Illinois Motorcycle Accident Injuries

At Ktenas Injury Lawyers, our Chicago motorcycle accident lawyers have vast experience representing motorcycle accident victims who have been hurt in motorcycle accidents in settlement negotiations and at trial, and we have a successful track record.

As avid motorcycle riders and experienced motorcycle accident lawyers, we understand the true cost of a motorcycle crash and we’re committed to helping those who have suffered injuries and property damage after a motorcycle accident recover the financial compensation they deserve to cover their medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage, and other financial damages.

To schedule a free initial consultation, call our personal injury law firm today at (312) 300-2515 or chat with us online to learn how we can help.

What are the Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Illinois?

In a motorcycle wreck, any part of your body can be hurt. Often, motorcycle riders are at risk of suffering:

• Head and Brain Injuries: Open head injuries, skull fractures, and traumatic brain injury can occur when a motorcycle rider’s head collides with a motor vehicle, the pavement, or another object.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Spinal injuries can cause permanent disability or paralysis. The specific spinal cord injury you suffer from a motorcycle crash depends on the area of the spine that was hurt in the motorcycle crash.
• Broken Bones: If a motorcycle operator or passenger is thrown from the motorcycle, or if the motorcycle lands on top of him or her, this can cause broken bones. The severity of the break and the specific broken bone determine the needed medical attention and a prognosis.
• Chest Injuries: If an external object penetrates or crushes your chest, this can cause significant and potentially fatal injuries to your internal organs, including your lungs or heart.
• Eye Injuries: After a motorcycle accident, you may suffer from permanent vision changes or a substantial pain in the eyes.
• Open Wounds: Scarring and infection are significant risks among motorcycle operators who suffer open wounds after a motorcycle accident.
• Road Rash: A motorcycle rider who is dragged along asphalt or smacks the ground after a motorcycle wreck may suffer significant scrapes also known as road rash. Road rash may leave lasting scars or may be infected.
• Dental or Facial Injuries: Facial broken bones or wounds can cause excruciating pain, trauma, and additional expenses.
• Amputations: Motorcycle accidents can cause leg or arm amputations, especially if an infection occurs in a wound or doctors can’t repair the damage caused by the crash. Rarely, an amputation may occur if a leg, hand, finger, arm, foot, or toe is severed during a motorcycle crash.
• Death: Most of the motorcycle accident injuries described above are fatal.

After a motorcycle accident, it’s essential to seek prompt medical treatment for an accurate diagnosis of your motorcycle accident injury. Not seeking medical attention right away after a motorcycle accident can cause the insurance company to deny or dispute your personal injury claim.

What are the Most Common Motorcycle Accidents?

Any of the motorcycle injuries described above can occur after the following motorcycle accidents:

T-Bone Accident

A T-Bone motorcycle crash is a type of side-impact accident that occurs when a motor vehicle doesn’t stop at an intersection and hits the side of the motorcycle that’s lawfully moving through the intersection.

Rear-End Collisions

When a motor vehicle can't stop when a motorcyclist stops or follows a motorcycle too closely, the vehicle could hit the motorcycle from the back, causing a rear-end crash.

Head-on Collisions

When one car is in the wrong lane, the front of the motor vehicle may collide with the motorcycle that’s proceeding lawfully in its own lane.

Left Turn Accident

Often, drivers think motorcyclists are farther away than they’re because of the motorcycle’s small size. Thus, they may make a left turn when they don’t have enough time to do so safely—and the motorcyclist may collide with the side of their vehicle.

Often, motorcycle accidents are caused by:

• Aggressive Drivers: A driver who is overlapping in and out of traffic or who is following a bike too closely can cause a fatal accident.
• Speeding Drivers: A motorist engaged in speeding or reckless driving has a higher chance of causing a motorcycle collision.
• Drowsy Drivers: A motor vehicle driver who is tired may have impaired judgment and slower reaction times, causing severe motorcycle wrecks.
• Distracted Driving: Talking on the phone, texting, eating, talking to passengers, changing music, and many other distractions can take a driver’s attention away from watching out for motorcycles and a serious accident can occur in less than a second.
• Drunk Driving: It’s illegal in Illinois to drive with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher. However, even low blood alcohol concentrations can impair the judgment of a driver and the driver can cause a fatal accident.
• Poor Road Design or Road Conditions: Excessive foliage, Potholes, or slippery roads can make it challenging for drivers, increasing the chances of accidents occurring.

If you or a loved one have been hurt in an Illinois motorcycle accident caused by someone else’s negligence, then it’s essential to hire an experienced attorney to help you fight for your fair recovery.

What Damages Can I Recover in a Successful Illinois Motorcycle Accident Case?

While there’s no way to undo the damage caused by a motorcycle accident, you should not have to bear the financial burden of a motorcycle crash caused by another person’s negligence. You should fight to recover fair compensation for past, current, and future:

• Medical Expenses: Medical costs include all health-related expenses, including hospital stays, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation therapies, and assistive medical devices.
• Lost Income: After a motorcycle accident, you’re eligible for any lost wages—whether partial or total.
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: These expenses include funeral costs if your loved one died and any other expenses you incurred following the accident.
• Pain and Suffering: Your emotional distress, pain, and physical suffering can’t be undone by a financial settlement; you deserve compensation for these significant injuries.

Following an auto accident, you deserve to recover these damages, but you will have to fight for them. Hiring an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can help you recover the financial compensation you’re entitled to.

What is the Average Payout for a Motorcycle Accident?

The Jury Verdict Research published by Thomson Reuters reports that from 1999 to 2006, the median motorcycle injury verdict--after a personal injury trial was $73,700. Motorcycle accident victims who slid on loose gravel and suffered broken vertebrae and nerve damage received $1,600,000 in a settlement.

The wrongful death compensation was $355,000 after the plaintiff was killed when the at-fault party pulled a small trailer and turned left in front of the motorcyclist at high speed. $300,000 settlement after the at-fault party’s truck turned left in front of a motorcyclist. Here the injured party’s bodily injuries were limited to aggravation of pre-existing herniated discs, a torn knee ligament, and soft tissue injuries.

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers have access to a database of settlements and verdicts, and we’ll use this information to find cases with similar personal injuries and circumstances to yours and the trial verdict amounts or settlements in your jurisdiction.

Who is at Fault in Most Motorcycle Accidents?

Often, motor vehicle drivers are held liable for motorcycle collisions, but the actions of the motorcyclist and the driver are considered in the final decision. When the fault of a motorcycle accident is unsafe roadways, government entities responsible for road construction and management might be held liable for the accident.

Fault is calculated based on arguments made by lawyers using evidence provided in an investigation and then determined by the judge in his or her final decision. Typically, motorcycles pose less of a threat on roadways than passenger vehicles, and the judge considers this when making his or her decision. However, if evidence proves a motorcyclist was partially responsible for the accident, the judge will deduct damages from the final settlement based on his or her calculation of plausible liability.

You must consult a personal injury attorney or wrongful death lawyer to investigate the incident fully to determine which party is liable in your personal injury lawsuit. At Chicago car accident attorneys, are experienced investigators who will examine all the evidence available and help you find those at fault for your accident.

Contact Our Experienced Chicago Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Today for Legal Advice!

If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident, you need the best motorcycle accident attorney working on your behalf to recover the maximum motorcycle accident compensation that you deserve. At Ktenas Injury Lawyers, we have helped thousands of motorcycle accident victims in Cook County and throughout Illinois recover maximum compensation and we can help you too.

To schedule a no-cost initial consultation, call our law office in Chicago today at (312) 300-2515, or chat with us online to learn how we can help you through the accident claims process. Call us today and schedule a free consultation so we can review your legal options for financial recovery.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, we can also safely arrange a video conference and send you electronic documents so we can start working on your personal injury case right away without the need to visit our Chicago office.