Illinois · Truck accident claims
Illinois truck accident lawyers. We start with the evidence.
A crash with a semi is not a car accident with a bigger vehicle. Federal safety rules, the trucking company’s own records and layered insurance all shape an Illinois claim, and some of those records are only required to be kept for months.
Illinois truck claims, by the numbers
- 2 years
to file most Illinois injury claims
735 ILCS 5/13-202 (opens in a new tab) - 50%
the most fault you can carry and still recover; your share reduces the award
735 ILCS 5/2-1116 (opens in a new tab) - $750,000
federal minimum liability coverage for a for-hire carrier of ordinary freight in interstate commerce, in a truck rated at 10,001 pounds or more
49 CFR 387.9 (opens in a new tab) - 11 hours
the most a trucker may drive after 10 consecutive hours off duty
49 CFR 395.3 (opens in a new tab)
Where we handle Illinois truck cases
Truck cases from every corner of the state. Chicago has its own dedicated site; Joliet, Rockford, Aurora, Peoria and Springfield have pages here.
- 01
Chicago Dedicated site
I-90/94, I-55 and the rail yards
chicagotruckaccidentlawyers.com (opens in a new tab) - 02
Joliet
Where I-80 meets I-55, beside the intermodal yards
Joliet page - 03
Rockford
The I-90 and I-39 freight corridor
Rockford page - 04
Aurora
I-88 and the western suburbs
Aurora page - 05
Peoria
I-74 and the I-474 bypass
Peoria page - 06
Springfield
I-55, I-72 and the state capital
Springfield page
What happens after you call
- Step 1
We lock down the evidence
Letters go to the trucking company the same week, asking it to preserve the electronic logging data, dash-camera footage, and inspection and maintenance files.
- Step 2
We find every policy
The driver, the carrier, a freight broker or shipper, and the trailer’s owner can each carry separate coverage. We look for all of it.
- Step 3
You decide, with the numbers
Before you accept anything, we walk you through what the claim is worth and why. No fee unless we win.
The trial team
Total recovered across all matters
Firm-wide total across all matters. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome.
Adam J. Zayed
Founder & Managing Trial Attorney
Julian D. Hoshell
Partner
Jeremy D. Lee
Partner
Andrew D. Miller
Partner
Michael N. Folga
Partner
Jeff Tabares
Partner
Christine “Chris” Kim
Partner
Shaun R. Bushing
Partner
Sean Imran
Associate Attorney
Frequently Asked Questions
The short answer
What makes an Illinois truck accident claim different from a car accident claim?
Three things. Federal safety rules govern the driver and the trucking company (motor carrier), so a claim can turn on hours-of-service limits (opens in a new tab) and inspection duties that do not apply to a car. The proof is largely in the carrier’s own records, and some of them are only required to be kept for six months (opens in a new tab). And more than one company, each with its own insurance, can be answerable for the same crash.
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in Illinois?
Most Illinois injury claims must be filed within two years (opens in a new tab). A claim against a city, a county or another local public body has a shorter deadline of one year (opens in a new tab). Some of the carrier’s records are only required to be kept for six months (opens in a new tab), which is the reason to call early.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
You can still recover in Illinois as long as your share of the fault is not more than 50 percent (opens in a new tab), and your award is reduced by your share. Above that line the claim is barred, which is why an insurer may look for ways to put blame on the person who was hurt.
Who can be responsible besides the truck driver?
Usually the trucking company (motor carrier) the driver works for, and sometimes others: the company that owns the trailer, a freight broker or shipper, or a maintenance contractor. When a carrier leases a truck from its owner, federal rules say the lease must give the carrier exclusive possession, control and use of the equipment (opens in a new tab) for the length of the lease.
What does it cost to talk to a lawyer?
Nothing. The case evaluation is free, and there is no fee unless we win.