Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Will County, IL

The exhilaration you feel when riding a motorcycle can be canceled out by the injuries negligent drivers cause when they do not respect your safety. If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Will County, IL, call 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 Will 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 get your blood racing. You are connected to the road and your motorcycle in a way that a car just cannot emulate. Unfortunately, negligent drivers can turn that feeling into catastrophic injuries. Because of their relative lack of protection, the consequences of a motorcycle accident can be devastating. When you are injured, there are hardships and you need someone to stand by your side and get you the compensation you deserve. You want an attorney with a proven track record of winning motorcycle collision claims in Will County, IL.

Our attorneys and paralegals have more than seven decades of combined experience winning cases in negotiations and in the court room. 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 will try to limit your compensation. We know how to fight insurance companies and ensure that they treat our Will County, IL clients fairly.

To discover more about what we can do for you, call our team at (312) 500-HURT to go over your motorcycle accident case today.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Will County, IL?

Fourteen percent of motor vehicle fatalities and four percent of injuries were sustained by motorcyclists, despite only less than one 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 deaths. In Illinois, of 3,077 motorcycle crashes, 2,404 caused injuries and 152 were fatal, according to the Illinois 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics. Sadly, over half of those occurred when the motorcycle was driving straight, insinuating that the accidents were often caused by a car or truck driver not respecting motorcyclists on the road. Wrecks happen most frequently in urban areas, especially on arterial roads.

According to findings 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.

The most common season for motorcycle crashes is summer, and half of all wrecks happen between Friday night and Monday morning.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Will County, IL

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

At the Accident Site

While any wreck can be jarring, it is important to keep a clear head. Immediately after the crash, you should:

• Get out of harm’s way — If you can, get to the side of the road and away from oncoming traffic. Leave your motorcycle behind. It is obviously important to you, 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.
• Do not remove your protective gear — Taking off your helmet or 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 — Because motorcycle accidents can cause severe injuries, it is probably best to be looked over at the scene instead of leaving and planning to seek medical attention later. 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 how the vehicles are positioned and the surrounding areas. Take more photos than you think you need. Something that may seem unimportant at first may be useful to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Will County, IL when trying to prove your case in the future. See if there are eyewitnesses who can corroborate your side of the story.

Lastly, receive medical attention if you have not already.

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 Will 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 is also essential to building your case. You need to prove that you sustained financial losses, and to do that you need to complete copies of medical medical records which detail all of the costs and treatments directly associated with the accident. The the higher your financial loss, the higher your non-economic damages 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 also deserve 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 transportation to and from medical appointments or hiring someone to help with household chores. Keep all of your receipts and explanations for why you needed to pay those expenses. You can also write down your every day experiences detailing 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 accident and hired a motorcycle accident lawyer, your attorney will handle all communication with the insurance. Insurance adjusters use a lot of tactics to avoid paying claims, but your attorney will know how to make the adjuster be honest.
• Do Not Post on Social Media — It is commonplace to want to share what is going on with your life on social media. However, even an honest post can hurt your claim. If you say your injuries are debilitating, and the insurance sees pictures of you at your friend’s barbecue, they they can say your injuries are not actually that severe.

From your initial consultation, we will keep you completely in the loop until we reach a successful resolution. Allow us to deal with the investigation, documentation, negotiation and litigation so you can focus on your medical treatment.

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

For minor and clear-cut accidents, where the liable party is taking accountability and your medical bills only include an appointment with your primary care physician, you may be able to get compensation on your own. Supply the insurance company with proof of your financial losses, and ask for a little more for inconvenience. In a a settlement for a relatively small sum of money where their policyholder is clearly liable, the insurance company will only lose money if they try to deny your claim.

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 obligations when their policyholders injure someone, they usually have to be convinced to. You will likely need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Will County, IL if:

• Your injuries are severe — The higher your damages, the more the insurance company will fight back against your claim. If your injuries require ongoing treatment, you will absolutely need an attorney to precisely value your damages.
• The insurance company is not being fair — If your damages are starting to creep up into the tens of thousands, and the insurance adjuster is only offering a few thousand, they are trying to take advantage of you. 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. 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 person who was negligent. For example, a driver may cut your off because they did not see you, causing you to take defensive action and hit an improperly cordoned-off construction site. A talented Will County, 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 your injuries — Trying to say your injuries are your own fault is a frequent move insurance adjusters use to avoid paying you. When this happens, an attorney will fight back conclusively demonstrate 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 doctrine. However, you will need an attorney to apply the rule of law and get you that compensation.

Your Will County, 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 three decades. Our consultations are free, 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 Will County, 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. 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. 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 Will County, IL?

In order to file any Will County, 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 other person have an obligation 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 that duty.
2. Breach of duty — Were they neglectful 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 negligence cause the accident? If the other driver’s brakes were not working, the person who needs to compensate you may be a manufacturer and not the driver?.
5. Damages — Did your injuries lead to losses, such as lost wages and mental anguish? If your accident resulted in some bruises or scrapes, but they healed without any medical treatment, it would be hard for you to file a claim.

If you were injured because of another’s negligence, 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 Will County, IL Motorcycle Accident Claim Worth?

In any personal injury claim, you are owed compensation for:

• 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
• 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 typically lead to higher medical bills and more pain and suffering
• Whether or not you were partially to blame for your injuries
• 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, our injury attorneys are experts at calculating every dime you are owed and insist the liable party 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 calculating for inflation.

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

Pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations for motorcycle accident injuries in Will County, 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 a minor at the time of accident, 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 negligent party is outside of 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 hesitate to reach out to a motorcycle accident lawyer after you were hurt in a motorcycle accident in Will County, IL. Call us today at (312) 500-HURT.

What Are Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Will County, IL?

Motorcycles are not as easy to spot on the road, do not take up as much space on the road. As a result of something called “inattentional blindness,” it is harder for drivers 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 Will County, IL.

Most motorcycle accidents occur because of:

• Left-hand turns — According to the Motorcycle Legal Foundation, 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 cars or trucks. It is also common for a car not see a motorcyclist when merging or changing lanes. Motorcycles also collide with fixed objects more than any other type of motorist, which is not always the motorcyclist’s fault.
• Road hazards — Cracked pavement, potholes, dead animals, gravel or other roadways debris 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 result in motorcycle accidents.

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

Almost all motor vehicle accidents are the result of driver error. So, most likely, you will make a claim against another driver. However, other parties that may be held liable include:

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

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

States and municipalities 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 state may have to compensate you for your injuries. However, suing a government entity in Illinois has added complications. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Will County, IL can handle your claim and guide you through the complexities of local and state laws to secure you a full financial recovery.

A Loved One Was Killed in a Motorcycle Crash in Will 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 tragedy struck and a loved one 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 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:

• 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 that they were first injured.
• There are three categories of people who 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. If there are no immediate family members, siblings and nieces and nephews can bring a suit
  3. If there are no family members, a judge can appoint a plaintiff ad litem to bring a suit
• 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 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 Will County, IL wrongful death attorneys are not just tremendous 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 injury claims we we have had great success with in Will County, IL include:

• 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 Will County, IL Today

Our Will 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 Will County, 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.