Get Legal Help from a Cook County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer after Your Wreck
In 2012, approximately 3,300 motorcyclists were injured, and 148 died in traffic crashes in Illinois, according to the Department of Transportation. Many of these accidents are preventable had other drivers taken basic safety measures. Because motorcycle accidents usually entail severe injuries and fatalities, victims or the families of the victims will want to speak to a Cook County motorcycle accident lawyer for help determining the best way to pursue restitution.
Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
The causes of motorcycle accidents are complex. Sometimes the fault lies with the rider and sometimes with a negligent driver. Fault may lie with a motorcycle manufacturer if a defective part caused the crash. Below are some of the most common contributing factors of motorcycle accidents.
- Motorcyclists that lack training on how to operate a bike or rider inexperience
- Speeding or riding too fast for conditions
- Not properly signally before a turn, or making a turn without looking carefully
- Taking corners too fast
- Improper passing, lane splitting, and otherwise not obeying the rules of the road
- Poor road conditions or objects in the road, e.g., animals, potholes, etc.
- Operating the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Driving distractedly, e.g., texting while driving or eating in the car
How can you seek compensation for damages?
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident, you might be able to receive reimbursement for damages from the driver’s insurance party if he or she was to blame for the accident. You also can file a lawsuit against any at-fault party to recover damages. The same holds true if your loved one is killed in a wreck caused by someone else’s negligence. In this case, you can recover damages in a wrongful death claim.
There are a couple of important things to keep in mind when you begin looking into compensation options.
- If you are more than 50 percent at fault for the accident, you’ll need to rely on your own insurance to cover your damages.
- Motorcycle injuries are often so severe that they far surpass the limits on driver’s insurance policies. Filing a lawsuit will enable you to collect a larger settlement for a wider range of damages than an insurance claim.
- You’ll need to be able to provide adequate proof of fault and your injuries to win the full settlement award to which you’re entitled.
- The other party might try to pin you with partial fault. Your lawyer can collect evidence and present your case clearly so that fault is correctly apportioned.
- If you file a claim, the insurer might try to give you a lowball offer, hoping you’ll settle quickly. You do not want to sign any settlement agreements until you’ve spoken with your lawyer.
Types of Compensable Damages
If you are eligible to file a negligence lawsuit for your motorcycle accident, you can recover both tangible and non-tangible damages. Below are a few examples.
- Current and future medical bills
- Surgeries, medications and other treatments
- Injury-related transportation expenses
- Loss of income, loss of promotion and loss of benefits
- Disability, disfigurement and dismemberment
- Emotional damages
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Death benefits, including funeral expenses, loss of income and loss of support/consortium/advice
With severe injuries, it can be difficult to ascertain the actual value of your claim without carefully examining all the losses and speaking to a forensic economist. For help calculating your damages, you are welcome to call one of our attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates. Motorcycle accidents are one of our key areas of personal injury and wrongful death cases.
Should you work with us, we will take the time to understand your injuries and relay their extensiveness to the insurer or courts so that you can be compensated fully. Call a motorcycle accident lawyer today at 1-800-NOW-HURT.
