Chicago Car Accident Lawyer
If another driver hurt you, the bill for it should not land on you. Phillips Law Offices represents people injured in car crashes across Chicago, Cook County and Illinois. The consultation is free and there is no attorney’s fee unless we recover for you.
Two clocks start the moment a crash happens, and most people only find out about the second one when it is too late. Against a private driver you generally have two years to file suit. Against the City of Chicago, the CTA, a county or any other local public body, you have one year. Meanwhile the evidence that decides the case — dashcam footage, business security video, the vehicle itself — is usually gone within weeks.
What We Do
Adjusters are trained negotiators who close claims quickly and cheaply. We negotiate for a living too, and we do not work for the insurance company.
- We preserve the evidence first. Spoliation letters to the other driver, the trucking company or the business whose camera faces the intersection, before the footage is overwritten.
- We deal with the insurer so you do not have to. That includes the recorded statement request, which you are usually better off declining — see what an adjuster is actually doing when they ask.
- We pursue every responsible party. Illinois lets us go after a distracted driver, their employer, a trucking company and a municipality with a broken signal in the same case.
- We manage the medical liens. What you keep depends as much on lien negotiation as on the gross settlement — see how Illinois caps medical liens.
- We try cases. When a fair number is not on the table, the file goes to a jury. That willingness is priced into every negotiation before it.
The Illinois Rules That Decide Your Case
Fault is shared, and 51% is the cliff
Illinois uses modified comparative fault under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. Your recovery is reduced by your share of the blame, and if you are found more than 50% responsible you recover nothing at all. This is why insurers work so hard to attach a percentage to you early. How comparative fault actually works in practice.
Not wearing a seat belt cannot be used against you
Under 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(c), failure to wear a seat belt “shall not be considered evidence of negligence, shall not limit the liability of an insurer, and shall not diminish any recovery for damages.” Illinois is unusually protective here compared with neighbouring states. An adjuster may still raise it; the statute says it cannot reduce what you recover. The seat belt rule explained.
Illinois is a fault state, with no PIP
There is no no-fault system here and no personal injury protection to fall back on while liability is sorted out. The at-fault driver’s insurer pays, which is why who is blamed matters so much. Minimum liability limits are only $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash and $20,000 property damage under 625 ILCS 5/7-203 — often far less than a serious injury costs. That is what your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is for.
Deadlines
Miss the deadline and the claim is gone, however strong it was. These are the ones that catch people out:
| Who you are claiming against | Deadline to file suit | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Another private driver | Two years from the crash | 735 ILCS 5/13-202 |
| Vehicle damage only | Five years | 735 ILCS 5/13-205 |
| A city, county, the CTA or other local public body | One year from the crash | 745 ILCS 10/8-101 |
| The State of Illinois (IDOT and state agencies) | Two years, in the Court of Claims | 705 ILCS 505/22 |
| A wrongful death claim | Two years from the date of death | 740 ILCS 180/2 |
| An injured child | Generally two years after their 18th birthday | 735 ILCS 5/13-211 |
There is no pre-suit notice requirement against a local public entity in Illinois — that provision was repealed in 1986. Sending a notice letter does not preserve the claim; only filing the lawsuit does. Full guide to Illinois filing deadlines.
What You Can Recover
- Medical expenses already incurred, and the cost of future care
- Lost wages, and reduced earning capacity where the injury is permanent
- Pain and suffering, and loss of a normal life
- Disfigurement
- Vehicle damage, rental costs and out-of-pocket expenses
- For a fatal crash, the losses of the surviving spouse and next of kin under the Wrongful Death Act
Illinois places no cap on non-economic damages in an ordinary injury case. What Illinois lets you recover · What a Chicago crash claim is worth.
Crashes We Handle
- Rear-end collisions
- Intersection and T-bone crashes
- Hit and run
- Multi-vehicle pileups
- Head-on and wrong-way crashes
- Side-swipe and lane-change crashes
- Drunk driving crashes
- Uber and Lyft crashes
- Work zone crashes
- Winter and ice-related crashes
- Parking lot and garage crashes
- Pothole and road hazard claims
Common Questions
Do I actually need a lawyer?
Not always, and we will tell you if you do not. If you were not hurt and the damage is minor, you can often handle it yourself. If there are real injuries, disputed fault, a commercial vehicle, a government defendant or a policy limits problem, the gap between a represented and unrepresented outcome is usually large. An honest look at when it is worth it.
What does it cost?
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, so there is no attorney’s fee unless we recover for you. We explain how case costs are handled before you sign.
How long will it take?
A straightforward claim can resolve in months. Serious injuries take longer, partly because settling before you know the full medical picture is how people get underpaid. What the timeline actually looks like.
The insurer already offered me money. Should I take it?
Read it carefully first. An early offer usually arrives before anyone knows what the injury will cost, and accepting it closes the claim permanently. When a low offer is worth fighting.
Talk to Us Before You Talk to the Insurance Company
The consultation is free, there is no obligation, and there is no attorney’s fee unless we recover for you. We will explain how case costs are handled before you sign anything.
Call (312) 346-4262 or send us the details below.
Phillips Law Offices
161 N Clark St, Suite 4925, Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 346-4262
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome; every case is decided on its own facts. This page is general information about Illinois law, not legal advice, and reading it or contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship — that relationship is formed only by a signed written agreement. Illinois law changes; confirm anything you intend to rely on with a licensed Illinois attorney.