Chances are, if you’ve watched enough television or movies, you’ve become familiar with a certain stereotype: a person who is involved a car accident where one vehicle is stopped and the other is going 2 mph. The person struck appears fine at the scene, only to reappear later in a massively bulky neck brace. Like many stereotypes, this one rarely reflects reality. The truth is that, even if you’re involved in a low-speed crash and even if the pain you feel doesn’t set in right away, that doesn’t mean that you weren’t seriously injured as a result of the accident and it doesn’t mean that you cannot recover compensation for the harm you suffered in that accident. Whether the wreck was high-speed or low-speed and whether your pain started immediately or had a delayed onset, make sure you fully explore your options by contacting an experienced Chicago injury attorney about your situation.
A recently settled case, originally reported by the Madison-St. Clair Record, was an example of precisely this kind of scenario. J.D. was driving his motorcycle through a small Illinois town just east of St. Louis when he approached an intersection. J.W. was parked on the side of the road and was attempting to turn left into a parking lot. As J.W. turned his pickup truck left, he crossed into the path of J.D.’s motorcycle, according to the motorcyclist’s complaint. The impact allegedly caused the bike to topple over and pin J.D. underneath.
J.D. sued J.W. for negligence. Although J.D.’s accident was a low-speed one, the motorcyclist allegedly suffered significant damages. His complaint asserted that the accident caused him to incur “progressive and disabling injuries to his neck, back, and spine; left shoulder, hand and wrist; and pelvis.” These injuries allegedly caused the motorcyclist to incur substantial medical bills, in addition to a great deal of pain and suffering, according to the Record.
The motorcyclist’s attorney acknowledged that the accident was a profoundly low-speed one, calling it the lowest-speed motorcycle crash that one could imagine. However, just because an accident does not involve any vehicles going fast, that doesn’t mean that the resulting injuries cannot be devastating, especially if a motorcycle is involved. Motorcycles weigh hundreds of pounds, so having one topple over onto you (as happened to J.D.) can inflict major harm. With nothing to protect them other than clothes, a motorcyclist can suffer serious and potentially permanent damage when their bike falls over on him, even if the vehicle causing that toppling did so while proceeding at an extremely low speed. The motorcyclist in that situation might suffer broken bones, traumatic brain injuries or spinal/back damage.
Although J.D. avoided any head or brain injuries, he still suffered neck and spine injuries, in addition to harm to other areas. Even if your injuries do not include any broken bones or other fractures, that doesn’t mean that the harm isn’t serious. Soft-tissue injuries can be extremely painful, sometimes debilitating and possibly permanently disabling. Even a soft-tissue injury accident has the potential to alter your life for the worse in a massive and permanent way.
For J.D., he had sufficient proof to persuade the defense to settle the case in November 2018. In the settlement, J.D. received a payment of $50,000, which demonstrates the importance and value of not giving up on your case but taking action to pursue your rights in court instead.
If you’ve been hurt in a motorcycle accident, you need Illinois counsel who understands the needs of the injured motorcyclist. The experienced Chicago injury attorneys at Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca have been providing reliable advice and effective advocacy for motorcyclists many years and are ready to handle your case. To set up a free case evaluation, contact us at 312-724-5846 or through our website.
More Blog Posts:
Chicago Bartender Suffers Multiple Serious Injuries After a Collision with a CTA Bus, Chicago Injury Attorneys Blog, Sept. 24, 2018
Recent Motorcycle Accidents Highlight Dangers Faced by Illinois Motorcyclists and Their Passengers, Chicago Injury Attorneys Blog, Jan. 17, 2018