The Chicago Tribune is reporting that
the State of Illinois is poised to increase the legal limits for insurance that would be available to victims of bicycle accidents and crashes caused by motorists. This legislation that would raise the minimum mandatory liability
coverage for Illinois motorists was passed by both the House and Senate in Springfield now heads
to Governor Quinn for final approval. Illinois Bicycle Lawyer Mike Keating is a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyer's Legislative Committee that pushed this change in the law in Springfield.
The new law would raise the minimum liability insurance
required by Illinois to $25,000.00 for injury or death to one person, up
from the current $20,000.00. The current minimum in Illinois of
$20,000.00 is the lowest of any state in the Midwest. The new law would also
increase the minimum mandatory coverage for bodily injury or death to
more than one person from $40,000.00 to $50,0000.00. Further, minimum
coverage for damage to property would be increased from the current
$15,000.00 to $20,000.00. The increases proposed in the new law would take
effect on January 1, 2015.
Illinois has not increased the required minimum
amount of liability insurance for Illinois motorists since first
enacting the mandatory minimum in 1989. Liability insurance coverage is
insurance that helps pay for injuries and damages sustained by other
motorists, bicyclists, or pedestrians.
This proposed new law is a step in the right direction for
Illinois, whose current minimum coverage requirements rank among the
lowest in the United States. Despite the rapid increase of the cost of
health care over the last 20 years, Illinois has failed to increase the
minimum liability insurance required for Illinois motorists. As a
result, victims of bicycle crashes often incur medical bills that far
exceed the amount of liability insurance covering the motor vehicle that
caused the bicycle crash. When this occurs, the bicycle crash victims
may become personally liable for out-of-pocket medical costs even though
the bicyclist was completely free of fault.
The proposed increased in the minimum amount of
liability insured required for Illinois motorists will help ensure that
victims of bicycle crashes will be fully compensated for the injuries
and damages they sustain as the result of negligent motorists.
Bicyclists are entitled to the same protections
under the law as any other user of the roadways. If your rights as a
bicyclists have been violated and have resulted in an injury from a bike
accident, or you have any questions about this blog entry, please contact Mike Keating of Keating Law Offices for a FREE consultation at mkeating@keatinglegal.com or (312) 239-6787.
The Illinois Bicycle Lawyers
at Keating Law Offices have helped the Chicago bicycle community by
being an advocate for bicyclist's rights and representing bicyclists who
were injured in a bicycle accident or crash in civil cases. The trial
lawyers at Keating Law Offices have emerged as national leaders in the
field of bicycle-related litigation. Attorney Michael Keating, founder
of Keating Law Offices, has been recognized by SuperLawyers and Chicago
magazines and the National Trial Lawyers Association as one of the
leading trial lawyers in all of Illinois.
