Like car accidents and truck accidents, motorcycle accidents happen regularly on Illinois roadways and cause victims to suffer serious personal injuries. A victim’s recovery after a motorcycle crash can be long and painful, and during that time, they may be unable to provide for themselves and their loved ones. Their damages can, therefore, become great as they hope to heal from their trauma.
It is therefore important for motorcycle accident victims to understand what rights they have when they are hurt by the irresponsible driving actions of others. While they should always attend to their medical needs and make sure that they have received treatment for their injuries, they can also elect to work with personal injury attorneys to protect their legal options.
Personal injuries such as those that are suffered during motorcycle accidents can be subject to statutes of limitation. A statute of limitation cuts off a victim’s right to sue for their accident-related losses. In Illinois, the personal injury statute of limitation is two years.
Motorcycle accident victims may also be entitled to some recovery even if they were partially responsible for the accidents that caused their harm. Under a modified doctrine of contributory negligence, victims who are less than 50 percent responsible for their own harm may receive proportional recovery based on their share of the fault.
These and other state laws can impact a motorcycle accident victim’s rights to sue and recover their damages. Their attorney can advise them of other legal factors that might influence their case. This post should not be applied to any legal situations as advice and is only offered as general information on an important area of the law.