Illinois Drunk Driving Accidents, Laws & Injury Compensation

What to do if you’re injured by a drunk driver in Illinois

The good news is that drunk driving fatalities are down in Illinois, ever since the state implemented driving under the influence (DUI) legislation 20 years ago.

The bad news is that drunk driving is still a big problem in the Prairie State.

Let’s take a closer look at drunk driving in Illinois, including how drunk driving can impact your injury claim.

Hit-and-run laws and DUI in Illinois

It’s a crime to leave the scene of an accident in Illinois—this is known as a hit-and-run. Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs is also a crime. Each carries serious penalties, but if a driver commits a DUI hit-and-run, the penalties are even steeper.

A DUI can result in a Class 4 felony with up to 12 years in prison and up to $25,000 fine, along with 2-year license revocation if it causes serious injury to a victim. If a victim dies, it becomes a Class 2 felony and up to 14 years in prison. If there are multiple victim fatalities, you could be in prison for up to 28 years.

There are additional situations that would enhance a DUI penalty, including leaving the scene of an accident. This could result in a charge of vehicular homicide or reckless driving.

Legal alcohol limit for driving in Illinois

A driver’s blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) is based on the ratio of alcohol to blood or breath.

However, this doesn’t mean your driving ability doesn’t suffer until you reach a BAC of .08.

Your risk of being in a crash begins to climb with a BAC of .04 and increases rapidly thereafter. By the time you reach a BAC of .06, you’re 2 times as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as non-drinking drivers. By the time you reach a BAC of .08, you’re 11 times more likely to be killed in a single-vehicle crash than non-drinking drivers.

In fact, you can be convicted of DUI in Illinois even if your BAC is less than .08, if other evidence shows that you’re impaired.

Implied consent laws in Illinois

When you operate a motor vehicle in Illinois, you automatically give consent to the Illinois police to test your BAC so long as the police officer has “reasonable grounds” to believe you’re driving under the influence or you’re under 21 and have consumed alcohol.

This is known as an implied consent law.

If you refuse to submit to or fail to complete testing, your license will automatically be suspended for 6 months (for a 1st offense).

Penalties for driving under the influence

Penalties for DUI in Illinois vary depending on the circumstances of the arrest and conviction. These circumstances may include:

• Prior DUI convictions
• The driver’s age
• The driver’s BAC
• Whether the driver was transporting a child under the age of 16

Let’s take a closer look.

First DUI conviction

A first DUI conviction is a Class A misdemeanor and carries with it the following minimum penalties:

• Revocation of driving privileges for 1 year (2 years if the driver is under age 21)
• Suspension of vehicle registration

In addition, there are enhanced penalties if your BAC is .16 or more ($500 fine and 100 hours of community service) or if the DUI was committed while the driver was transporting a child under the age of 16 (a minimum $1,000 fine, 25 days of community service, and possible imprisonment up to 6 months).

Second DUI conviction

A second DUI conviction is a Class A misdemeanor and carries with it the following minimum penalties:

• Imprisonment for 5 days or 240 hours of community service
• Revocation of driving privileges for a minimum of 5 years for a 2nd conviction within 20 years
• Suspension of vehicle registration

In addition, there are enhanced penalties if your BAC is .16 or more (imprisonment of 2 days and a minimum fine of $1,250) or if the DUI was committed while the driver was transporting a child under the age of 16 ($5,000 fine and 25 days of community service).

Third DUI conviction

A third DUI conviction is a Class 2 felony in Illinois and carries with it the following minimum penalties:

• Revocation of driving privileges for a minimum of 10 years
• Suspension of vehicle registration

In addition, there are enhanced penalties if you have a BAC of .16 or more (imprisonment of 90 days and a mandatory minimum fine of $2,500) or if the DUI was committed while the driver was transporting a child under the age of 16 ($25,000 fine and 25 days of community service).

Fourth DUI conviction

A fourth DUI conviction is a Class 2 felony and carries with it the following minimum penalties:

• Revocation of driving privileges for life
• Suspension of vehicle registration

In addition, there are enhanced penalties if your BAC registers at .16 or more (minimum fine of $5,000) or if the DUI was committed while the driver was transporting a child under the age of 16 ($25,000 fine and 25 days of community service).

Fifth DUI conviction

A fifth DUI conviction is a Class 1 felony and carries with it the following minimum penalties:

• Revocation of driving privileges for life
• Suspension of vehicle registration

In addition, there are enhanced penalties if your BAC is .16 or more (minimum fine of $5,000) or if the DUI was committed while the driver was transporting a child under the age of 16 ($25,000 fine and 25 days of community service).

Sixth DUI conviction

A sixth DUI conviction is a Class X felony and carries with it the following minimum penalties:

• Revocation of driving privileges for life
• Suspension of vehicle registration

In addition, there are enhanced penalties if your BAC of .16 or more (minimum fine of $5,000) or if the DUI was committed while the driver was transporting a child under the age of 16 ($25,000 fine and 25 days of community service).

Dram shop laws

Dram shop laws address whether an employee or owner of an establishment (usually a restaurant or bar) can be held liable for a crash resulting from a drunk driver who was served at the establishment.

In Illinois, a person who’s injured by a drunk driver can bring a claim for damages against the establishment that supplied the alcohol. Unlike most other states, Illinois doesn’t require the establishment to have served alcohol after the defendant was obviously intoxicated. It’s enough that the establishment supplied the alcohol that caused the intoxication that played a part in the accident.

Let’s look at an example:

What to do if you’re hit by a drunk driver?

If you’re hit by a drunk driver, your priority should be to get medical care. This is important for your health, but it’s also important for the purposes of creating evidence that can help support an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit down the road.

In addition to calling an ambulance (if necessary), you should call the police immediately. When the police arrives, be sure to explain that you suspect the other driver is intoxicated. Your statement may help the police officer establish the necessary reasonable grounds to administer a field sobriety test.

Once the authorities have been alerted and you make sure you’re physically okay, contact a car accident attorney.

Fortunately, proving that a drunk driver was responsible for an accident is generally pretty simple, so long as the driver was charged with DUI.

In Illinois, you may be able to recover economic damages (such as medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages), as well as noneconomic damages (such as pain and suffering). You also stand a chance of recovering punitive damages, assuming you can prove that the driver who caused the accident was, in fact, intoxicated.

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