Right Hook Motorcycle Accidents in Orland Park

Michael J. Brennan, Injury & Accident Lawyer represents motorcycle accident victims in Orland Park. Among the most common types of accidents happen when a makes a right turn in front of a motorcyclist, leading to a collision. Understanding what to do in these situations finding the right assistance is crucial for your recovery. If you’ve experienced a right hook motorcycle accident, contact us today for a free consultation to talk about your next steps toward recovery.

Should You Hire a Lawyer?

There’s no requirement in Illinois that says you need a lawyer to represent you in any injury claim. In fact, if the accident itself is minor, you probably don’t need to worry about a lawsuit at all. At the same time, a right hook motorcycle accident carries the risk of extensive injuries. The more severe your accident is, the more help you’ll likely need. That’s where my firm can help.

With our experience and resources, we’ll investigate the accident to put together a timeline of what happened and who is responsible. We’ll also help you gather documentation and evidence to support your claim.

More than anything else, we want to make things easier for you. Your health should always take precedent, so working with my firm can help you focus on recovery while we handle the legal side of things.

Is the Other Driver Always Liable?

As the name suggests, a right hook accident happens when:

A driver turns right and collides with a motorcyclist traveling in the same direction.

Such accidents can happen in various scenarios, often in congested areas, streets, and intersections:

The driver turns right directly into you on the motorcycle, resulting in a head-on collision.
The driver turns right in front of the motorcycle, causing you to collide with the side of the vehicle.
You pass a slow-moving vehicle on the right, and the car turns right into you.

In the vast majority of these scenarios, the driver that hit you is going to be liable for covering your injuries and other damages. However, there’s a number of other parties that could potentially be involved:

Other drivers – If a third vehicle is involved and contributes to the accident, they can share some of the responsibility
Government agencies – If the road was in bad shape and that contributed to the accident, the people in charge of maintaining the road–usually the particular government agency in Orland Park–could be at fault too.
Vehicle or parts manufacturers – If a problem with the motorcycle or vehicle itself caused the accident, like faulty brakes, the company that made them might share responsibility.
Pedestrians and other third parties – Sometimes, pedestrians or other motorcyclists could do something that leads to the accident, and they might share the blame.

Remember, the particular specifics of your accident is what will determine who or what parties are liable. Also, under Illinois’ comparative negligence laws, you yourself could share some of the fault. This means your percentage of damages will be reduced by that same percentage of fault.

Injuries and Other Damages in These Accidents

It’s probably not surprising that right hook motorcycle accidents often result in serious injuries for you and other motorcycle riders. The fact is, you have virtually no protection against a moving vehicle and are even more vulnerable when you yourself are moving at speed on your bike. This makes it absolutely vital to wear a helmet and other safety gear, so you can at least have that to reduce the severity of your injuries.

Still, every motorcycle accident is going to result in some form of injury, but usually include things like:

Skull fractures
Traumatic brain injuries
Broken bones and fractures (especially in your lower body)
Soft-tissue injuries
Back injuries
Road rash
Cuts
Scrapes
Internal organ damage
Death, in severe accidents

Right hook motorcycle accident injury claims fall into two main categories: economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover your financial losses resulting from the accident, while non-economic damages cover the intangible losses (like the psychological trauma from the accident and any reduction in your quality of life.)

Regardless of the extent of your damages, my experienced team is dedicated to helping you recover these costs. Damages typically include:

Healthcare costs, covering your medical bills, treatments, and medications.
Pain and suffering, relating to the physical pain and mental anguish you go through from injuries.
Emotional distress, for emotional trauma like anxiety or PTSD.
Property damage, which includes repair or replacement costs for your motorcycle or any other damaged property.
Lost income, for any missed work or reduced income because of your injuries
Loss of quality of life, which covers inability to enjoy activities and strained relationships.
Wrongful death expenses in fatal accidents, which Includes costs for burial and loss of support.

Remember, the amount you can receive depends on the severity of your injuries. Additionally, you have two years from the accident to file a claim, so act promptly to avoid losing your right to these damages.

How Can You Strengthen Your Claim?

Facing a right hook motorcycle accident is undoubtedly challenging. However, if you ever encounter such a situation, strengthening your claim (while simultaneously minimizing your level of fault) is crucial. Here’s how you can do it:

Collect evidence – Gather proof to support your version of events. Take photos of the accident scene and your motorcycle’s damage, talk to any witnesses, and retain important documents.
Get medical care right away – Getting prompt medical care for your injuries is vital for your health and helps link the accident to your injuries.
Report the accident – Report the accident to police and emergency medical services. This way, they can respond and create a report. Also, if the driver flees the scene, which sometimes happens in a motorcycle accident, you can tell the police about the hit and run.
Follow traffic laws – Make sure you are obeying all traffic regulations during the accident. This includes driving at a safe speed, wearing a helmet, using turn signals, and respecting traffic signs, bolstering your case.
Maintain records – Preserve copies of essential documents like medical records, bills, and repair estimates. These documents demonstrate the extent of the damage you experience.
Be cautious – Consult with us before providing detailed statements to insurance companies, particularly the other party’s insurer, to prevent inadvertently saying anything detrimental to your case.
Cooperate with any investigations – Fully cooperate with both the police and insurance company’s investigations. Offer accurate information based on basic evidence.

Obviously, the aftermath of a motorcycle accident is going to be stressful. This is especially true if you’re hurt. Still, taking these steps will strengthen any potential claim and give you the best chance at recovering all your damages.

Contact MJB Law After an Orland Park Motorcycle Accident

After a right hook motorcycle accident in Orland Park, you can rely on the experience of Michael J. Brennan, Injury & Accident Lawyer. My firm takes the burden of the claims process off of you and your family, and gives you vital support as you work your way back to full strength. Don’t hesitate if you’ve been in one of these accidents. Contact us today for a free consultation.