Illinois Auto Accidents

If you were injured in a Illinois automobile accident that was someone else's fault, you may be entitled to compensation to pay for:

• Past, present, and future medical bills for treatment related to your auto-accident injuries
• The repair or replacement of your motor vehicle and any property that was damaged or destroyed in the accident
• Lost wages for time off from work (including time spent going to doctor's appointments and physical therapy)
• The cost of hiring someone to do household chores that you're unable to do because of your injury
• Permanent disability and disfigurement stemming from the car crash
• Emotional distress stemming from the auto accident
• Any other costs you've incurred because of the accident

If anyone was killed in the car crash or if either driver was intoxicated, the state of Illinois will prosecute the driver at fault and/or the intoxicated driver. In the case of other automobile accidents, you may ultimately have to file an automobile accident lawsuit in Illinois courts.

How Is Fault Determined?

To collect money stemming from a personal injury claim, Illinois law requires you to prove that the other driver was negligent. You must show:

• The driver who caused your injuries had a responsibility not to injure you and failed to live up to that duty
• There is a connection between the other driver's responsibility and your injury
• You suffered damages, or a financial loss, as a result of the injury

Illinois law will reduce the total amount you can recover if it's found that your carelessness contributed to your automobile accident injuries.

How Long Do You Have to File a Claim?

Illinois law gives you two years from the date of your car accident to file a claim against the driver at fault in the accident. (This is known as the statute of limitations.) If you and your Illinois auto accident lawyer are unable to negotiate a settlement with the other driver (or the driver's insurance company), you should consider filing a lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out.

Illinois Automobile Insurance Requirements

Illinois laws require all drivers have mandatory automobile insurance coverage with the following minimum limits:

• Bodily injury liability: $20,000 per person and $40,000 per crash
• Property damage liability: $15,000 per crash

Additional Illinois Automobile Accident Resources

• The unofficial guide to the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles
• The Illinois Department of Insurance's list of automobile insurance definitions