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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.
Kinds of Injury Claims
Vehicle crashes
Whether the collision was minor or serious, the same early steps help: get checked by a doctor, photograph the vehicles and the scene, exchange insurance information and keep any repair estimates.
Pedestrian and bicycle injuries
Walkers and cyclists hurt by a vehicle should write down the location, the time of day, the lighting and the signals as soon as they can. Witnesses who stopped are valuable, so ask for their contact details before they leave.
Falls and unsafe property
Wet floors, icy steps and broken railings cause injuries that turn on how long the hazard existed and who was responsible for it. Photograph the hazard as soon as you can and report the fall to whoever runs the property.
Wrongful death
When a death is caused by someone else’s wrongful act or neglect, the claim works differently from an injury claim. A wrongful death claim follows its own rules in Illinois; ask an attorney which date applies (740 ILCS 180/2). This is a hard moment to decide anything, and an attorney can walk you through the steps without hurrying you.
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.
What An Award Can Include
The law of Illinois restricts limits on damages for injury. What you can recover turns on the bills, the missed work and the lasting effects.
The amount is a question of proof.
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.
Why Policy Limits Matter
The least liability coverage an auto policy in Illinois can provide is $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).
Those figures are floors, and a serious injury can cost more than the other driver’s policy pays. They are minimums, not a measure of what your claim is worth.
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.
Ask every provider for your full records and an itemized bill, and keep a running list of appointments. A transfer between hospitals leaves two sets of records, so request both.
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 should go in my claim folder?
Hold on to your medical bills and records. Add photographs of the scene and of your injuries. Pay stubs that show missed work, repair estimates and every letter or email from an insurer belong in the folder too.
Should I speak with the other driver’s insurance company?
You are free to talk, but nothing requires an immediate recorded statement. Keep it short and take the adjuster’s name and claim number. Nothing you say can be taken back, so take your time.
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.
