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Illinois Injury Claim Rules

Rules cited to Illinois’s statutes and case lawRules checked How we calculate

Fault rule51% barYou recover if you are 50% or less at fault. The award is cut by your share.735 ILCS 5/2-1116
Filing deadline2 yearsFrom the date of the injury.735 ILCS 5/13-202
Minimum insurance25/50/20Per person, per crash, property. Illinois is an at-fault state.
Damage capsNone on injury damagesPunitive and malpractice damages can be capped separately.

Calculators with these rules built in

Illinois personal injury settlementAny injury someone else caused, valued under your state’s fault rule.Illinois car accident settlementInjury value plus your vehicle claim, with policy limits and no-fault rules.Illinois truck accident settlementCommercial policies carry far higher limits. See what that changes.Illinois motorcycle accident settlementSevere-injury ranges, fault disputes and the rider’s own coverage.Illinois pedestrian accident settlementHit on foot, including crosswalk fault and your own auto coverage.Illinois bicycle accident settlementCyclist claims under your state’s fault rule.Illinois rideshare accident settlementUber and Lyft layered coverage, by the driver’s app status.Illinois slip and fall settlementPremises claims, where proving the owner knew is half the case.Illinois dog bite settlementStrict-liability and one-bite states, and the homeowner’s policy that pays.Illinois wrongful death settlementLost support, household services and companionship, valued today.Illinois pain and sufferingCompare the multiplier and per-diem methods side by side.Illinois settlement offer checkerPlace an insurer’s offer inside your state’s range.Illinois demand letterA ready-to-edit demand letter for the insurance adjuster.Illinois filing deadlineYour last day to file an injury lawsuit, by state and claim type.Illinois comparative faultHow your share of fault changes the award under your state’s rule.Illinois policy limits and um/uim gapWhen the other driver’s policy runs out, and what your own covers.

This page collects the rules that decide what an injury claim is worth in Illinois: who can recover when both sides share the blame, how long you have to sue, what insurance drivers must carry and whether the state caps damages. Every rule links to the statute or court decision behind it, and every calculator on this site uses these same values.

Illinois is an at-fault state, so claims are paid by the at-fault party’s insurer, and its 51% bar rule sets how much your own share of fault costs you.

Illinois injury claim rules

Fault. Illinois uses modified comparative fault with a 51% bar. If you are found 20% at fault, your award drops by 20%. At 51% or more, you recover nothing. Insurers know this, so expect them to argue your share up.

Filing deadlines. You have two years from the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. Families have two years for a wrongful death claim, usually counted from the date of death. Claims against a government agency need written notice much sooner.

Car insurance. Illinois is an at-fault state, so the at-fault driver’s liability insurance pays your claim. Drivers must carry at least $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $20,000 for property damage, written 25/50/20. Uninsured motorist coverage is also required.

Damage caps. No cap on injury damages. Medical malpractice and punitive damages can have separate limits.

Dog bites. Owners are strictly liable when a dog injures someone who was peaceably and lawfully where they had a right to be, without provoking it.

Illinois injury claim questions

Can I still get a settlement in Illinois if I was partly at fault?

Yes, as long as you were 50% or less at fault. Your award is reduced by your percentage, and at 51% or more you recover nothing.

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Illinois?

two years from the injury in most cases.

Who pays a personal injury settlement?

Usually the at-fault party’s insurer: auto, homeowner’s or business liability coverage. The policy limit often sets the practical ceiling.

Does Illinois cap pain and suffering damages?

Not in most injury cases. No cap on injury damages. Medical malpractice and punitive damages can have separate limits.