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Your Champaign Personal Injury Attorney
The short answer. In Illinois most injury claims must be filed within two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). The trial court for Champaign County sits in Urbana, at 101 E. Main St., Urbana, IL 61801. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
Nobody plans for the call that follows an accident. Whether you were hurt in a crash, a fall or something else in Champaign, the weeks afterward bring decisions that feel bigger than they should. Here is what Illinois law says, in plain terms, so you can ask better questions.
A quick note on what this page is: general information about Illinois injury law, written from the statutes, from a matching service that does not practice law. It is meant to help you ask good questions, not to decide your case.
Before You Hire: Questions For A Champaign Attorney
Bring these to your first call, whoever it is with:
- The deadline. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file for your claim. The general limit for injury claims in Illinois is two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202).
- If you were partly to blame. Ask what happens to your award if a jury finds you share the blame (735 ILCS 5/2-1116).
- Any ceiling. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Illinois.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
Personal Injury Types of Cases
Premises Liability
Many premises liability claims are from a property owner’s duty to maintain a property in the way that does not endanger others. There are may ways a property owner can violate this duty.
- Broken Stairs
- Unlit alleyways
- Slippery Floors
- Surfaces that are uneven
- Places to receive burns
- Places to receive chemical exposure
- Dog bites
- and other dangerous conditions
Work Place Accidents
These types of personal injury lawsuits involve more that just a employee and employer. If you feel like your place of employment was negligent in some way, you might have a claim for compensation. These types of accidents can include.
- Slip and Fall
- Unsafe working conditions
- Unmaintained equipment
- Auto Accidents
- Death
- Electrical Hazards
- Occupational illnesses like COPD, contagious diseases, and asbestosis
- personal injuries at work
Wrongful Death
When negligence leads to fatal injuries, a wrongful death suit can help the surviving family members hold the negligent company, persons, and or person accountable for what was done. A wrongful death case can involve different types of compensation from other personal injury claims. After a fatal accident, family members can ask an attorney to review what compensation the surviving loved ones may have a right to. These types of accidents can include.
- Auto Accident
- Maritime Accident
- Drowning
- Electrocution
- Falls
- Helicopter Accident
- Fire
- Firearm
- and other types of wrongful deaths
Motor Vehicle Accidents
As long as the person that was operating the vehicle that injured you was negligent in some way, you can could have a claim for compensation. This can include.
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- 18 wheeler Accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Drunk Driving
- Distracted Driving
- Aggressive Driving
- and other types of motor vehicle accidents
Injured in Champaign? Get matched with an attorney now.
When You Were Partly At Fault
A person who is fifty percent at fault or less can still recover in Illinois. 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 sets the rule.
You can recover if your share of the fault is 50 percent or less, and your award is reduced by your share; above 50 percent the claim is barred (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). Photographs, witness names and medical records help show where the fault lies.
Time Limits To Know
A lawsuit for most injuries in Illinois must be started within two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). Extra time can be available for a child and in some other limited situations (735 ILCS 5/13-211(a)).
If someone died, a separate set of rules can apply (740 ILCS 180/2). Ask in your first conversation which date applies to your claim.
The Court and Hospitals Behind a Champaign Claim
Champaign lies in Champaign County, according to Census Bureau place and county names. Champaign County’s 6th circuit court is listed in Urbana, at 101 E. Main St., Urbana, IL 61801. In Champaign County, the Illinois Department of Public Health, EMS and Trauma Program list of trauma centers shows Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana as a Level I trauma center.
Measured in a straight line from Champaign, the nearest Illinois acute care and critical access hospitals in the federal Hospital General Information file are OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center-Urbana (listed by CMS as OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center) in Urbana, 2.6 miles, an acute care hospital, then Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, 3.2 miles, an acute care hospital, then Kirby Medical Center in Monticello, 15.6 miles, a critical access hospital. OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center-Urbana is at 1400 West Park Street, Urbana, IL 61801.
Road distance from Champaign is longer than a straight line. Wherever you were treated, ask for the full records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every visit.
Further down the same list are Gibson Community Hospital in Gibson City (25.6 miles) and OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville (33.3 miles). The file lists 2 Illinois acute care and critical access hospitals within 10 miles of Champaign, 3 within 25 miles and 13 within 50 miles, all in a straight line.
The nearest places in Illinois that this site has pages for, by the same coordinates, are Urbana (4.1 miles east), Rantoul (14.5 miles northeast) and Bloomington (44.4 miles northwest). Chicago is 123 miles north of Champaign and Springfield is 76 miles west.
How To Begin Your Champaign Claim
Use the form at the top of the page to tell us what happened. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Illinois. There is no charge to submit it, and submitting it does not hire anyone.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the other driver’s policy enough to cover my injuries?
At least $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident and $20,000 for property damage (625 ILCS 5/7-203). A crash with several injured people can use up limits quickly. It helps to learn early what other coverage may exist.
What is the nearest hospital to Champaign?
On the federal list the nearest Illinois acute care or critical access hospital is OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center-Urbana in Urbana (2.6 miles, straight line), then Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana (3.2 miles) and Kirby Medical Center in Monticello (15.6 miles). In an emergency call 911; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which other places near Champaign does this site cover?
By Census coordinates the nearest are Urbana, 4.1 miles east; Rantoul, 14.5 miles northeast; and Bloomington, 44.4 miles northwest, all in a straight line from Champaign.
Is the matching service free?
It is free to ask. Most injury attorneys explain their fee before you decide. You decide whether to hire anyone.
Which court would hear an injury case from Champaign?
The court is chosen by the type and size of the case and where the injury happened. Ask your attorney to confirm it. The court listing described above names the local court locations.
When must an injury lawsuit be filed in Illinois?
Within two years for most injury claims (735 ILCS 5/13-202). The period can be longer for a child, and a few other situations extend it too (735 ILCS 5/13-211(a)). Write down the date of the injury now.
Can I still recover if the accident was partly my fault?
Under Illinois law, you can recover if your share of the fault is 50 percent or less, and your award is reduced by your share; above 50 percent the claim is barred (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). Ask how the rule would be argued in your case. Raise it early with any attorney you speak with.
Does Illinois put a ceiling on pain and suffering?
It depends on the facts of your claim, so ask an attorney whether any rule limits it in your case. The amount depends on the facts of your claim. Ask an attorney whether any rule reaches your claim.
Help Elsewhere in Illinois
People are hurt in every part of Illinois. These pages cover other communities.
