Illinois Personal Injury Guide
IL personal injury cases & accident info
Illinois is no stranger to negligence cases and liability because it is home to Chicago, the city that Frank Sinatra memorialized in song. A place so popular means a ton of visitors, though, and a ton of visitors means a lot of car accidents.
Perhaps it was a friend or family member who was hurt, or maybe it was you. Whatever the case, if you need guidance for your personal injury suit, Enjuris has the answers.
Illinois personal injury law: the basics
Illinois statutes online
This is where you’ll find Illinois' laws. The website has details about how long you have to bring a case, damage caps on personal injury cases, and other important information that you will need.
To read:Illinois' car accident statutes of limitation
In Illinois, you have two years to bring a personal injury claim and five years to bring a property damage claim. That doesn't mean the whole lawsuit has to be completed in that time period; it just needs to be filed with the court before that time is up.
To read:Accidents & injuries in Illinois
Need a lawyer?
Accident worksheets
Your First Meeting with an Attorney
A worksheet to prepare for your first meeting with a personal injury attorney – what to bring, what they'll ask
Download in PDF format
Documents & Evidence Checklist
Checklist of 30 items to help you prepare for making a personal injury or accident claim
Download in PDF format
Personal Injury Attorney Interview Sheet
Worksheet with questions to ask a personal injury attorney to help determine if he or she will be a good fit for your case
Download in PDF format
Damages/Expenses Worksheet
Damages worksheet to track expenses for your injury claim (medical treatment, property damage, lost wages, prescriptions)
Download in PDF format
Post-Accident Journal Form
Sample accident journal/diary to help you document the effect on your daily life
Download in PDF format
Accident Report Form
Sample post-accident report form to keep in your glove box - fill out at the scene or as soon as you can after a car accident
Download in PDF format
Hiring a lawyer in Illinois
Your first meeting with a personal injury attorney should be free of charge. (Note that other legal specialties, such as intellectual property law or tax law, are different.) After that, lawyers work on a contingency fee, which means that they will receive a third of the eventual settlement or reward, plus office expenses.
If your case ends up going to trial, the percentage could rise to 40% of the eventual reward or judgment. These numbers aren't set by law, so don't be surprised if your lawyer suggests something else.
Want to hire a lawyer and need some help?
Check out some of our best articles:
What are the time limits for personal injury compensation claims?
Generally, from 1-6 years, most commonly 2 years, starting from the time you were injured. Read more
Need a lawyer?
Law libraries in Illinois
There are lots of issues you can solve without the help of an attorney. If you don't know where to start, a law librarian can help you. They are usually legally trained, and they can help you both with texts or online research engines like Westlaw or LexisNexis.
- Illinois College of Law: Albert E. Jenner, Jr., Law Library
- Illinois Supreme Court Library: Law Library
- Pritzker School of Law at Northwestern: Pritzker Legal Research Center
- Cook County Government Law Library: Branches
- DuPage County Law Library: Law Library
- 19th Judicial Circuit: William D. Block Memorial Law Library
- SIU School of Law: Law Library
- Peoria County Government: Law Library
- John Marshall Law School: Louis L. Biro Law Library
- Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals: Law Library
- Loyola University School of Law: Library
- Kane County Government: Law Library
- University of Chicago: D'Angelo Law Library
- Northern Illinois University School of Law: David C. Shapiro Memorial Law Library
- DePaul University Law: Rinn Law Library