Rockford Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

According to the Department of Transportation, motorcycle accidents account for 14% of all traffic-related deaths in the US each year, and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 90% of these fatalities involve a driver who wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time of their accident.

Were you involved in a motorcycle accident in Rockford, Illinois? Are you seeking maximum compensation for your damages from the negligent party?

Our personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, are legal advocates for motorcycle accident victims like you. We focus on the legal process so you can concentrate on your emotional and physical recovery.

Call our Rockford motorcycle accident lawyers at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form for immediate legal advice and to schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share remains private through an attorney-client relationship.

Rockford, IL Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle and car accidents can be devastating. In addition to the physical pain and trauma you experience, your life is turned upside down by motorcycle injuries that keep you from working or doing what you love. You may have been injured in a motorcycle accident caused by another driver’s negligence.

The insurance company will do its best to pay as little as possible for your injuries—and they know how to get away with it.

If they decide the other driver is the liable party, their investigation may not be thorough enough to prove this in court. Hence, they settle out of court instead of taking it before a jury, where justice would prevail if motorcycle accident lawyers fairly represented all sides.

At our law firm, we understand these challenges because we are motorcycle riders too! Our experienced motorcycle injury lawyers are passionate about helping victims like yourself who have suffered a serious personal injury due to motor vehicle negligence.

Your Rockford motorcycle accident lawyer will work closely with you to help you recover compensation for your loss.

Illinois Motorcycle Accident Statistics

Motorcycles can easily crash when they encounter road hazards that would be nothing more than a bump in the road for a car or truck.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, there are about 300,000 motorcycles registered in Illinois. It is a 40% increase in motorcycle registrations since 2001.

In Illinois, motorcycle accident fatalities occur with surprising frequency in Rockford – about one death per month.

If you or someone you love was involved in a motorcycle accident, contact a motorcycle accident lawyer from our law office as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation and learn how we can help you achieve maximum compensation.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident

The steps you take immediately after being involved in a motorcycle accident could ensure you receive the maximum financial compensation you deserve.

First, in the moments following the crash, quickly assess your health status and the well-being of others and then:

• Call 911 immediately to report the accident and request medical assistance transported to a hospital emergency room.
• Assure that law enforcement is notified of the accident and takes a report. Gather information from witnesses, including their names, address, and telephone number.
• If no medical personnel are available at the accident scene, seek immediate emergency care for any injuries, even if they seem minor.
• Take photographs of your injuries and record the treating physicians’ names, addresses, and telephone numbers.

Only after taking these steps will you be able to seek maximum compensation for your severe injuries and losses.

Why Aggressive Legal Representation is Crucial

The insurance companies involved in motorcycle accident cases often try to settle quickly without considering your best interests.

An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can help clarify what damages may be available to compensate you for your personal injury, lost income, medical expenses, or wrongful death.

Statute of Limitations

According to Illinois law, motorcycle accident victims have a limited time to file a personal injury lawsuit related to the accident—two years from the accident date. Victims who do not file motorcycle accident cases within this window risk waiving their right to compensation for these losses.

Recent Rockford Motorcycle Accidents

The Rockford motorcycle accident attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC remind every person of the dangerous road conditions in and around Rockford.

Numerous deadly motorcycle crashes have occurred in the county over the last few months, including:

• In August 2020, Rockford Police Department responded to a motorcycle crash involving a passenger vehicle at Newburgh and S. Alpine roads. EMTs transported one victim to the local hospital. An early investigation had not concluded who was at fault for the crash.
• In August 2020, a man and woman from Janesville, Wisconsin, were involved in a single-vehicle crash in Rock County. Both the motorcyclist and the passenger were thrown from the bike. The woman suffered critical injuries, and the man succumbed two days later.
• In August 2019, two men died in a Mount Morris double motorcycle crash east of Rockford. Both motorcycles were traveling in opposite directions just before the collision. One of the motorcycles suffered severe injuries in the crash and was airlifted to a Rockford hospital.

Common Injuries in Motorcycle Accident Victims

When riding a motorcycle, you are always vulnerable to an accident. Motorcycle riders suffer injuries including:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Spinal cord injuries
• Fractures and broken bones
• Road rash
• Paralysis
• Paraplegia, quadriplegia, or tetraplegia
• Facial disfigurement
• Head injury
• Burns
• Amputations
• Internal bleeding and organ damage
• Wrongful death

A Rockford motorcycle riding accident can result in significant injuries that lead to hospitalization, chronic pain, surgeries, medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and lost wages.

In many cases, these costs can be compounded because you also need a financial replacement for all the things you cannot do anymore because of your serious injuries, such as being able to return to your old job.

Having a Rockford motorcycle injury lawyer from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers would be best. They can help you pursue maximum compensation for all the losses you have incurred due to a crash that was not your fault.

The Risks of Riding a Motorcycle in Rockford

Sharing the roadway with motor vehicles often poses a significant risk to bikers and passengers, especially when traveling around distracted drivers. Motorcycles lack the same equipment and safety features as commercial trucks and passenger vehicles.

All vehicle accidents are serious, but motorcycle accidents are some of the most catastrophic because of the lack of protection riders have. Illinois has no helmet law, but that doesn’t mean motorcyclists have no recourse when someone else’s negligence leaves them seriously injured and saddled with medical bills and other damages.

There is usually an inherent risk in riding a motorcycle where the most common accidents involve:

• A commercial truck or passenger vehicle turning into the pathway of an oncoming motorcycle
• Failure of a driver to see a motorcyclist until it is too late to avoid a collision
• A motorcycle crash is caused during lane splitting when the biker travels between rows of slow-moving vehicles in heavily congested traffic conditions.
• Dangerous road conditions and defects in the roadway and equipment can also cause a motorcycle/car accident.
• Dangerous roads caused by a lack of maintenance where a government agency or road crew failed to create a safe environment for travelers
• Adverse weather conditions, including snow, sleet, ice, rain, fog, and wind
• Mechanical defects in the motorcycle, including a defective brake or tire
• A defectively designed motorcycle product or vehicle part, such as a poorly designed gas tank that fails to hold fluid
• Industry negligence where a factory negligently made a faulty electrical component causing a fire that contributed to a motorcycle crash
• The inability of the rider to operate or control the motorcycle due to faulty equipment

If you’ve been involved in a severe or catastrophic injury wreck, talk to an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer about your motorcycle accident case.

Any motorcycle rider/driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol, including prescription medication, has a slower response time. Many accidents could have been prevented had the driver stayed in the proper lane or yielded the right-of-way.

Motor Vehicle Defects that Can Lead to Rockford Motorcycle Accidents

Several commercial trucks have been pulled from production lines for safety defects in their design.

Some potentially dangerous truck parts include:

• Tire blowouts
• Axle failure, which could cause the truck driver to lose control of the truck
• Air conditioning failure in a car or truck causes an accident when it overheats and explodes, creating a massive explosion and fire.
• Design defects that led to a rollover by a commercial vehicle could have been prevented if the fuel tank or gas tank had been better designed.
• Failure to install a left turn signal could have prevented a motorcycle crash where the driver failed to see another vehicle coming in its direction.

If you were injured, consider hiring an experienced Rockford motorcycle accident lawyer familiar with safety defects related to commercial trucking or passenger vehicle negligence.

A skilled accident lawyer can answer all your questions about how fault affects your long-term recovery plan after a serious wreck.

Keeping Safe on the Road

Bikers are often at risk in a motorcycle crash involving a commercial truck due to their size and weight difference. When combined, the overall weight of the motorcycle rider and their passenger creates less momentum than a single 18-wheeler.

Protect yourself by wearing bright-colored clothing with reflective strips. The bright colors make it easier for the driver to see you, while the metal strips ensure your movements are easy to track in low-visibility conditions.

The motorcycle’s headlight should be as bright as possible and maintained as such. It can help to illuminate the area if a motorcycle crash occurs so other motorists are aware.

Take extra caution when riding at night or in inclement weather. If you must ride during either of those conditions, pay close attention to your surroundings and leave plenty of distance between you and other vehicles on the road.

A helmet can protect you from more severe traumatic brain injuries and death.

Checking Your Insurance Coverage

Another step you can take is to check your insurance coverage. If the other vehicle were at fault, you would likely want to file a claim through your insurer.

However, if it reveals that you were partly responsible for the accident, it’s best to wait to report the incident. Your policy may be voided if you are found to be at fault.

Check with your insurer to ensure you are not liable for any damages before filing a claim.

Even if another vehicle is found to be ultimately responsible, it is still good practice to file the report to keep your policy active.

Rockford motorcycle accidents will continue to increase as more car drivers turn to motorcycles for their everyday commutes and weekend rides.

Although it is your responsibility as a motorcyclist to stay safe and abide by the road rules, you may not avoid all accidents.

Motorcycle Crash Attorney

You should talk with an experienced Rockford motorcycle crash lawyer if you have been hurt in a wreck that was not your fault.

The financial burden of a severe injury begins before you even leave the hospital – with high medical and hospital bills – and can go on for years, depending on the severity of your injuries.

The challenge is that you cannot work during this time, leaving you without an income. Call us today at (888) 424-5757 to learn how we can help you seek maximum compensation after your accident.

We work on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t have to pay us unless we win compensation for your case.

Contacting a Rockford Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Highly experienced Rockford motorcycle accident attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, are ready to serve as your legal advocate to protect your rights after your accident by filing a motorcycle injury claim or wrongful death lawsuit for financial compensation for your Rockford motorcycle accident.

Our law firm will perform a comprehensive investigation and assessment of the motorcycle/car accident scene to determine the cause of the crash and provide various legal options for obtaining adequate compensation for your injuries.

Our team of skilled Rockford personal injury lawyers understands comprehensive federal and Illinois motorcycle laws. We will build a successful personal injury case based on proven legal theory to ensure the maximum financial recovery you deserve on a contingency fee basis.

If you or a loved one are an accident victim seeking fair compensation to recover your damages, contact a motorcycle accident attorney at (888) 424-5757 to schedule your free case consultation.

A Chicago motorcycle accident lawyer can give you information on our practice areas, receive immediate legal advice, recoup property damage losses, file a claim against the insurance company, and postpone the payment of your medical bills.

Resources:

• NSC – Motorcycle Accident Injury Statistics
• NIH – Fatal motorcycle crashes