are road hazards that cause an accident, the municipality may have to compensate you for your injuries. However, suing a government entity in Illinois has added complications. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Villa Park, IL can handle your claim and take the fight to city hall to get you the compensation you deserve.

A Loved One Was Killed in a Motorcycle Crash in Villa Park, 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 family member 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 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 dies because of another’s negligence or wrongdoing.
• 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 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 nieces and nephews can bring a suit
  3. If there are no family members, the court 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 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 the deceased, including any benefits they got from 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 Villa Park, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just skilled 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 claims we we have had great success with in Villa Park, 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 Villa Park, IL Today

Our Villa Park, 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 Villa Park, 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.