Our office is minutes away from Skokie so if you want to speak to a Skokie motorcycle accident lawyer 
about your accident, reach out to us. It’s not unusual for our office to get calls or messages on YouTube from people recently involved in an accident and they don’t know what to do.
We’re going to provide you a few key tips below to help you effectively deal with the insurance company if you have to. Of course, we recommend you hire an attorney if you’ve suffered injuries in your accident.
How to File an Insurance Claim
For most people, getting in an accident is a new experience and as a result, they don’t know what to do. We’ve created several checklists on this site to guide you through this process. One question we get asked all the time is how to file a claim for a motorcycle accident.
The answer seems obvious but it’s not always clear. However, it’s a simple process with a few words of caution. Let’s say hypothetically that you get in an accident with a driver who has State Farm. You believe they are at fault for the accident. Go on Google and search for State Farm claims or customer service. The number is public. Call it and say you’ve been in an accident and you want to file a claim.
The agent (who is a low-level employee) will take your data and get simple facts about the matter and then assign it to an adjuster. That’s when you need to be a bit cautious because the insurance adjuster and the insurance company as a whole is not on your side.
In particular, beware of giving a recorded statement to the adjuster as they will try and use what you say against you. For your own insurance, you have no choice but to work with them so this applies primarily to the other side’s insurance company.
“Deny, Delay & Diminish” – Accident Claims
That is the insurance company credo. If you have been involved in an accident in Skokie or throughout Chicago, you will soon learn an important lesson – the insurance company is NOT on your side. Rather, they want to deny your claim, delay your recovery and/or diminish the value of your claim.
Don’t fall prey to insurance company tactics. Call an experienced Skokie motorcycle accident attorney today at 1-847-305-4105!
How Long do you Have to Report a Motorcycle Accident?
If you are involved in an accident in Skokie or anywhere in Illinois, you have 2 years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit for your damages. That number is different for minors, if you are injured by a government vehicle or employee, and under other circumstances. But for the majority of cases we deal with it’s 2 years.
However, the question is how long do you have to report the accident to the insurance company. This may be dictated by the terms of the driver’s insurance policy. Often times in your own motorcycle insurance policy there will be a clause that requires that you file a claim within a certain period of time if you intend to use your own benefits. We’ve seen that especially with these lousy sub-standard insurance carriers.
The real answer to the question though is you should work with an attorney who will then file the claim on your behalf.
Should you Give a Recorded Statement
If you are filing a claim with the insurance company for the car that hit you, we recommend against giving a recorded statement. Why? They will use whatever you say in that recorded statement against you later.
For example, if they ask you during the recording where you felt pain after the accident and you fail to mention you suffered back pain, they will try and use that later to suggest the back pain you’re then suffering happened after the accident.
If you are filing a claim with your own insurance company, you have an obligation to work with them in good faith or else they could deny your claim or theoretically terminate your insurance contract. So, work with your insurance company.
In either case, we strongly recommend speaking with an attorney before you take any action.
Posting on Social Media After an Accident – Beware
In short, if you post it on social media, the insurance company will see it whether it be in the pre-litigation phase or during the pendency of the lawsuit. So beware of what you put out for others to see.
As an example, we once worked on a case where our client motorcycle rider had a passion for flying self-made planes. His accident was significant and he suffered among other things, a knee injury for which he sought treatment.
A few months after the accident an attorney who was working on his case looked at his Facebook page and saw multiple photos of the client that had just been taken, bending down to work on an airplane. That could have significantly damaged our client’s case.
If we can find it on social media, the insurance company will definitely find it.
Skokie Fun Facts
Skokie is a great city to raise a family. From its roots many years ago as a Jewish enclave, it has now become one of the most diverse villages in Illinois. Skokie Boulevard runs through the city and for miles north through neighboring suburbs.
Skokie is somewhat nationally famous for the famous Nazi party lawsuit back in the late 1970s. But that’s definitely not how Skokie wants to be remembered. Rather, it’s a place with a quaint downtown, good high school, Old Orchard Mall, and the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts.
