For many, riding a motorcycle is one of the best things in life. Unfortunately, motorcyclists are significantly more likely to die during a collision than occupants of cars and trucks. If your loved one died in a fatal motorcycle crash, you may be shocked and unsure of what to do next. In addition to your grief, you may be facing considerable financial hardship because of your loss. One legal option that you may have after losing a loved one in a motorcycle accident is a wrongful death lawsuit. Through a wrongful death action, you may be able to recover financial compensation for the losses incurred by your loved one’s death.

A Wrongful Death is a Death Caused by Negligence or Wrongdoing

According to Illinois law, a wrongful death action is possible when a death is caused by “negligence,” meaning carelessness or recklessness, or wrongdoing. You may be able to bring a wrongful death case if your loved one’s motorcycle accident was caused by:

• Negligent driving such as distracted driving, running a red light, or speeding
• Drunk driving or drugged driving
• Negligent road design or substandard road maintenance
• Defective motorcycle parts
• Other conduct that is negligent or unlawful

Potential Benefits of a Wrongful Death Claim After a Motorcycle Collision

A wrongful death action may allow you to get justice for your loved one and hold the responsible party accountable. You may also be able to recover financial compensation. There is no amount of money that could make up for someone’s death. However, a wrongful death claim may ease the financial burden you are facing.  

A personal injury lawsuit can serve two vital functions in an injured person’s life: Holding the liable party responsible for the injury and recovering financial compensation for damages. When we think about personal injury damages, medical bills and immediate costs incurred by the injury usually come to mind. However, these losses often pale in comparison to the long-term costs resulting from the injury. In many catastrophic injury cases, the greatest loss that an injured person suffers is the loss of his or her ability to earn a living. If you or a loved one suffered severe injuries in an incident caused by negligence or wrongdoing, you may be entitled to compensation for lost earning capacity.

Compensation for Injuries That Cause Loss of Functioning or Disability

Semi-truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, construction accidents, intentional acts of physical violence, and countless other incidents can leave a person with catastrophic injuries. If you or a loved one suffered an injury that caused paralysis, amputation, neurological damage, loss of vision or hearing, or other long-term health consequences, is it important to know your rights. You or your loved one may be entitled to compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost income, damage to your future earning capacity, and more.

Determining How Much Compensation You Are Entitled To

If your injuries forced you to work fewer hours, take a lower-paying position, or left you unable to work at all, you may be compensated for the reduction in your earning capacity. The amount you could receive depends on an estimation of the income you would have received if not for the injury-causing incident. The amount of compensation that you could recover depends on several different factors, including:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, agricultural workers like farmers and ranchers have one of the most dangerous professions in the country. Over 250 agricultural workers were killed while performing work duties and 280 received non-fatal injuries in the year 2018 alone. If you or your loved one suffered a disabling injury in an agricultural work accident, it is essential to know your rights. You may be able to recover compensation through workers’ compensation as well as a third-party claim.

Understanding Your Available Options

Workers in the agricultural industry work with dangerous chemicals, heavy agricultural machinery, and from great heights. If you or your loved one were seriously hurt in a tractor rollover, fall, or machinery accident, you may be left wondering what your legal options are. Per the Illinois Workers’ compensation Act, the owners of small agricultural enterprises may be exempt from workers’ compensation. If your employer does carry workers’ compensation insurance, this should cover your medical bills and part of your lost income; however, workers’ compensation alone may not cover the full extent of the financial harm caused by your injury. You may have a permanent disability or reduction in functioning that affects you for months or years after the incident. This can result in an overwhelming financial burden. If another party’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident, you may be able to bring a separate claim against that party.

Bringing a Personal Injury Claim Against a Negligent Third Party

If the actions of a third-party resulted in your injury, you may be able to bring a civil claim against that party. You have the right to bring a personal injury claim against a negligent third party if:

While they are painful, cuts, bruises, and even most broken bones eventually heal. Some injuries change the entire course of a person’s life. If you or a loved one have suffered an amputation injury, you know just how devastating this type of catastrophic injury can be. Losing a hand, foot, arm, or leg in an accident is something that no one should have to go through – especially when the loss of limb is caused by the negligence of another party. A personal injury claim can help victims of amputation injuries recover compensation for their medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and more.

Types of Negligent Conduct That Can Lead to Loss of a Limb

Amputation injuries are sometimes caused by the carelessness or negligence of another individual or entity. Dismemberment may be caused by a singular traumatic event such as a car crash, motorcycle collision, truck accident, or pedestrian accident. Incidents involving heavy machinery such as construction accidents and agricultural accidents are also a top cause of amputation injuries. Fireworks accidents and explosions may also lead to losing a limb.

Amputation could also be a product of substandard medical care. Infections, blood vessel disease, diabetes, and other medical issues that are not properly diagnosed and treated may require surgical amputation of a limb. The party liable for your amputation injury may be the manufacturer of a defective product, a drunk driver, a negligent contractor at a construction site, a negligent medical provider, or a number of other individuals.

Some injuries occur in a split second but result in lifelong consequences. If you or a loved one have suffered a catastrophic injury, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. Compensation for the financial harm caused by the catastrophic injury as well as the non-financial consequences of the injury may be available. Because a catastrophic injury has such a profound impact on the injured person, these cases are usually higher value than cases involving milder injuries. If you are interested in bringing a personal injury claim after a catastrophic injury, it is important to work with an attorney who has experience handling high value cases.

What is a Catastrophic Injury?

Although painful, people eventually recover from injuries such as broken bones and lacerations. A catastrophic injury, on the other hand, is one that can affect a person for the rest of his or her life. Catastrophic injuries are injuries that result in long-term or permanent disability or loss of functioning.

Common examples of catastrophic injuries include: