What Damages Can You Recover After a Motorcycle Accident in Springfield?

Being in a motorcycle accident often means your life will change drastically. Injuries, emotional trauma, and financial loss are likely to mount quickly, and that means it becomes essential to seek financial compensation from the party that caused the injuries to you. What damages can you recover after a motorcycle accident in Springfield? You can recover any damages you can prove, including both economic and non-economic damages. Talk with a Springfield motorcycle accident attorney today.

Economic Damages After a Motorcycle Accident

Victims of a motorcycle accident nearly always suffer economic damages. These are losses documented by the bills you have or the other evidence that backs up your claims. These are often very specific and clear losses. Examples include:

• Medical bills from emergency care received
• Hospitalization and surgeries
• Rehabilitation and recovery costs
• Medications
• Assistive or adaptive devices
• Future medical bills
• Lost wages from being unable to work
• Changes to your home to accommodate injuries
• Travel costs related to medical needs
• Ongoing healthcare needs
• Property damage to replace or repair your motorcycle

Your attorney will help calculate these by exploring all ways this incident impacted you from a financial standpoint. Remember to be thorough and document any money you spend that is related to your accident recovery or care.

Non-economic Damages After a Motorcycle Accident

Non-economic damages are more subjective because there is no specific value automatically assigned to them. Instead, the damages are based on the severity of the accident and the long-term impact it will have on you. These are some of the most valuable damages you will have, but carefully documenting and valuing them is crucial to receiving fair compensation. Examples include:

• Pain and suffering at the time of the accident and onward
• Loss of quality of life due to limitations you know face
• Loss of consortium for changes in your relationships
• Emotional trauma with conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder
• The onset of mental health complications like anxiety and depression
• Disfigurement-related costs

The importance in this type of accident is to think about all of the ways the accident and the resulting injuries will impact your life. That includes your relationships, the goals you expect to achieve, your ability to work, the way you feel about yourself and others, and your overall quality of life.

Punitive Damages in Illinois

In some motorcycle accident cases in Illinois, a victim may be able to recover punitive damages, but these are not common. Punitive damages are not meant to cover medical bills or lost income. Instead, they are meant to punish the person who caused the accident if their behavior was especially reckless or intentionally harmful.

To receive punitive damages in Illinois, the injured person must first win compensatory damages (like for medical expenses or pain and suffering). Then, they must show clear and convincing evidence that the other party acted with an evil motive or showed a reckless disregard for others’ safety.

Punitive damages in Illinois are capped at three times the amount of compensatory damages awarded. Also, the injured person can’t ask for punitive damages in the first version of their lawsuit — they must first get court permission to add that request later.

Maximizing Your Claim

For victims of motorcycle accidents in Springfield, seeking the help of an attorney could help you maximize your claim. Your Springfield motorcycle accident lawyer knows what these types of cases can be worth as well as what strategies are necessary to recover damages fairly. Seek out a consultation to discuss how your accident impacts your life and learn more about the damages owed to you.