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Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers

Cook County recorded 359 fatal crashes and 160,178 reported crashes in 2023, more than half of all traffic crashes in the State of Illinois that year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Statewide, Illinois logged 303,913 crashes and 1,196 traffic fatalities in 2024. Speeding was a factor in 45.3% of fatal crashes statewide, and pedestrians, who account for only 1.6% of total crashes, made up nearly 20% of all fatal crashes.

Chicago is the largest city in Illinois and the third-largest in the United States, with about 2.7 million residents and a Cook County population of more than 5 million. The city is laid out across roughly 234 square miles, divided into 77 community areas and 50 wards, and patrolled by a Chicago Police Department of about 11,000 sworn officers across 25 police districts, the largest municipal police force in Illinois and one of the largest in the country. The city’s transportation network includes the Chicago Transit Authority’s eight L rail lines and bus system, Metra commuter rail across the suburbs, Pace suburban buses, two major airports (O’Hare International and Midway International), the Illinois Tollway, and a dense grid of city streets, IDOT-owned arterials, and Illinois interstates that converge in the heart of the city.

That density produces a distinctive injury caseload. Chicago logged 186 traffic deaths in 2023, the highest number in a decade, despite a Vision Zero commitment the city made in 2017 to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2026. According to the Chicago Department of Transportation’s 2024 crash report, 9% of Chicago’s road network is owned by IDOT, but those state-owned arterials accounted for roughly 45% of all fatal crashes in the city in 2023. DuSable Lake Shore Drive alone has logged more than 60 traffic deaths since April 2019, with no speed cameras anywhere on the corridor. Forty-eight percent of pedestrians killed in Chicago in 2023 were struck by an SUV or larger vehicle.

You shouldn’t have to take an insurance company’s first offer just because medical bills are piling up. You deserve an attorney who knows Chicago, knows the Cook County Circuit Court, and isn’t afraid to push back when an insurer won’t pay what your case is worth.

At DJC Law, our Chicago personal injury lawyers help accident victims and their families recover after serious injuries. If you were hurt in a wreck on the Kennedy, the Dan Ryan, the Eisenhower, or DuSable Lake Shore Drive, hit by a commercial truck on I-294 or I-55, struck while walking on Western, Cicero, Pulaski, Ashland, or Stony Island, injured at work, or harmed in any other accident caused by someone else’s negligence, we can help.

We work on contingency. You pay nothing unless we win. Call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation. Hablamos español.

What Is Personal Injury Law?

Personal injury law lets people who’ve been hurt by someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct seek financial compensation for their losses. These are civil claims, separate from any criminal charges. They hold the responsible party accountable and help injured victims recover the money they need for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Most personal injury cases come down to negligence. To win a negligence claim, you have to prove four things: that the defendant owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty, that the breach caused your injuries, and that you suffered actual damages.

That sounds simple enough on paper. In practice, insurance companies spend a lot of time and money working to deny, delay, and minimize claims. In Chicago, you may also be dealing with a national trucking carrier moving freight along the I-90, I-94, I-294, or I-55 corridors, a property management firm running a downtown high-rise, the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, the City of Chicago itself, Cook County, IDOT, the Chicago Park District, a hotel or restaurant chain, a national rideshare carrier, or a bar with dram shop exposure. Each comes with its own defense team. An experienced personal injury attorney can level the conversation and improve your chances of a fair recovery.

Why Choose DJC Law

Not every personal injury firm is the same. Here’s what sets DJC Law apart.

You Pay Nothing Unless We Win

We take personal injury cases on contingency. There are no upfront fees, and you owe us nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Our payment comes out of your settlement or verdict, so we only get paid when you do.

Personal Attention From Your Attorney

You won’t get handed off to a paralegal or left wondering what’s going on with your case. Our attorneys stay involved at every stage. We return calls. When you have a question, you’ll get an answer from the lawyer actually handling your case.

Bilingual Representation

Chicago is one of the most internationally diverse cities in the country, with about 29% of residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino and significant Polish, Chinese, Mexican, Indian, Filipino, and Eastern European communities. The Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court has expanded language access through Language Line interpretation in real time and translation of court materials in more than 50 languages. Your attorney shouldn’t be a barrier to understanding your own case. Our team works in English and Spanish, so you can ask questions and make decisions in the language you’re most comfortable with.

Experience With Chicago’s Big-Defendant Cases

Chicago produces a kind of case mix you don’t see in smaller cities. A wreck on DuSable Lake Shore Drive caused by an out-of-town driver. A pedestrian struck on Western Avenue or Pulaski Road. A slip-and-fall in a Loop office tower or a Magnificent Mile hotel. A fall on a CTA L platform or a Metra train injury. A construction accident on a high-rise jobsite governed by Illinois’s Construction Safety Act. A drunk-driving crash leaving a bar with dram shop exposure. A workplace injury at O’Hare or Midway. Each of those cases comes with corporate or governmental defendants, layered insurance policies, and experienced defense teams. We’re comfortable building cases that involve multiple potentially responsible parties (driver, employer, premises owner, contractor, transit agency, bar, security firm) rather than settling for the first or easiest target.

Trial-Ready Representation

Insurance companies and corporate defendants pay attention to which firms actually take cases to court. When they know we’re prepared to try a case, they’re a lot more willing to settle for a fair number. If they aren’t willing, we’re ready to put your case in front of a Cook County jury at the Daley Center.

Local Knowledge, Local Commitment

We know the Cook County Circuit Court, which is the largest unified court system in the United States with hundreds of judges across the Daley Center, the Leighton Criminal Court Building, and five suburban districts. We know the federal courts in the Eastern Division of the Northern District of Illinois at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. We know the dangerous corridors. From DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Cicero Avenue, from Western Avenue to Stony Island, from the Kennedy/Edens junction to the Circle Interchange, we work cases here regularly.

Personal Injury in Chicago: By the Numbers

Chicago has approximately 2.7 million residents and Cook County has more than 5 million, making it the second-largest county in the United States after Los Angeles. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Chicago Department of Transportation, and other public sources:

  • Cook County recorded 359 fatal crashes and 160,178 reported crashes in 2023, more than half of all crashes statewide that year. Cook County consistently leads Illinois in total fatal crashes.
  • Statewide, Illinois recorded 1,085 fatal crashes and 1,196 traffic fatalities in 2024. Speeding was a factor in 45.3% of fatal crashes. Pedestrian crashes accounted for 1.6% of total crashes but 19.7% of fatal crashes. Motorcycle crashes accounted for 1.1% of total crashes but 13.1% of fatal crashes.
  • Chicago itself logged 186 traffic deaths in 2023, the highest number in a decade, despite the city’s 2017 Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2026.
  • According to CDOT’s 2024 Chicago Traffic Crashes Annual Report, 9% of Chicago’s road network is owned by the Illinois Department of Transportation, but those state-owned arterials accounted for roughly 45% of all fatal crashes in the city in 2023. Streets wider than 50 feet have 14 times more fatal crashes per mile than streets narrower than 50 feet.
  • In 2023, 48% of pedestrians killed in Chicago were struck by an SUV or larger vehicle. Pedestrian fatalities are concentrated on the West and South sides, with corridors like Western Avenue, Cicero Avenue, Pulaski Road, Ashland Avenue, and Stony Island Avenue producing the bulk of the deaths.
  • Hit-and-run rates on Chicago’s busiest corridors range from about 22% to nearly 32% of all crashes, with Stony Island Avenue posting the highest single-corridor hit-and-run rate. Western Avenue alone recorded more than 750 hit-and-run cases in 2025, more than two per day.
  • Chicago is served by five Level I adult trauma centers within city limits and four Level I pediatric trauma centers. The five adult Level I centers are Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Streeterville, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County on the Near West Side, Mount Sinai Hospital on the West Side, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Lakeview, and University of Chicago Medicine in Hyde Park (which began Level I adult trauma care on May 1, 2018, ending a 27-year gap on the South Side).
  • The four Level I pediatric trauma centers serving Chicago are Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Streeterville, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, the University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital, and Advocate Children’s Hospital at Advocate Lutheran General in Park Ridge.
  • The Circuit Court of Cook County is the largest unified court system in the United States. The First Municipal District (which covers the City of Chicago) hears civil cases at the Richard J. Daley Center at 50 West Washington Street. Five additional municipal districts cover the suburban portions of Cook County.

Dangerous Roads and Locations in Chicago

If your wreck happened on one of these corridors, you’re not alone. They show up in IDOT data, Chicago Police Department reports, and CDOT’s Vision Zero analyses year after year:

  • DuSable Lake Shore Drive: Chicago’s deadliest single road, with more than 60 traffic deaths logged since April 2019 according to the city’s Vision Zero fatality dashboard. The corridor combines highway-speed traffic with urban entry and exit ramps, beach and lakefront access points, and constant pedestrian crossings between Grant Park, Millennium Park, the Museum Campus, and Streeterville. The city does not have a single speed camera installed on the entire length of DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
  • The Kennedy Expressway (I-90/I-94 north), the Edens Expressway (I-94), the Eisenhower (I-290), the Dan Ryan (I-90/I-94 south), the Stevenson (I-55), the Bishop Ford (I-94 southeast), and I-57: The interstate spine that carries millions of vehicle trips through Chicago daily. The Circle Interchange (the I-90/I-94/I-290 junction near downtown) and the Hubbard’s Cave area on the Kennedy are recurring crash sites. The Edens/Kennedy junction at Foster Avenue regularly produces multi-vehicle wrecks during morning and evening rush.
  • The Illinois Tollway system: I-294 (the Tri-State), I-90 (the Jane Addams), I-88 (the Reagan), and I-355 (the Veterans Memorial) carry heavy commuter and freight volume around the city’s perimeter. Crashes on the tolled freeways often involve commercial trucks moving freight to and from O’Hare’s massive cargo operations.
  • Western Avenue: The longest continuous street in Chicago, running roughly 24 miles from Howard Street on the north side to the city limits on the south side. Western Avenue records by far the highest total crash volume of any single Chicago street, with more than 2,400 reported crashes in 2025 alone, and recorded more than 750 hit-and-run cases that year.
  • Cicero Avenue and Pulaski Road: Two of the most fatal-crash-heavy IDOT-controlled arterials on the city’s West and Southwest sides. Both corridors have seen high-profile pedestrian fatalities, including the death of Jiekun Xu while crossing West 44th Street and Pulaski Road in February 2024, which led to engineering changes after years of community advocacy. State law previously required IDOT to design its roads to accommodate semitrailers, which historically prevented the agency from installing curb bumpouts and pedestrian islands. That requirement changed under a 2023 IDOT/CDOT agreement.
  • Ashland Avenue: Another major north-south arterial running the length of the city. Ashland recorded 5 traffic fatalities in 2025, up from 1 in 2023, despite stable overall crash counts, which has flagged it as a corridor for emergency safety review.
  • Stony Island Avenue: A major South Side corridor running near the University of Chicago and Jackson Park. Stony Island has the city’s highest single-corridor hit-and-run rate (nearly 32% of crashes) and went from 0 traffic fatalities in 2023 to 4 in 2025. Many intersections with smaller residential streets along Stony Island lack traffic signals.
  • Milwaukee Avenue, North Avenue, and Damen Avenue: The six-way intersection where Milwaukee, North, and Damen meet on the Northwest Side has long been listed as one of the most dangerous pedestrian intersections in downtown Chicago. The Bucktown / Wicker Park entertainment district produces consistent late-night and weekend pedestrian, bike, and rideshare crashes.
  • Michigan Avenue and the Magnificent Mile: A major tourist and shopping corridor with constant pedestrian, bus, taxi, rideshare, and tour-bus traffic. The one-way segments around the Loop and the river add complexity for out-of-town drivers.
  • Archer Avenue and the diagonal arterials: Archer, Lincoln, Ogden, Elston, and Milwaukee run on diagonal angles that cut across the standard grid, producing complex five- and six-way intersections that are overrepresented in crash data.
  • O’Hare and Midway airport access roads: The terminal access roads, parking structures, and rental car facilities at both airports see heavy commercial freight, taxi, and rideshare traffic 24 hours a day. Out-of-town drivers add to the risk.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys take on a wide range of cases. If you’ve been hurt because of someone else’s negligence, we can help.

Car accidents are the single most common cause of serious injury in Chicago. Distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, and fatigue cause hundreds of thousands of crashes in Cook County every year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identifies all four as leading contributors to fatal crashes nationwide. Texting while driving is illegal under 625 ILCS 5/12-610.2. [internal-link: car-accidents]

Truck accidents involving 18-wheelers, tanker trucks, and other commercial vehicles are a regular part of our practice. The Chicago region is one of the largest freight hubs in North America, with extensive intermodal rail yards, the BNSF Logistics Park near Joliet, the CN/CSX/UP yards across Cook and Will counties, and the cargo operations at O’Hare. Heavy truck volume on I-90, I-94, I-294, I-55, and I-80 produces a steady stream of catastrophic wrecks. These cases are governed in part by federal regulations enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), including hours-of-service rules, drug and alcohol testing, hazmat handling rules, and maintenance standards. There are usually multiple parties who can be held liable, including the driver, the motor carrier, brokers, shippers, and maintenance providers. [internal-link: truck-accidents]

Motorcycle accidents tend to leave riders with severe injuries because they don’t have the protection of an enclosed vehicle. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has long reported that motorcyclists are killed at far higher rates than passenger-vehicle occupants per mile traveled. Insurance companies often try to use that risk against riders, and we push back hard. [internal-link: motorcycle-accidents]

Pedestrian accidents are an outsized concern in Chicago, where pedestrians account for only about 1.6% of total crashes statewide but nearly 20% of fatal crashes. Forty-eight percent of pedestrians killed in Chicago in 2023 were struck by an SUV or larger vehicle. Drivers in Illinois have a duty to yield to pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks under 625 ILCS 5/11-1002, and we hold them responsible when they don’t. We also pursue claims tied to inadequate crosswalks, missing pedestrian signals, and other roadway design issues, including claims against IDOT, the City of Chicago, the Chicago Park District, or other governmental authorities where applicable. [internal-link: pedestrian-accidents]

Bicycle accidents are common across Chicago’s growing bike-lane network and along corridors like Milwaukee Avenue, Clark Street, and the Lakefront Trail. Cyclists are particularly vulnerable on multilane IDOT-owned arterials. We represent injured cyclists, including dooring victims (which IDOT reports separately as a tracked crash type), and pursue full compensation under Illinois law. [internal-link: bicycle-accidents]

CTA, Metra, and bus accidents, including L train derailments and station injuries, CTA bus crashes, Metra commuter rail incidents, Pace suburban bus collisions, school buses, charter buses, and shuttle operators, come with their own complications. Public transit cases face Illinois Tort Immunity Act limitations and are also subject to a higher common-carrier duty of care. [internal-link: bus-accidents]

Rideshare accidents involving Uber, Lyft, and other transportation network companies are particularly common in Chicago because of the heavy reliance on rideshare around O’Hare and Midway airports, the Loop entertainment district, Wrigleyville on Cubs game days, the United Center on Bulls and Blackhawks nights, the Magnificent Mile, and the Wicker Park/Bucktown nightlife corridors. These cases can involve overlapping insurance coverage that depends on whether the driver was logged into the app, en route to a passenger, or actively transporting one. We help injured riders, drivers, and third parties figure out which policy applies and pursue full recovery. [internal-link: rideshare-accidents]

Premises liability cases come up when a dangerous condition on someone else’s property causes an injury. Illinois premises liability law is governed by the Premises Liability Act, 740 ILCS 130/, which abolished the older invitee/licensee distinction and imposed a unified duty of reasonable care for owners and occupiers of property. That includes slip and falls (especially on snow and ice, which Illinois treats under specific Snow and Ice Removal Act rules), hotel and restaurant injuries, swimming pool incidents, falls in CTA stations and Metra platforms, falls on stairs and escalators, and assault cases tied to inadequate security at apartment complexes, parking garages, and bars. [internal-link: premises-liability]

Construction and workplace accidents happen across Chicago’s constant high-rise, infrastructure, and transit construction. The downtown skyline build-out, the ongoing CTA Red Line modernization, expressway reconstruction, the O’Hare Global Terminal project, and routine commercial and residential construction all generate workplace and motorist injuries. Many of these cases involve violations of OSHA workplace safety standards, scaffolding and ladder failures, falling object incidents, equipment manufacturer claims, and third-party contractor liability. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act generally bars suits against an injured worker’s direct employer, but third parties (other contractors, equipment makers, premises owners) often remain liable. [internal-link: construction-accidents]

Dog bites can cause serious physical injuries and lasting emotional trauma. Illinois follows a strict liability rule for dog bites under the Illinois Animal Control Act (510 ILCS 5/16), meaning the owner is generally liable for an attack regardless of whether the dog had bitten anyone before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States, with hundreds of thousands needing emergency care. [internal-link: dog-bites]

Product liability cases involve injuries caused by defective or dangerous products. That includes vehicle defects (which can sometimes be tracked through NHTSA’s recall database), defective industrial equipment, and dangerous consumer goods regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. [internal-link: product-liability]

Wrongful death claims allow surviving family members to seek compensation when a loved one is killed because of another party’s negligence or misconduct. These claims are governed by the Illinois Wrongful Death Act, 740 ILCS 180/, with a separate Survival Act claim under 755 ILCS 5/27-6 covering damages the decedent could have recovered if they had survived. [internal-link: wrongful-death]

Dram shop claims are a distinctive feature of Illinois injury law. Under the Illinois Liquor Control Act (235 ILCS 5/6-21), a bar, restaurant, or other liquor licensee that sells or gives alcohol to someone who is then involved in a drunk-driving crash can be held liable for the resulting injuries, with statutory damages caps that the Illinois Liquor Control Commission adjusts annually. We pursue dram shop claims alongside the underlying car accident claim where the facts support it. [internal-link: dram-shop]

If your situation isn’t on this list, call us anyway. Personal injury law covers a lot of ground, and we’d rather hear about your case and tell you straight whether we can help.

Common Injuries in Personal Injury Cases

Accidents can cause anything from temporary pain to permanent disability. We represent clients who have suffered:

  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and concussions
  • Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
  • Broken bones and fractures
  • Back, neck, and whiplash injuries
  • Herniated discs and soft tissue damage
  • Internal organ damage
  • Burns and scarring
  • Amputation and loss of limbs
  • Knee, shoulder, and joint injuries
  • Cuts, lacerations, and disfigurement
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological injuries

Some injuries are obvious right away. Others, like concussions, internal bleeding, and soft tissue damage, can take days or even weeks to fully show up. That’s why getting medical attention as soon as possible after an accident matters. It protects your health, and it documents your injuries early. Chicago is fortunate to have five Level I adult trauma centers within city limits: Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Streeterville, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County on the Near West Side (one of the busiest Level I centers in the nation), Mount Sinai Hospital on the West Side, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Lakeview, and University of Chicago Medicine in Hyde Park. The South Side adult Level I program at UChicago opened on May 1, 2018, ending a 27-year gap during which the South Side had no adult Level I center, and a 2026 study in JAMA Surgery linked its opening to nearly a 4% reduction in firearm mortality in surrounding neighborhoods. The four Level I pediatric trauma centers serving Chicago are Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, Comer Children’s at UChicago, and Advocate Children’s Hospital at Lutheran General in Park Ridge. Loyola University Medical Center in suburban Maywood is the only trauma center in Illinois verified Level I by both the state and the American College of Surgeons, and is also the regional Burn Center.

Compensation Available in an Illinois Personal Injury Case

Illinois law lets injured victims recover both economic and non-economic damages. Depending on the case, punitive damages may also be available.

Economic Damages

These are the financial losses you can document with bills, pay stubs, and receipts:

  • Medical expenses: Past and future treatment, hospital stays, surgeries, medication, rehab, and home care
  • Lost wages: Income you couldn’t earn while recovering
  • Loss of earning capacity: Reduced ability to earn in the future because of permanent impairments
  • Property damage: Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other damaged belongings
  • Out-of-pocket expenses: Transportation to medical appointments, home modifications, and other accident-related costs

Non-Economic Damages

These are losses that don’t come with a receipt but are just as real:

  • Pain and suffering: Physical pain caused by your injuries and their treatment
  • Emotional distress: Anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma stemming from the incident
  • Disfigurement: Permanent scarring or physical changes to your appearance
  • Loss of a normal life: Inability to take part in activities and hobbies you used to enjoy. Illinois courts recognize “loss of a normal life” as a separate non-economic damage element on top of pain and suffering and disability.
  • Loss of consortium: The impact your injuries have had on your relationship with your spouse
  • Disability and loss of normal physical functioning: Limitations on your physical abilities and daily activities

Punitive damages are available in Illinois for cases involving fraud, malice, willful and wanton misconduct, or other particularly egregious behavior, but Illinois law restricts them. Punitive damages are barred by statute in legal malpractice cases and most medical malpractice cases under 735 ILCS 5/2-1115. In cases where punitive damages are available, courts look closely at whether the conduct went well beyond ordinary negligence.

How Illinois Negligence Law Works

Understanding the basics of Illinois negligence law helps you understand your case. Here are the key ideas.

Proving Negligence

To win a personal injury case, you have to prove four things:

Duty of care. The defendant had a legal obligation to act reasonably to avoid causing harm. Drivers have to operate their vehicles safely. Property owners have to keep their property in safe condition. Manufacturers have to produce safe products.

Breach of duty. The defendant didn’t live up to that duty. Running a red light, texting while driving (which is prohibited statewide under 625 ILCS 5/12-610.2), or ignoring a known hazard are all examples of a breach.

Causation. The breach actually caused your injuries. There has to be a clear connection between what the defendant did wrong and the harm you suffered.

Damages. You suffered real losses as a result. That can mean medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other categories of harm.

Illinois Modified Comparative Fault (the 50% Bar)

Illinois follows what’s called “modified comparative fault,” set out in 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. In plain terms, you can still recover compensation if you were partially at fault for the accident, as long as your share of responsibility is less than 50%.

If you’re found partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. For example, if you’re 20% at fault and your damages total $100,000, you’d recover $80,000.

If you’re found 50% or more responsible, you don’t recover anything. That’s why insurance companies work so hard to push fault onto victims. Even a few percentage points can knock you across that bar. Our attorneys fight to keep that from happening.

The Personal Injury Claims Process

Every case is a little different, but most personal injury claims follow a similar path.

Investigation and evidence gathering. We dig into how the accident happened. That includes police reports (Chicago Police Department crash reports can be requested through the CPD records process at headquarters at 3510 South Michigan Avenue, by phone at the non-emergency line (312) 746-6000, or directly through the CHIRP traffic crash report portal), medical records, witness statements, photographs, and any other evidence that supports your claim. Crashes on the Kennedy, the Dan Ryan, the Eisenhower, the Stevenson, and the Tollway often involve IDOT camera footage and incident management logs that can be lost in days if no one preserves them. Wrecks downtown, in Wrigleyville, on the Magnificent Mile, in the Loop, or in the West Loop entertainment district may have private security camera coverage from venues, restaurants, and bars, each with its own short retention windows.

Medical treatment documentation. We work to make sure your injuries are fully documented by medical professionals. Solid documentation is what proves the value of your damages later.

Demand and negotiation. Once we know the full extent of your damages, we send a demand to the insurance company and negotiate for fair compensation.

Filing a lawsuit. If the insurer won’t make a fair offer, we file suit. Most personal injury cases involving Chicago residents are filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, with civil cases in the City of Chicago typically heard at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street. The Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court (Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, sworn in December 2024) handles civil filings through the statewide eFileIL system. Federal cases involving Chicago residents are filed in the Eastern Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 South Dearborn Street.

Discovery. Both sides exchange information, take depositions, and gather more evidence under the Illinois Supreme Court Rules or the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, depending on the court.

Mediation, arbitration, or settlement. A lot of cases settle during litigation, often through mediation. Cases worth less than a certain dollar threshold filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County go through court-annexed mandatory arbitration before any trial.

Trial. If the case doesn’t settle, we present it to a jury and ask for the verdict your case deserves.

Through all of this, we keep you in the loop. You’ll always know what’s happening and what your options are.

Dealing with Insurance Companies

After an accident, you’ll probably hear from an insurance adjuster who sounds friendly and concerned. Don’t read too much into the tone. The adjuster’s job is to keep their company from paying any more than it has to. The Illinois Department of Insurance publishes consumer guides and complaint procedures if you ever feel an insurer is treating you unfairly.

Common insurance company tactics include:

  • Asking for a recorded statement they can later use against you
  • Requesting broad medical authorizations so they can dig for pre-existing conditions
  • Pushing a quick settlement before you know the full extent of your injuries
  • Disputing how serious your injuries are or claiming they aren’t related to the accident
  • Dragging things out, hoping you’ll accept less out of financial pressure
  • Trying to shift fault onto you to push you to the 50% comparative fault bar

Before you talk to any insurance company, talk to an attorney first. Once we’re involved, we handle communications with insurers for you. Trucking companies, rideshare carriers, transit agencies, hotel chains, and other large defendants all have dedicated claims handlers and rapid-response teams that show up at the scene of major incidents to start collecting statements and lining up favorable witnesses. The same advice applies.

Statute of Limitations: How Long You Have to File

Illinois sets strict deadlines for filing personal injury claims. Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. The same two-year period generally applies to wrongful death claims under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act. Miss that deadline and you usually lose your right to recover, period.

Some situations have shorter or different deadlines, and the most important difference for Chicago residents involves claims against governmental defendants.

Claims against local governmental entities, including the City of Chicago, Cook County, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, Pace, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Housing Authority, the Forest Preserves of Cook County, and most other local public bodies, are governed by the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act, 745 ILCS 10/. The most important rule under that statute is 745 ILCS 10/8-101, which gives you only one year from the date of injury to file suit, not two. CTA cases in particular have additional procedural traps. The CTA requires written notice within six months of the injury under the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act (70 ILCS 3605/41).

Claims against the State of Illinois (including IDOT, the Illinois Tollway, the Illinois State Police, and state universities) generally go through the Illinois Court of Claims under the Court of Claims Act (705 ILCS 505/), which has its own one-year and two-year deadlines depending on the type of claim, plus its own procedural rules.

Medical malpractice claims have a two-year-from-discovery rule under 735 ILCS 5/13-212, with a four-year statute of repose, plus an attorney’s affidavit and physician report requirement.

Claims involving minors may have extended deadlines under Illinois tolling rules.

Don’t sit on your case waiting to see if your injuries get better. Even if you’re not ready to file a lawsuit, talking to a lawyer early makes sure you understand which deadline applies to your case.

Steps to Take After an Accident in Chicago

If you’ve been hurt in any kind of accident, the steps you take afterward can protect both your health and your legal rights.

  1. Get medical attention right away. Call 911 if anyone is seriously hurt. Chicago has five Level I adult trauma centers within city limits: Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Streeterville, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County on the Near West Side, Mount Sinai Hospital on the West Side, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Lakeview, and University of Chicago Medicine in Hyde Park. For pediatric trauma, the Level I pediatric centers serving Chicago are Lurie Children’s, Stroger, Comer, and Advocate Children’s at Lutheran General. EMS protocols decide which trauma center you go to based on your injuries and location.
  2. Report the accident. If the crash happened inside Chicago city limits, call 911 to get an officer to the scene. The Chicago Police Department non-emergency line is (312) 746-6000, and the city’s general non-emergency services number is 311. Crashes in unincorporated parts of Cook County are handled by the Cook County Sheriff’s Police under Sheriff Tom Dart, with police headquarters at 1401 South Maybrook Drive in Maywood and a non-emergency line of 847-635-1188. Crashes on the Kennedy, Dan Ryan, Eisenhower, Stevenson, Bishop Ford, and the Illinois Tollway are sometimes worked by Illinois State Police District Chicago.
  3. Document everything. Take photos of the accident scene, your injuries, property damage, road conditions, and traffic signs. Note the time of day, the weather (Chicago weather often becomes a key factor in liability), and the direction you were traveling.
  4. Get witness information. Collect names, phone numbers, and email addresses from anyone who saw what happened. Crashes downtown, in tourist areas, near Wrigley Field, the United Center, Navy Pier, or Soldier Field often have witnesses from out of state, so get their contact information before they leave.
  5. Request your crash report. Illinois Traffic Crash Reports (Form SR 1050) are typically available within 7 to 10 business days of the crash. Chicago Police Department crash reports can be obtained through the CHIRP online portal at chirp.chicagopolice.org or in person at the CPD Records Inquiry Section at headquarters, 3510 South Michigan Avenue. State Police crash reports are available through the Illinois State Police records process. Standard reports are typically available for a small fee.
  6. Keep records. Save all medical bills, prescription receipts, mileage logs to and from appointments, and pay stubs that show the work you missed.
  7. For trucking and commercial cases, act fast. These defendants typically have rapid-response teams that arrive at the scene within hours. Evidence like driver logs, ECM (engine control module) data, surveillance footage, and maintenance records can be lost or overwritten in days. A spoliation letter from your lawyer puts the company on notice to preserve that evidence.
  8. For governmental cases, calendar the deadlines immediately. Claims against the City of Chicago, Cook County, CTA, Metra, Pace, IDOT, the Tollway, the Park District, or any other governmental defendant have one-year statutes of limitations or shorter notice deadlines. CTA cases need a six-month notice. State of Illinois cases go through the Court of Claims with its own rules.
  9. For pedestrian and bicycle cases, document the roadway. In Chicago, IDOT-controlled arterials produce a disproportionate share of pedestrian fatalities. Take photos of crosswalks (or the lack of them), pedestrian signals, sightlines, lighting, and any roadway debris. We use this evidence to identify both the at-fault driver and any responsible governmental authority.
  10. Don’t give a recorded statement. If the other driver’s insurance company asks for one, politely say no until you’ve spoken with an attorney.
  11. Don’t sign anything. Insurance companies sometimes hand over releases or settlements that look routine but quietly waive your rights. Have a lawyer look at it first.
  12. Call a personal injury attorney. The sooner you have legal representation, the better protected your case is, especially if a governmental entity may be involved.

How Our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers Help

Trying to handle a personal injury claim while you’re still recovering from a serious injury is exhausting. Our team takes the legal work off your plate so you can focus on getting better.

We investigate the accident, gather the evidence we need to prove liability and damages, and handle every conversation with the insurance companies. When a case calls for it, we bring in medical experts, accident reconstructionists, biomechanical engineers, vocational economists, and life-care planners to help build it.

We also calculate the full value of your losses, including future expenses and the kinds of non-economic damages that are easy to undercount. Then we negotiate hard for fair compensation. We also prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, because the cases that look ready for trial almost always settle for more.

If the insurance company won’t pay what your case is worth, we go to court.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chicago Personal Injury Cases

How much does it cost to hire a personal injury lawyer in Chicago?

Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, which means we only get paid if we recover compensation for you. Our fee comes as a percentage of your settlement or verdict. If we don’t win, you don’t pay. The consultation is free.

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Illinois?

Generally two years from the date of injury under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. But Illinois has unusually short deadlines for governmental defendants. Claims against the City of Chicago, Cook County, CTA, Metra, Pace, the Park District, IDOT, the Tollway, and most other public bodies have one-year statutes of limitations under the Illinois Tort Immunity Act, and the CTA requires written notice within just six months. Don’t assume your deadline based on the general rule. Have an attorney confirm it.

My wreck happened on DuSable Lake Shore Drive (or Cicero, Pulaski, Western, Stony Island, Ashland). Why does that matter?

Most of those corridors are owned by IDOT, not the City of Chicago. CDOT’s 2024 crash report found that 9% of Chicago’s road network is IDOT-controlled but produced about 45% of fatal crashes. State-owned roadway design, signal timing, and signage decisions are made in Springfield, not at City Hall, and that affects who you can sue and under which statute. Wrecks on these corridors often involve IDOT camera footage subject to short retention windows. We move quickly to preserve it. DuSable Lake Shore Drive in particular is the deadliest road in Chicago by a wide margin, with more than 60 traffic deaths logged since April 2019 and no speed cameras anywhere on its length.

I was hit by a CTA bus, an L train, or in a CTA station. What’s different about that case?

A lot. The Chicago Transit Authority is a public transit agency, which means it’s protected by the Illinois Tort Immunity Act and the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act. The CTA requires you to provide written notice of your claim within six months of the injury under 70 ILCS 3605/41, with specific information that has to be included for the notice to be effective. Miss the notice and you can lose your case before you ever file it. CTA bus drivers and L train operators are also held to a higher common-carrier duty of care, which is helpful if your case stays in court. We move fast on CTA cases to make sure every notice and procedural deadline is met.

I slipped and fell on snow or ice in Chicago. Can I sue?

Maybe, but Illinois snow and ice cases are tricky. Under the Illinois Snow and Ice Removal Act and Illinois case law, owners of residential property are generally not liable for falls caused by natural accumulations of snow and ice, only for unnatural accumulations created by something the owner did or failed to do (like a defective gutter that drains water onto a sidewalk where it refreezes, or improperly piled snow that creates a hazard). Commercial property owners face somewhat different rules, and contractual snow removal services can be sued for negligent removal that leaves a sidewalk more dangerous than they found it. We work through the natural-versus-unnatural distinction and identify every responsible party.

My crash happened in Chicago but the at-fault driver lives in Naperville (or Skokie, Oak Park, Schaumburg, or somewhere else in the suburbs). Where do I file?

Generally either Cook County (where the wreck happened) or the county where the at-fault driver lives is a proper venue under Illinois’s general venue statute (735 ILCS 5/2-101). Most Chicago wrecks involve Cook County venue, but if the at-fault driver lives in DuPage, Will, Lake, Kane, or McHenry County, those venues may also be available. The choice can matter, because juries in different counties don’t always look at the same case the same way. We talk through venue strategy early in the case.

I was hit by an 18-wheeler on the Kennedy, the Dan Ryan, or the Tollway. What’s different about a truck case?

A lot. Commercial trucks are governed by federal regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that don’t apply to passenger vehicles, including hours-of-service rules, driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing, and equipment inspection requirements. There are also typically multiple potentially responsible parties, including the driver, the trucking company, the freight broker, the shipper, and any maintenance contractor. Liability and insurance coverage in a truck case are usually much larger than in a typical car wreck, and the trucking company will have a defense team on the scene fast. We move just as fast to preserve evidence like ECM downloads, driver logs, dispatch records, and dashcam footage. The Chicago region’s enormous freight volume (intermodal yards, BNSF Logistics Park, O’Hare cargo) means truck cases here are common and high-stakes.

Does Illinois have a dram shop law?

Yes, and it’s an important tool in drunk-driving cases. Under the Illinois Liquor Control Act, 235 ILCS 5/6-21, a bar, restaurant, or other liquor licensee that sells or gives alcohol to someone who is then involved in a drunk-driving crash can be held liable for the resulting injuries. Illinois caps dram shop damages by statute, with the cap adjusted annually by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, but the recovery is in addition to whatever you recover from the drunk driver directly. The Liquor Control Act has its own one-year statute of limitations for dram shop claims under 235 ILCS 5/6-21(a). Move fast on these cases.

I was hit by an Uber or Lyft driver in Chicago. Whose insurance covers me?

It depends on what the driver was doing at the time of the wreck. If the rideshare app was off, the driver’s personal auto policy applies (and rideshare drivers often have policies that exclude coverage when driving for hire, which can leave a gap). If the app was on but the driver hadn’t accepted a ride, Uber and Lyft typically provide limited contingent coverage. If the driver had accepted a ride or had a passenger in the car, the rideshare company’s $1 million liability policy usually applies. Chicago’s heavy reliance on rideshare around O’Hare, Midway, downtown, the United Center, Wrigley Field, and the West Loop means these layered-coverage questions come up constantly. We work through them and identify all available coverage.

Is Illinois a no-fault state for car accidents?

No. Illinois is an at-fault (or “tort”) state. The driver who caused the wreck, and that driver’s insurance company, is responsible for the damages. That’s different from no-fault states, where each driver typically files with their own insurer regardless of who caused the wreck. In Illinois, fault investigation and the police crash report often shape the outcome of your case.

What is the minimum auto insurance required in Illinois?

Illinois drivers have to carry at least 25/50/20 liability coverage, meaning $25,000 per injured person, up to $50,000 per accident, and $20,000 for property damage, plus matching uninsured motorist (UM) coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage is required if your liability limits exceed the minimums. These minimums often aren’t enough to cover serious injuries from a freeway or interstate wreck, which is why purchasing higher UM/UIM coverage matters so much.

How long will my case take?

It depends. Some cases settle within months. Others take a year or more, especially if litigation is needed. Cases with disputed liability, severe injuries, or commercial defendants generally take longer. Cook County in particular has a heavy civil docket. We work to resolve your case as quickly as we reasonably can without rushing it past a fair result.

What if I was partially at fault for my accident?

You can still recover compensation as long as your share of fault is less than 50%. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. Get to 50% or more and you recover nothing under Illinois’s modified comparative fault rule.

Should I accept the insurance company’s settlement offer?

Not without talking to an attorney first. Initial offers are almost always far below what your case is worth. Once you sign a release, you can’t reopen the claim, even if your injuries turn out to be more serious than you thought. Have a lawyer review any offer before you sign anything.

How much is my case worth?

Every case is different. Value depends on the severity of your injuries, your past and future medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, the strength of the evidence, and the available insurance coverage. We can give you a more accurate range after we review the specifics of your case in a free consultation.

Are personal injury settlements taxable in Illinois?

According to IRS Publication 4345, the part of a personal injury settlement that compensates you for physical injuries or physical sickness is generally not taxable. Portions allocated to lost wages, interest, or punitive damages can be taxable. Illinois state income tax follows the federal rule for most categories of injury settlement proceeds, but you should always confirm tax treatment with a CPA.

What if the other driver doesn’t have insurance?

You may still have options. Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may apply, and Illinois requires every auto insurance policy issued in the state to include UM coverage at least matching the policyholder’s liability limits. Other parties, like an employer if the at-fault driver was on the job, may also share liability. We look at every angle for compensation.

Where do I get my Chicago accident report?

You can request your Chicago Police Department crash report through the CHIRP online portal at chirp.chicagopolice.org or in person at CPD Records Inquiry at headquarters, 3510 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60653. Reports filed by the Cook County Sheriff’s Police can be requested through the Sheriff’s records process. If we represent you, we’ll handle getting the report as part of our investigation.

Helpful Chicago and Illinois Resources

If you’ve been hurt in an accident in Chicago, these public resources may be useful:

Contact Our Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys Today

If you’ve been hurt because of someone else’s negligence, you don’t have to take on the insurance companies on your own. The Chicago personal injury lawyers at DJC Law have the experience and the resources to go to bat for you.

Reach out for a free consultation. We’ll listen to your story, walk you through your options, and help you figure out what to do next. There’s no obligation, and you don’t pay us anything unless we win. Hablamos español.

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