Illinois Car Accident Laws: Fault, Insurance, and Your Claim

In all actions on account of bodily injury or death or physical damage to property, based on negligence, or product liability based on strict tort liability, the plaintiff shall be barred from recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is more than 50% of the proximate cause of the injury or damage for which recovery is sought. The plaintiff shall not be barred from recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is not more than 50% of the proximate cause of the injury or damage for which recovery is sought, but any damages allowed shall be diminished in the proportion to the amount of fault attributable to the plaintiff. No contributory fault may be attributed to a plaintiff bringing an action for damages for personal injury based on childhood sexual abuse as defined in Section 13-202.2.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-08 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov

Also relied on in: Motorcycle Accident Laws in Illinois (2026): Deadlines & Helmets, Truck Accident Laws in Illinois (2026): Deadlines & Liability, Illinois Dog Bite Laws: Liability and Victim Rights

Actions for damages for an injury to the person, or for false imprisonment, or malicious prosecution, or for a statutory penalty, or for abduction, or for seduction, or for criminal conversation that may proceed pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 7.1 of the Criminal Conversation Abolition Act, except damages resulting from first degree murder or the commission of a Class X felony and the perpetrator thereof is convicted of such crime, shall be commenced within 2 years next after the cause of action accrued but such an action against a defendant arising from a crime committed by the defendant in whose name an escrow account was established under the "Criminal Victims' Escrow Account Act" shall be commenced within 2 years after the establishment of such account. If the compelling of a confession or information by imminent bodily harm or threat of imminent bodily harm results in whole or in part in a criminal prosecution of the plaintiff, the 2-year period set out in this Section shall be tolled during the time in which the plaintiff is incarcerated, or until criminal prosecution has been finally adjudicated in favor of the above referred plaintiff, whichever is later.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-08 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov

Also relied on in: Illinois Statute of Limitations: Filing Deadlines by Case Type, Illinois Hit and Run Laws: Penalties and What to Do, Illinois Slip and Fall Laws: Proving Premises Liability

Except as provided in Section 2-725 of the "Uniform Commercial Code", approved July 31, 1961, as amended, and Section 11-13 of "The Illinois Public Aid Code", approved April 11, 1967, as amended, actions on unwritten contracts, expressed or implied, or on awards of arbitration, or to recover damages for an injury done to property, real or personal, or to recover the possession of personal property or damages for the detention or conversion thereof, and all civil actions not otherwise provided for, shall be commenced within 5 years next after the cause of action accrued.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov

Also relied on in: Illinois Scam and Fraud Laws: Where to Report, Your Right to Sue (2026), BIPA Explained: Illinois Biometric Privacy Act (740 ILCS 14), BIPA Statute of Limitations: The 5-Year Deadline (2026)

(a) No person shall operate, register or maintain registration of, and no owner shall permit another person to operate, register or maintain registration of, a motor vehicle designed to be used on a public highway in this State unless the motor vehicle is covered by a liability insurance policy. The insurance policy shall be issued in amounts no less than the minimum amounts set for bodily injury or death and for destruction of property under Section 7-203 of this Code, and shall be issued in accordance with the requirements of Sections 143a and 143a-2 of the Illinois Insurance Code, as amended. No insurer other than an insurer authorized to do business in this State shall issue a policy pursuant to this Section for any vehicle subject to registration under this Code. Nothing herein shall deprive an insurer of any policy defense available at common law.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov

No such policy or bond referred to in Section 7-202 shall be effective under this Section unless issued by an insurance company or surety company authorized to do business in this State, except that if such motor vehicle was not registered in this State, or was a motor vehicle which was registered elsewhere than in this State at the effective date of the policy or bond, or the most recent renewal thereof, such policy or bond shall not be effective under this Section unless the insurance company or surety company, if not authorized to do business in this State, shall execute a power of attorney authorizing the Secretary of State to accept service on its behalf of notice or process in any action upon such policy or bond arising out of such motor vehicle crash.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov

(a) The driver of any vehicle involved in a motor vehicle crashes resulting in personal injury to or death of any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such crash, or as close thereto as possible and shall then forthwith return to, and in every event shall remain at the scene of the crash until the requirements of Section 11-403 have been fulfilled. Every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary. (b) Any person who has failed to stop or to comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) shall, as soon as possible but in no case later than one-half hour after such motor vehicle crash, or, if hospitalized and incapacitated from reporting at any time during such period, as soon as possible but in no case later than one-half hour after being discharged from the hospital, report the place of the crash, the date, the approximate time, the driver's name and address, the registration number of the vehicle driven, and the names of all other occupants of such vehicle, at a police station or sheriff's office near the place where such crash occurred.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-23 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov

(a) The driver of any vehicle involved in a motor vehicle crash resulting only in damage to a vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such motor vehicle crash or as close thereto as possible, but shall forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of such motor vehicle crash until the requirements of Section 11-403 have been fulfilled. A driver does not violate this Section if the driver moves the vehicle as soon as possible off the highway to the nearest safe location on an exit ramp shoulder, a frontage road, the nearest suitable cross street, or other suitable location that does not obstruct traffic and remains at that location until the driver has fulfilled the requirements of Section 11-403. Every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary. If a damaged vehicle is obstructing traffic lanes, the driver of the vehicle must make every reasonable effort to move the vehicle or have it moved so as not to block the traffic lanes. Any person failing to comply with this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov

The driver of any vehicle involved in a motor vehicle crash resulting in injury to or death of any person or damage to any vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall give the driver's name, address, registration number and owner of the vehicle the driver is operating and shall upon request and if available exhibit such driver's license to the person struck or the driver or occupant of or person attending any vehicle collided with and shall render to any person injured in such crash reasonable assistance, including the carrying or the making of arrangements for the carrying of such person to a physician, surgeon or hospital for medical or surgical treatment, if it is apparent that such treatment is necessary or if such carrying is requested by the injured person. If none of the persons entitled to information pursuant to this Section is in condition to receive and understand such information and no police officer is present, such driver after rendering reasonable assistance shall forthwith report such motor vehicle crash at the nearest office of a duly authorized police authority, disclosing the information required by this Section.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov

(1) No policy insuring against loss resulting from liability imposed by law for bodily injury or death suffered by any person arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle that is designed for use on public highways and that is either required to be registered in this State or is principally garaged in this State shall be renewed, delivered, or issued for delivery in this State unless coverage is provided therein or supplemental thereto, in limits for bodily injury or death set forth in Section 7-203 of the Illinois Vehicle Code for the protection of persons insured thereunder who are legally entitled to recover damages from owners or operators of uninsured motor vehicles and hit-and-run motor vehicles because of bodily injury, sickness or disease, including death, resulting therefrom.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov

No policy insuring against loss resulting from liability imposed by law for bodily injury or death suffered by any person arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle shall be renewed or delivered or issued for delivery in this State with respect to any motor vehicle designed for use on public highways and required to be registered in this State unless uninsured motorist coverage as required in Section 143a of this Code is included in an amount equal to the insured's bodily injury liability limits unless specifically rejected by the insured as provided in paragraph (2) of this Section. Each insurance company providing the coverage must provide applicants with a brief description of the coverage and advise them of their right to reject the coverage in excess of the limits set forth in Section 7-203 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. The provisions of this amendatory Act of 1990 apply to policies of insurance applied for after June 30, 1991. (2) Right of rejection of additional uninsured motorist coverage.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov

(a) No civil action other than an action described in subsection (b) may be commenced in any court against a local entity or any of its employees for any injury unless it is commenced within one year from the date that the injury was received or the cause of action accrued. (b) No action for damages for injury or death against any local public entity or public employee, whether based upon tort, or breach of contract, or otherwise, arising out of patient care shall be brought more than 2 years after the date on which the claimant knew, or through the use of reasonable diligence should have known, or received notice in writing of the existence of the injury or death for which damages are sought in the action, whichever of those dates occurs first, but in no event shall such an action be brought more than 4 years after the date on which occurred the act or omission or occurrence alleged in the action to have been the cause of the injury or death. (c) For purposes of this Article, the term "civil action" includes any action, whether based upon the common law or statutes or Constitution of this State.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov

"Local public entity" also includes library systems and any intergovernmental agency or similar entity formed pursuant to the Constitution of the State of Illinois or the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act as well as any not-for-profit corporation organized for the purpose of conducting public business. It does not include the State or any office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, commission, university or similar agency of the State. The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly do not apply to an action or proceeding accruing on or before its effective date.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at ilga.gov