Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

What we do in the first weeks

The strongest evidence in a car case is often the evidence that disappears first. Early work focuses on locking it down before it is overwritten, repaired, or forgotten.

• Send preservation letters for business, traffic, and doorbell camera footage, which is commonly overwritten within days or weeks.
• Obtain the police crash report and identify what it does not say — reports often reflect one driver's account and the officer did not see the crash.
• Contact independent witnesses while their memory is fresh.
• Photograph and document vehicle damage before repairs, and request vehicle event data where the impact justifies it.
• Identify every insurance policy that may apply, including your own.
• Handle communication with the insurers so you are not giving recorded statements unprepared.

Proving fault when the other side disputes it

Illinois uses modified comparative fault. You can recover as long as your share of fault is not more than 50%, but your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). That is why insurers so often argue you were partly to blame — every percentage point they assign lowers what they pay.

We answer that argument with physical evidence: vehicle damage patterns, video, signal timing, witness accounts, and, where needed, a reconstruction expert. Read more in our guide to comparative fault in Illinois.

Insurance coverage, including uninsured and underinsured drivers

Illinois requires liability coverage of at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $20,000 for property damage (625 ILCS 5/7-203, 7-601). Many drivers carry only the minimum, and some carry nothing. For a serious injury, the at-fault driver's policy may be far smaller than the harm.

See uninsured motorist claims in Illinois, hit-and-run crashes, and Uber and Lyft claims.

What your claim can include — and what affects its value

• Medical expenses, past and reasonably expected future care.
• Lost wages and reduced ability to earn.
• Pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of normal life.
• Disfigurement and lasting physical limitations.
• Property damage and loss of use of your vehicle.

Value depends mostly on the severity and permanence of the injury, how well it is documented by your treating providers, how clearly fault can be proven, and — often decisively — how much insurance is available. We do not quote formulas or averages, because they ignore those facts. Our case value guide explains the factors in more detail.

Medical bills and liens: what reaches you

Hospitals, doctors, health insurers, and government programs may claim repayment out of your settlement. Under the Illinois Health Care Services Lien Act, total liens by covered health care providers are capped at 40% of the recovery, and no single provider class may take more than one-third (770 ILCS 23/10). Health plans, Medicare, and Medicaid have their own repayment rules.

We identify liens early, verify the amounts, and negotiate reductions where the law or the facts support them. Before you accept any settlement, you see a written breakdown of the gross amount, the fee, case expenses, and each lien.

How a car accident case moves forward

Fees and case expenses

We work on a contingency fee: no attorney fee unless we recover money for you. The fee percentage and how case expenses (such as records, filing fees, and expert costs) are handled are set out in a written agreement that you review before signing, as Illinois rules require. Ask us to walk through it at the consultation.

Chicago-specific information

For crashes within city limits, see our Chicago car-accident claims guide for police reports, city claims, and local resources, and our Chicago and Illinois crash statistics. If you were just in a crash, start with what to do after a car accident.

Common questions