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Chicago Auto Accident Attorneys · Free Consultation
A Chicago car accident isn't your fault. The bill for it shouldn't be either.
Phillips Law Offices has fought insurance companies for injured drivers across Chicago and Illinois since 1945. Free consultation. No attorney's fee unless we recover for you.
$500M+
Since 1945
$0
24/7
Stephen D. Phillips
Built in front of Cook County juries, not in television commercials
Stephen D. Phillips has spent more than three decades representing seriously injured Illinois residents and the families of people killed in preventable crashes. He has tried catastrophic injury, medical malpractice and trucking cases to jury verdict across the state, and he personally directs the firm's most complex files. Defense counsel and adjusters price a case differently when they know the firm is willing and able to try it.
- Past President, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
- Inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2011
- America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators every year since 2017
Why drivers in Chicago call us
The insurance company is not on your side. Adjusters are trained to close claims fast and cheap. We gather the evidence, deal with the insurer, and push back when an offer falls short. If a fair settlement is not on the table, we try the case.
Evidence disappears fast
Dashcam footage gets overwritten and skid marks fade. We start preserving evidence within hours of taking your case.
We handle the insurance fight
Adjusters are trained negotiators. So are we, and we do not work for the insurance company.
Every responsible party
Illinois lets us pursue a distracted driver, a trucking company and a city with a broken signal in the same case.
No fee unless we win
No attorney's fee upfront and none at all unless we recover. We explain how case costs work before you sign.
Cases we handle
How we can help
Every case below is handled by the same trial team, on the same terms: a free consultation, and no attorney's fee unless we recover for you.
Car accidents
Rear-end, intersection, hit-and-run, pileups and winter crashes.
Learn moreTruck accidents
Semis, delivery vans and box trucks, governed by federal carrier rules.
Learn moreMotorcycle accidents
Where riders get blamed before anyone looks at the evidence.
Learn morePedestrian accidents
Crosswalk right of way, hit-and-run and dangerous crossings.
Learn moreBicycle accidents
Dooring, right hooks and bike lane collisions.
Learn moreWrongful death
Fatal crashes, and the two separate claims Illinois recognises.
Learn moreUber and Lyft crashes
Coverage depends entirely on what the app was doing.
Learn moreUninsured motorist claims
When the at-fault driver had nothing like enough coverage.
Learn moreGuides to Illinois car accident claims
More than 130 plain-English guides, each citing the Illinois statute it relies on so you can check it yourself.
Insurance claims
Adjusters, policy limits, UM and UIM.
Browse the guidesAccident types
Rear-end, T-bone, hit-and-run, pileups.
Browse the guidesIllinois traffic laws
Fault, seat belts, speeding, distraction.
Browse the guidesEvidence
Crash reports, photos, black box data.
Browse the guidesInjuries and treatment
Whiplash, treatment gaps, choosing doctors.
Browse the guidesSettlements
Case value and what you can recover.
Browse the guidesLitigation
Filing suit, arbitration, mediation.
Browse the guidesHiring a lawyer
When it is worth it and what to ask.
Browse the guidesHow it works
What happens after you call?
The consultation is free, and there is no attorney's fee unless we recover for you.
Free case review
Call (312) 346-4262 or send the form, any hour. We review what happened for free, with no obligation.
We preserve the evidence
The police report, dashcam and surveillance footage and vehicle data, before the insurer's first offer lands and before footage is overwritten.
We handle the insurance fight
We deal with the adjusters, pursue every responsible party and manage the medical liens. If a fair settlement is not on the table, we try the case.
No fee unless we win
No attorney's fee upfront and none at all unless we recover. We explain how case costs are handled before you sign anything.
Illinois deadlines
Two clocks start the day of the crash
Miss the deadline and the claim is gone, however strong it was. Meanwhile the footage that proves the case is usually gone within weeks.
Another driver: two years
Against another driver you generally have two years to file suit under 735 ILCS 5/13-202.
A city, the CTA or a county: one year
Against the City of Chicago, the CTA, a county or any other local public body you have one year under 745 ILCS 10/8-101. There is no pre-suit notice step, so only filing preserves the claim.
The full guide to Illinois filing deadlinesThe evidence: weeks
Dashcam, business security video and the vehicle itself are usually gone within weeks. Call rather than email if you are close to a deadline.
Call (312) 346-4262Client reviews
Words from our clients
I was in an auto accident. I received Mr. Phillips name from a friend of mine who is also a lawyer. He said that Mr. Phillips was one of the top lawyers in Chicago. I did some research on the internet and found out that everything my friend had said about him was true. Although my case was rather small compared to most of the cases that he normally handles, he treated me with the utmost respect.
T.C.Chicago, ILMy son & I were hurt in an auto accident on Christmas Day going to a family dinner. The other driver ran through a red light at Damen, Elston & Fullerton and push our car into oncoming traffic. I got broken ribs from the accident. I asked a few family members, who are attorneys, and they suggested Steve Phillips. Mr. Phillips and his staff were fabulous.
Theresa ProiettoChicago, ILMr. Phillips is #1 in my experience with a wrongful death auto accident case. He was compassionate, professional, patient and prompt in returning my calls to answer my questions in representing my family's case.
LibbyChicago, IL
Frequently asked questions
Do I actually need a lawyer after a Chicago car accident?
Not always, and we will tell you if you do not. If you were not hurt and the damage is minor, you can often handle it yourself. If there are real injuries, disputed fault, a commercial vehicle, a government defendant or a policy limits problem, the gap between a represented and unrepresented outcome is usually large.
What does it cost to hire Phillips Law Offices?
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, so there is no attorney's fee unless we recover for you. We explain how case costs are handled before you sign.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Illinois?
Against another driver you generally have two years to file suit under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. Against the City of Chicago, the CTA, a county or any other local public body you have one year under 745 ILCS 10/8-101, and only filing the lawsuit preserves the claim.
How long will my case take?
A straightforward claim can resolve in months. Serious injuries take longer, partly because settling before you know the full medical picture is how people get underpaid.
The insurer already offered me money. Should I take it?
Read it carefully first. An early offer usually arrives before anyone knows what the injury will cost, and accepting it closes the claim permanently.
Can not wearing a seat belt reduce what I recover?
No. Under 625 ILCS 5/12-603.1(c), failure to wear a seat belt shall not be considered evidence of negligence and shall not diminish any recovery for damages. An adjuster may still raise it; the statute says it cannot reduce what you recover.
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Free case review
Talk to us before you talk to the insurance company
The consultation is free, there is no obligation, and there is no attorney's fee unless we recover for you. Phillips Law Offices, 161 N Clark St, Suite 4925, Chicago.