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As more and more young residents move to big cities like Chicago, they start to adapt to their more urban environment. Many of them shed their cars for more flexible and affordable options of transportation, such as bikes. Perhaps this is why we have seen a spike in bike accidents across the state.
What we do know is that collisions involving someone on a bike and an automobile tend to be some of the most serious, especially for the biker. Below we have compiled data from various Illinois jurisdictions involving settlements and verdicts from various types of bicycle accident cases.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC has represented many victims of Illinois bicycle accidents and reviewed the entire breadth of case law surrounding these incidents. We understand how your needs intersect with the justice system. The law is just a tool by which you recover for your injuries and it should be used as effectively and quickly as possibly to compensate you for your harms.
If you are injured in a bike accident, you might need compensation to repair injuries, recover lost wages, or deal with ongoing medical issues. If one of your loved ones died in a bike accident, you might need to recover for the lost support and service that their absence inflicts upon you. We can help you in these critical times by standing up for your rights and maximizing your recovery.
Contact our office for a free review of your Illinois bicycle accident case. You can talk to a lawyer without any cost or obligation on your part.
The Law Surrounding Bike Accidents In Illinois
In many if not all circumstances, your bike accident lawsuit will allege that the driver that crashed into your bike was negligent. This means that the person driving the automobile failed to act as a reasonable person would in similar circumstances.
Often, drivers are negligent when they turn signaling, drive above the speed limit, cross lanes when they are not supposed to, or fail to yield to bikers. However, there are many other forms of negligent conduct drivers exhibit and, often times, behavior that is normally acceptable might be considered negligent in court under the particular circumstances of the incident. Regardless of the specific form of negligence, all claims must allege and prove the following things:
- DUTY: The defendant owed a duty to the plaintiff. This should not be hard to exhibit because all drivers owe others the duty to not crash into them.
- BREACH: The defendant breached a duty. Again, evidence that someone crashed into your bike is normally per se proof of a breach.
- CAUSATION: The defendant’s breach caused your injuries. This is normally when things get tricky. The defendant might try to show that you actually are responsible for the crash or that some third party is responsible. In either case, you must refute this contention and point a line between the defendant’s actions and your injuries.
- DAMAGES: Your injuries produced legally recognizable damages. It is not enough to be offended. You must be able to show that the defendant’s negligent conduct materially harmed you and left you worse off. Forms of acceptable damages can be economic, like medical bills or lost wages, and they can be non-economic, like pain and suffering or long-term pain.
Learn More, Contact Us Today!
Understanding the complicated dimensions of negligence and other laws that surround car accidents is important, but there are many other factors in play that you should consider. Contact us today to hear about how all the relevant laws and statutes interplay with the particular facts of your case and affect your chances at future recovery.
We have handled many car accident cases and can give you a careful explanation of what to expect once you bring your lawsuit goes to trial. Also, we can give you advice on who to talk to, what evidence to gather and preserve, and what information to gather and record.
Average Bike Accident Awards Involving Injured Cyclists In Illinois
After working with clients who have sustained serious injuries in bike accident cases, we know your number-one concern is “How much is my bike accident case worth?” Of course, what we say upfront is that every case is different and all verdicts and settlements arise from their own particular facts and circumstances.
However, this does not help you answer the question whether or not a trial would be worth the effort. Thus, some numbers might be helpful in gaining context or at least seeing a range of possibilities for what your bike accident case might be worth. So, here are the facts:
- The state average for bike accidents is approximately one-third of a million dollars.
- State median returns for bike accidents roughly ranges between $25,000 and $40,000.
- 75% of all cases recovered under $100,000 and 10% of all cases recovered more than $1,000,000.
- 67% of all cases in Cook County recovered under $100,000 and 15% of all cases in Cook County recovered more than $1,000,000.
Of course, these numbers might not mean a whole heck of a lot to you because what happened in your accident was probably unique. Therefore, below we have assembled some case summaries arranged by injury type. They should give you a more focused view of what your case might be worth. Try to compare your injuries and circumstances to those in the following synopses.
Past Illinois Bike Accident Awards
If you suffer an injury in a bike accident, your concern will be how to pick up the pieces and move forward. Of course, recovery through the justice system is the most likely route for things along the way including medical bills, loss of income, and property damage. But how much is your bike accident case worth?
To answer that question, it is helpful to look at past cases with similar injuries. Here are bike accident case summaries grouped by common injuries to give you a sense of comparable recoveries.
