1. Clifford Law Offices, PC
Focus Area: Catastrophic personal injury and complex litigation
Practice Areas: Aviation accidents, medical malpractice, car accidents, construction accidents, truck accidents, class action lawsuits, explosions and fires, premises liability, transportation accidents, wrongful death
Background: The firm has recovered over $5 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients. Robert A. Clifford, the founder and senior partner, has been named the Number 1 Illinois Super Lawyer for 12 consecutive years. The firm maintains 28 attorneys and has been ranked by the National Law Journal in the Top 50 Elite Trial Lawyers. Notable results include a $101 million medical malpractice verdict. The practice handles cases requiring substantial resources, including aviation disasters and mass casualty events.
Location: 120 North LaSalle Street, 36th Floor, Chicago, IL 60602
Contact: (312) 899-9090 | cliffordlaw.com
Consultation: Free case evaluation. Contingency fee representation.
2. Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.
Focus Area: Personal injury trial practice with record-setting verdicts
Practice Areas: Medical malpractice, car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents, birth injuries, nursing home abuse, wrongful death, premises liability, product liability
Background: The firm was named the Number 1 firm in Illinois for 2024-2025 and has secured over $580 million in settlements and verdicts during that period. With more than 40 years of practice, the firm’s attorneys have tried cases resulting in some of the largest verdicts in Cook County history. The practice maintains offices in Chicago and Waukegan to serve clients throughout northeastern Illinois.
Location: 22 West Washington Street, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60602
Contact: (312) 372-1227 | salvilaw.com
Consultation: Free consultation available. Cases handled on contingency fee basis.
3. Taxman, Pollock, Murray & Bekkerman, LLC
Focus Area: Personal injury and medical malpractice litigation
Practice Areas: Medical malpractice, car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, nursing home negligence, wrongful death, birth injuries, product liability
Background: The firm has recovered over $750 million for injured clients. With 20 attorneys, the practice handles complex cases requiring substantial investigation and expert retention. The firm’s attorneys have secured numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements in Cook County and throughout Illinois.
Location: 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 3600, Chicago, IL 60602
Contact: (312) 586-1700 | taxmanlaw.com
Consultation: Free case evaluation. No fees charged unless compensation is recovered.
4. Smith LaCien LLP
Focus Area: Medical malpractice and serious personal injury
Practice Areas: Medical malpractice, birth injuries, surgical errors, misdiagnosis, hospital negligence, nursing home abuse, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death
Background: The firm has recovered over $3 billion for clients. Todd Smith, a founding partner, has been recognized in the New York Times as a distinguished medical malpractice practitioner. The firm focuses on cases involving severe injuries caused by medical negligence and maintains relationships with medical experts across specialties to support complex litigation.
Location: 180 North Stetson Avenue, Suite 3200, Chicago, IL 60601
Contact: (312) 509-8900 | smithlacien.com
Consultation: Free case review. Contingency representation available.
5. The Kryder Law Group, LLC
Focus Area: Personal injury representation throughout the Chicago metropolitan area
Practice Areas: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and fall, dog bites, rideshare accidents, construction accidents, wrongful death
Background: The firm maintains more than 20 years of experience representing injured individuals in Cook County and collar counties. With multiple office locations in Chicago, Aurora, Schaumburg, Elgin, and Des Plaines, the practice serves clients throughout the greater Chicago region. Attorneys handle cases from initial investigation through trial when necessary.
Location: 33 North Dearborn Street, Suite 2230, Chicago, IL 60602
Contact: (312) 598-0739 | kryderlaw.com
Consultation: Free consultations offered. No fees unless case results in recovery.
Personal Injury Laws in Illinois
Statute of Limitations
Illinois law under 735 ILCS 5/13-202 establishes a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. The period begins on the date of injury. Medical malpractice claims also carry a two-year limitation period from when the plaintiff knew or reasonably should have known of the injury, but are subject to a four-year statute of repose from the date of the act or omission giving rise to the injury, regardless of when the injury was discovered.
Wrongful death actions must be filed within two years of the date of death under 740 ILCS 180/2.
Claims against the State of Illinois require filing with the Court of Claims within one year of the incident and then commencing suit within two years. Claims against local government entities require written notice within one year of the injury.
Comparative Negligence Rule
Illinois follows a modified comparative negligence standard codified at 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. An injured party may recover damages only if their percentage of fault is less than 50%. If the plaintiff is 50% or more at fault, they are barred from any recovery. When recovery is permitted, damages are reduced by the plaintiff’s percentage of fault. For example, a plaintiff found 30% at fault for an accident resulting in $100,000 in damages would recover $70,000. This differs significantly from pure comparative negligence states where plaintiffs may recover even when primarily at fault.
Damage Caps
Illinois does not currently impose statutory caps on compensatory damages in most personal injury cases. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled in Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital (2010) that the 2005 medical malpractice damage caps were unconstitutional violations of the separation of powers doctrine. Economic damages including medical expenses, lost wages, and future care costs remain uncapped. Non-economic damages for pain and suffering are likewise not subject to caps in cases against private defendants.
Claims against the State of Illinois are subject to a $2 million cap under the State Lawsuit Immunity Act (745 ILCS 5/1), except for claims arising from state vehicle operations.
Auto Insurance Requirements
Illinois is an at-fault (tort liability) state. The Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/7-601) mandates minimum liability insurance coverage:
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
Property Damage Liability: $20,000 per accident.
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident (mandatory).
Underinsured Motorist Coverage: Required when uninsured motorist limits exceed the statutory minimums.
Illinois does not require Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or Medical Payments coverage as mandatory, though these coverages are available for purchase.
At-Fault Insurance System
As a fault-based state, Illinois holds the driver who causes an accident financially responsible for resulting injuries and property damage. Injured parties may file claims directly with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, file claims under their own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage when applicable, or file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver. The at-fault driver remains personally liable for damages exceeding their policy limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Illinois’ modified comparative negligence rule affect cases involving intersection collisions?
Intersection collisions frequently involve disputed liability where both drivers may share fault. Under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, if your fault is determined to be 50% or greater, you recover nothing. If your fault is 49% or less, your damages are reduced by your fault percentage. For example, if you had a green light but were traveling 10 mph over the speed limit when another driver ran a red light, a jury might assign you 20% fault and the other driver 80%. Your $100,000 in damages would be reduced to $80,000. Insurance adjusters and attorneys heavily scrutinize intersection cases because the 50% threshold creates a complete bar to recovery when fault is equally divided.
What are the specific rules for suing the Chicago Transit Authority after an injury on a CTA bus or train?
Claims against the CTA follow the Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act (745 ILCS 10). You must file a written notice with the CTA within one year of the injury providing your name, address, and description of the incident, injuries, and damages sought. The lawsuit must then be filed within one year of the incident as well. CTA maintains sovereign immunity protections that limit liability for certain discretionary functions. Additionally, CTA vehicles are considered common carriers, imposing a heightened duty of care for passenger safety. Photographs, video footage from platform cameras, and witness statements from other passengers often prove critical in these cases.
What damages can surviving family members recover in an Illinois wrongful death case?
The Illinois Wrongful Death Act (740 ILCS 180) permits recovery of pecuniary losses suffered by surviving spouse, next of kin, and other dependent beneficiaries. Recoverable damages include loss of financial support the deceased would have provided, loss of benefits and services, and loss of society, companionship, and consortium. The Survival Act (755 ILCS 5/27-6) allows recovery for the deceased’s pain and suffering between the time of injury and death, as well as medical expenses and lost wages during that period. Unlike some states, Illinois permits recovery for grief and mental anguish of surviving family members as part of their own pecuniary losses. Both wrongful death and survival claims must be brought within two years of the date of death.
Does Illinois recognize loss of consortium claims for injured persons who are not married?
Illinois courts have historically limited loss of consortium claims to married spouses. Unmarried partners, regardless of how long they have cohabited, generally cannot recover for loss of consortium in Illinois. However, Illinois courts have recognized loss of consortium claims for parents of injured minor children and for minor children of injured parents in certain circumstances. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act and case law developments have not extended consortium claims to civil union partners or domestic partners in the personal injury context, though legislative changes could affect future claims. Married plaintiffs should specifically plead their spouse’s consortium claim as a separate count in the complaint.
What are the consequences of not carrying the mandatory uninsured motorist coverage in Illinois?
Illinois law requires all automobile liability policies to include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage at minimum limits of $25,000/$50,000. Insurers cannot issue policies without UM coverage unless the insured expressly rejects it in writing using specific statutory language. If you are injured by an uninsured driver and your policy lacks UM coverage without proper written rejection, you may be able to reform your policy to include the mandatory coverage retroactively. Some insurers have faced bad faith claims for failing to include mandatory UM coverage. When properly rejected, the UM waiver must be signed by the named insured specifically acknowledging the rejection. Oral rejections are not sufficient. If you are injured by an uninsured driver and lack UM coverage, your options are limited to suing the uninsured driver personally, which often proves uncollectible.