Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

Last updated on March 16, 2026

It’s important to act quickly after any type of motor vehicle accident. You want to preserve the evidence and be able to locate eyewitnesses. As a Chicago firm with a dedicated focus on personal injury cases, the team at Zane D. Smith & Associates, Ltd., can offer immediate legal support, guidance and representation. We’ll get to work right away. If you are not sure if you have a case, call us at 312-245-0031. Your phone call and any meetings you have with us about your injury or crash are always free of charge.

Helping You With Your Next Steps After A Car Accident

In Illinois, all car owners must have insurance. After a car accident, you file a claim with your insurance company and with the other driver’s insurer. While you recover from your injuries, you may begin to receive calls from insurers offering to settle your claim. However, insurance adjusters will try to settle your claim as quickly and cheaply as possible. Before accepting any offers, it is best to speak with an experienced attorney.

We will get to work right away on your case by thoroughly examining the evidence and evaluating your legal options to help you determine if you have a valid personal injury claim. To have a strong case, you need to demonstrate that the other driver in your accident was careless. This may include speeding, disregarding traffic signs, texting and driving, and driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

We Take More Than Just Car Accident Cases

As an established personal injury firm, we have taken, and won, hundreds of car crash cases. We also take other types of motor vehicle cases. Some of the more common cases we handle include:

• Car accidents
• Motorcycle crashes
• Truck, including semi, 18-wheelers and delivery vans
• Boating accidents
• Rideshare accidents (Uber and Lyft)
• Recreational vehicle accidents (such as snowmobiles, personal watercraft and ATVs)
• Getting hit by a vehicle while walking or biking
• Public transportation accidents: bus, train, plane

A crash can cause many different injuries. We handle all injuries, including spine, neck, brain and head. Head injuries may involve a concussion, traumatic brain injury (TBI) or fatality. Speak with us if you or a loved one has suffered a back injury, broken bone, injury to the face or large areas of skin (often called road rash).

As attorneys who are exceedingly well-versed in many types of personal injury cases, we can quickly assess your case and advise you.

When Do You Have A Case?

After a car crash or other motor vehicle accident, it is not uncommon to wonder if you have a case. You may think that something you did contributed to the accident. It is always in your best interest to consult a personal injury attorney after an accident with injuries, even if you may have partial fault.

What we will need to show is that the other driver was negligent. This means the other driver either did something wrong or failed to do the right thing. Some examples of driver negligence include driving while drunk or drugged, speeding, disregarding traffic signs, driving while distracted and texting while driving. Even if you think you might be the party at fault, call and talk with us; you will know for sure what your rights are and how to proceed.

What Is Your Pain And Suffering Actually Worth?

It can be relatively simple to calculate some economic damages that you face after an injury. The hospital will provide you with copies of your medical bills, for example, and you may deserve financial compensation if someone else’s negligence was responsible for your injuries.

Things can get more complicated when considering noneconomic damages in Illinois personal injury cases. If you have suffered pain and emotional turmoil, you do deserve compensation, but there are no direct financial bills or records that you can provide. Many people find themselves wondering: How is pain and suffering calculated in Chicago?

The Pain And Suffering Multiplier Method

There is no strict formula under Illinois law, but the pain and suffering multiplier method is often used by courts and insurance companies to determine how much is due.

This method starts by considering the direct economic damages, like lost income and medical bills. The court then looks at the severity of a person’s injuries. A permanent injury, like a spinal cord injury leading to paralysis, is going to have a much more significant impact on a person’s future than a relatively minor injury like a broken arm.

By considering the severity, the court can then assign a number to the case, ranging from 1.5 to 5. This number is then multiplied by the economic damages to determine pain and suffering.

For instance, if someone suffered an injury that cost them $100,000 in medical bills and they were given the number 2.5 as part of the multiplier method, they may qualify for $250,000 for pain and suffering. In total, they may be awarded $350,000 in financial compensation, covering both their medical bills and the pain and suffering they had to endure.

Are There Alternative Methods Of Calculating Pain And Suffering?

An alternative to using this pain and suffering calculator in Illinois is the per diem method, where a dollar amount is assigned to each day. The total they are owed can be determined by looking at how long the condition will last.

For instance, the court may determine that they deserve $300 per day and that it is going to take them 200 days to make a full recovery. They would then be owed $60,000 for pain and suffering.

Are There Illinois Damage Caps In 2026?

For personal injury cases, there are no Illinois damage caps in 2026. The total amount that a person can recover is not limited.

There used to be caps in previous years, but the Illinois Supreme Court considered them in a landmark case known as Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital and decided that the caps needed to be struck down.

This means that each case is unique. The total amount owed for pain and suffering in one car accident case, for example, may be very different from the total amount owed in another, similar case. There is no top-end limit or standard amount that courts are going to award to every injury victim.

Instead, it is imperative to understand what type of evidence to present in your case as it relates to both economic and noneconomic damages. An experienced attorney can fight for your rights and strive to help you maximize your claim and pursue the full compensation that you deserve if you were injured due to someone else’s negligence.

The attorneys at Zane D. Smith & Associates, Ltd., use their experience to help you consider how much your injuries are worth. They may be worth more than you believe when you initially consider filing a claim. It is important not to leave compensation on the table, as accepting a settlement closes your case and often ends your ability to seek future compensation. You must consider all economic and noneconomic damages from the very beginning of your Illinois personal injury case.

Main Types Of Compensation

Every case is indeed unique, but it can help to consider some of the main types of compensation that may be due, forming the basis of your claim. Common areas where people seek financial compensation include:

• Short-term medical bills, such as emergency transportation, surgery, treatment and overnight stays in the hospital.
• Long-term medical costs, such as the need for future surgery, medication, rehabilitation and physical therapy.
• Short-term lost wages, generally including the days that you miss at work, especially if you are an hourly employee.
• Long-term lost wages, such as a reduced earning capacity that could be related to a permanent injury or disability.
• Pain and suffering, which can include both physical and emotional components, such as the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Disability and disfigurement, which are permanent injuries that can change the course of a person’s life and sometimes affect their employment options.

These are important categories to start with, and our experienced team at Zane D. Smith & Associates, Ltd., can help you build your case from this point up. Do not hesitate to contact us for an initial consultation.

Discuss The Accident With An Attorney For Free

It is quite common to have questions after an accident. We are here to help. Call our team to ask a question or set up a free consultation with us at 312-245-0031. Our online contact form is another way to ask a question or reach out to us. We are conveniently located downtown, just steps from the courthouse. Your motor vehicle consultation with us is 100% free. We serve injured clients throughout all of Chicago. Lawyers on our team also speak Russian and Spanish.