After a motorcycle bike accident in Illinois, there can be a lot of chaos and difficult hurdles to overcome. Fortunately, with our attorneys, a motorcycle accident victim should receive compensation from whoever is responsible for the crash.
At Jerome Salmi Kopis, LLC, our legal team strives to provide the best legal representation possible to victims of accidents and personal injury. We realize the moments following an accident are confusing, but we recommend you take the following steps to boost your odds of receiving a favorable settlement. Contact us today if you have any questions.
Contact Jerome, Salmi & Kopis, LLC today to talk with a lawyer who can help you through the process.
Document the Crash
Obviously, if you were severely injured, you were probably taken to the hospital. Hopefully, you weren’t, and if that is the case, here are some steps you can take to help document the accident.
The first step is to call the police. The Police will document the accident but it might not hurt to take these steps as a precaution. Specifically, you should take pictures of the following:
- Your motorcycle. In particular, take a picture of where it ended up after the crash.
- The car involved. You should go to all sides to get a picture, just to be thorough.
- Any debris or skid marks. These can sometimes illustrate how the accident happened.
- Any hazardous road condition. You might have lost control due to a pothole or seam in the road. Take a picture because they could hold the party responsible liable.
With this documentation, it will be easier for us at JSK and insurance adjusters to “see” how the crash happened. Without the pictures, we often get two parties pointing the finger, with no clear way to assign fault.
Get a Police Report
A police report is imperative for both insurance reasons and advantageous in legal situations. Letting the police know there is an accident is important when building a case, as the police will keep their own records of the event that we can reference later.
When the police arrive, be sure to ask for their name and badge number, as this will help us at JSK collect any information we need.
Identify Witnesses & Talk to Them
Witnesses can often prove helpful when negotiating a settlement, as it might not be obvious who is to blame for the wreck. One or more witnesses can provide first-hand testimony as to what happened.
Receive the contact information of witnesses for later; as your personal injury attorney, we might need to contact them.
Swap Information with the Driver
You should get information on the license, registration, and insurance. Also request contact information, such as a phone number or email (or both). Your insurer will want this information so they can start the claims process.
You should also write down the license plate number on the car that struck you. However, you can easily do that by taking a picture when you are photographing the car.
Meet with JSK to Review Your Case
Our legal team can review all available information about the motorcycle accident and analyze whether you have a legal claim. If a motorist or someone else (like the party responsible for the road) caused the accident, then you can sue.
We also analyze how much compensation you can receive. This is called “valuing” a claim. There are many factors that go into valuing the claim:
- The severity of your injuries. The more severe the injury, the more medical care you will need and the greater your pain and suffering.
- Whether you missed work. Motorcycle accident victims can usually receive damages for lost income or lost wages when their injuries prevent them from working.
- Whether your injuries are permanent. Any permanent disability will usually cause problems going forward. You might need medical care or be unable to ever return to your old job.
- Your emotional and mental state following the wreck. A settlement in either Missouri or Illinois should provide compensation for how an accident impacts you emotionally.
Hire one of our Seasoned Attorneys at JSK
The quality of legal counsel makes a big difference when negotiating a personal injury case. At JSK we have the right skills and know-how to push insurance adjusters to settle a claim in a reasonable manner for a fair amount. Some insurance companies are very slow—deliberately, since they think this is a good strategy to put pressure on a victim to accept a measly settlement.
At our firm, we approach every case with a fresh perspective. We help document the accident and our client’s injuries so we can present a compelling case for maximum monetary damages. We also understand the art of negotiation and never settle for too little money for our clients.
Call JSK Today to Learn More
Our firm is ready to meet with anyone in the Fairview Heights area to discuss possible compensation. Our firm has decades of combined experience, which we put to work for you. Contact us today to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a member of our legal team.
