Chicago car accident lawyer.

What an Illinois car accident claim is worth.

A car accident claim is a civil demand for compensation against the at-fault driver and their insurance carrier. Illinois is a fault-based (tort) state, which means the driver who caused the crash is financially responsible for the harm. You generally recover from the at-fault driver's liability policy — and, when that coverage runs out, from your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

A complete recovery presses every category Illinois law allows:

• Medical expenses — emergency care, surgery, imaging, prescriptions, physical therapy, and reasonably certain future treatment.
• Lost wages and earning capacity — time missed from work and any long-term reduction in your ability to earn.
• Pain and suffering — physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of normal life. Illinois does not cap these damages.
• Property damage — vehicle repair, total-loss value, diminished value, rental, and towing.

Three rules that decide your case.

The 2-year deadline

Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, an Illinois personal injury lawsuit must be filed within two years of the crash. Claims against government entities (the City of Chicago, Cook County, the CTA) follow a shorter one-year deadline under the Tort Immunity Act, sometimes with a notice requirement even sooner. Miss the deadline and the claim is permanently barred.

The 51% bar

Illinois uses modified comparative negligence under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. If you are more than 50% at fault, you recover nothing. If you are 50% or less, your recovery is reduced by your fault percentage. A $100,000 verdict with 20% plaintiff fault becomes $80,000. This is why adjusters fight so hard to shift blame onto you.

Insurance minimums and UM/UIM

Every Illinois driver must carry at least $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability and $20,000 property damage under 625 ILCS 5/7-203, plus uninsured motorist coverage under 215 ILCS 5/143a. When the at-fault driver carries only the minimum, your own UM/UIM coverage often becomes the real source of recovery.

What to do after a Chicago crash.

1. Call 911 and get medical attention. Adrenaline masks injuries. Concussion, internal bleeding, and soft-tissue damage can take hours or days to surface.
2. Get a police crash report. Illinois requires a report for any crash with injury or over $1,500 in damage. Chicago Police assign an RD number you will need later.
3. Photograph everything. Vehicle damage, plates, the scene, signals, skid marks, and visible injuries.
4. Collect witness contact info. Independent witnesses are the single most valuable evidence in a disputed-fault case.
5. Notify your own insurer — carefully. Report the basic facts. Do not give a recorded statement or speculate about fault.
6. Do not talk to the other driver's insurer. You have no obligation to give them a recorded statement. Refer them to your attorney.
7. Call a lawyer before you sign anything. A release or medical authorization can permanently bar future claims.

Chicago car accident questions, answered.

Nothing up front and nothing unless we win. We work on contingency — our fee comes out of the recovery only if there is one. The percentage is set out in writing before you sign.

Two years from the crash under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. Government-entity claims (CTA, City, County) can be as short as one year. Do not assume you have the full two years.

Your own uninsured motorist coverage under 215 ILCS 5/143a becomes the recovery source. Hit-and-run crashes trigger UM the same way an uninsured driver does.

Almost never. First offers are designed to close the case before you know the full extent of your injuries. Once you sign a release, you cannot reopen the claim.

You can still recover as long as you are 50% or less at fault. Your award is reduced by your percentage. Being partly at fault does not automatically end your case.

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