Pulaski County Personal Injury Lawyers

Hurt on I-57 or Anywhere in Pulaski County? We Fight for the Injured.

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Standing Up for the Injured in Mound City, Mounds, Ullin, and Karnak

A serious injury in Pulaski County brings problems most people are not ready for. There is no hospital in the county, so a bad crash often means an ambulance ride out to Carbondale or across the river to Paducah or Cape Girardeau, and sometimes a helicopter. The bills start coming from out-of-state providers. The other side’s insurance company already has adjusters working the file. And in one of the poorest counties in Illinois, hiring a lawyer can feel out of reach. It is not. We take injury cases on a contingency fee, which means you owe no attorney’s fee unless we recover money for you, and the case review is free.

Most of the serious injuries here happen on Interstate 57, which runs north and south through the county at Ullin and carries a steady stream of long-haul trucks toward Cairo and Memphis. We represent people hurt in those crashes whether they live in Mound City, Mounds, Ullin, or Karnak, or whether they were just passing through on I-57 when a careless driver changed everything. If you were injured anywhere in Pulaski County, your claim is generally filed at the Pulaski County Courthouse in Mound City, part of the First Judicial Circuit, and we handle cases there.

This page explains the kinds of injury cases we handle, the Illinois law that governs every claim, how compensation works, and the local hazards that put people in the hospital around here. For a broader look at injury law across the region, see our Southern Illinois personal injury attorneys page.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle for Pulaski County Clients

Injury law covers far more than car wrecks. If another person, business, or government body hurt you through carelessness, you may have a claim. Below are the main types of cases we handle for people in Pulaski County. Select a linked area for a deeper look, then read on for the law that applies to every injury case in Illinois.

Car and Truck Accidents on I-57 and Rural Roads

Interstate 57 is the engine of injury cases in Pulaski County. The interstate runs through the county near Ullin and carries heavy long-haul truck traffic moving freight toward Cairo and the deep south, with a commercial-vehicle inspection presence in the Ullin area. A fully loaded semi can weigh 20 to 30 times what a car weighs, so when a tractor-trailer is involved, the injuries are often catastrophic. Truck cases also bring an extra layer of federal rules on driver hours, maintenance, and inspection, and a violation can be strong evidence of fault. Critical evidence such as the truck’s electronic logs and engine data can be lost fast, so acting early to preserve it matters.

Off the interstate, the danger shifts to the two-lane routes. U.S. Route 51 and Illinois Route 37 run through Mounds, Mound City, and Villa Ridge with narrow shoulders, deep ditches, rail crossings, and stretches that flood in the river bottoms. Head-on and run-off-road crashes on these roads are often severe. Many wrecks here also involve out-of-state drivers passing through, which raises insurance and jurisdiction questions a local lawyer should sort out early. For the details on fault, coverage, and value, see our Southern Illinois car accident attorneys, our Southern Illinois truck accident lawyers, and our I-57 accident lawyers pages.

Catastrophic Injuries and Air-Transport Cases

Because Pulaski County has no hospital, the most serious injuries here are catastrophic almost by definition. Severe trauma is carried out of the county, often by helicopter, to the Level II trauma center at SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale or across state lines to hospitals in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Paducah, Kentucky. Air transport and a long ground ride both eat into the so-called golden hour, and that delay can make an injury worse. Cases like these involve traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, severe burns, multiple fractures, and other life-changing harm.

These claims demand careful work. The medical records come from several out-of-county and out-of-state providers, the future cost of care has to be proven with expert help, and the available insurance often becomes the central fight. We track down every record and every policy that may apply. For more on the most serious head-injury cases, see our Southern Illinois brain injury attorneys page.

Wrongful Death

When a person is killed by another’s negligence, Illinois law provides two related claims that are usually brought together. The Illinois Wrongful Death Act lets the surviving spouse and next of kin recover for their own losses, including lost financial support and the loss of the person’s companionship and guidance. A separate survival claim under the Probate Act lets the estate recover for what the person suffered between the injury and death.

The personal representative of the estate generally files the claim, and any recovery is divided among the family according to each person’s loss. Given the catastrophic nature of many I-57 and rural-road crashes here, fatal cases are a real part of the work. Learn more on our Southern Illinois wrongful death attorneys page.

Workplace and On-the-Job Injuries

If you are hurt at work in Illinois, you usually have two separate paths. The first is workers’ compensation, a no-fault system that pays medical bills and part of your lost wages no matter who caused the injury, but it is generally your only claim against your own employer and does not pay for pain and suffering. The second is a third-party injury claim against someone other than your employer, such as a negligent driver who hit you on the job or the maker of a defective machine, and that claim allows the full range of damages.

Pulaski County’s job base is small and mostly public and agricultural, including Shawnee Community College, county and school employment, farm and timber work, and Ohio River and barge operations tied to the Olmsted Locks and Dam. Many residents also commute out of the county and are hurt on the road. Pursuing both a workers’ compensation claim and a third-party claim when one applies is often how an injured worker recovers the most. See our Southern Illinois workers’ compensation attorneys page.

Premises Liability and Slip-and-Fall Injuries

Property owners and businesses have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe. When they ignore a known hazard, people get hurt. Premises cases cover slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall injuries, falls on broken stairs or in poorly lit areas, falling merchandise, and harm from poor maintenance or inadequate security.

Pulaski County has almost no large retail, so many residents do their shopping in Anna, Carbondale, Paducah, or Cape Girardeau. That means a slip-and-fall claim for a county resident often arises out of the county, and sometimes across the state line in Kentucky or Missouri, which raises questions about where the case can be filed and which state’s law applies. Closer to home, the highway lodging and fuel stops along I-57 and aging rental housing are common settings for these injuries. We sort out the venue and insurance questions and pursue the claim wherever the injury happened.

Dog Bites

Illinois is a strict-liability state for dog attacks. Under the Illinois Animal Control Act, the owner is liable when their animal, without provocation, attacks a person who is lawfully present, and the victim does not have to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous. Recovery usually comes through the owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance.

Dog attacks tend to cause deep wounds, nerve damage, infection, and lasting scars, and children are the most frequent victims of serious bites. Documenting the attack, identifying the dog and owner, and reporting it to the county or local authorities all strengthen a claim. Learn more on our Southern Illinois dog bite attorneys page.

River, Trail, and Outdoor Injuries

Pulaski County is river-and-wetland country. The Ohio River and the Olmsted Locks and Dam carry barge traffic near Mound City and Olmsted, the Cache River State Natural Area draws paddlers into a remote cypress swamp, and the Tunnel Hill State Trail reaches its southern end at Karnak. Each brings its own risks, from boating and barge incidents on the river to paddlecraft and bicycle injuries in places far from quick medical help.

When an injury happens in a remote spot, the long response and transport times that define this county become part of the case. If you were hurt on the water, on the trail, or in the woods because someone else was careless, we can review what happened and explain your options.

Where Injuries Happen in Pulaski County

Serious injuries can happen anywhere, but a few places see them again and again in this county. Knowing the local pattern is part of building a strong case.

Interstate 57 Through Ullin

I-57 is the most dangerous road in the county. It carries high-speed passenger traffic mixed with heavy long-haul trucks moving freight toward Cairo and the south, and the volume only grows near the commercial-vehicle inspection point at Ullin. High-speed interstate crashes and truck wrecks here are among the most severe injuries we handle, and many involve drivers from out of state who were only passing through. Because there is no hospital in the county, the most serious of these crashes routinely end with an air ambulance.

U.S. 51 and Illinois 37

The older north-south routes through Villa Ridge, Mounds, and Mound City are two-lane roads with narrow shoulders, deep ditches, rail crossings on the historic Illinois Central corridor, and low spots that flood after heavy rain. Head-on crashes, run-off-road rollovers, and collisions at grade crossings are the typical serious wrecks on these roads, and they get worse at night, where lighting is limited and shoulders are thin or absent.

Fog, Flood, Ice, and Deer in the River Bottoms

Pulaski County sits at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and the weather reflects it. Dense fog forms over the Cache River swamps and the river bottoms and can drop visibility to nothing on I-57 and the rural routes, setting up chain-reaction crashes. The county is also highly flood-prone, so road washouts and hydroplaning are real risks. In winter, the I-57 bridge decks and overpasses freeze before the rest of the road. And during the fall rut, whitetail deer crossing near the Cache River wetlands cause serious strikes on both the interstate and the back roads. None of these conditions excuses a driver from the duty to drive safely for the situation.

Shopping Trips Out of the County

With little large retail in the county, residents drive to Anna, Carbondale, Paducah, or Cape Girardeau to shop. A fall in a store, a parking-lot crash, or another premises injury for a Pulaski County resident often happens out of the county, and sometimes in Kentucky or Missouri. That does not stop a claim, but it does add questions about where to file and which law applies, which is exactly the kind of thing to sort out early with a lawyer.

The Illinois Law Behind Every Injury Claim

No matter where or how you were hurt, the same set of Illinois rules decides your claim. Understanding them helps you see what is at stake.

Negligence: The Foundation of a Claim

Most injury cases turn on negligence. To recover, you generally must show that the other party owed you a duty of reasonable care, that they breached it, that the breach caused your injury, and that you suffered real harm as a result. A driver who follows too closely, a trucking company that ignores maintenance, or a store that leaves a known hazard in place can all breach that duty. Proving each part with solid evidence is the heart of the case.

The Illinois 51 Percent Rule

Illinois follows a modified comparative negligence rule under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. Your compensation is reduced by your share of the fault, so if your damages are 100,000 dollars and you are found 20 percent at fault, you recover 80,000 dollars. But there is a hard line. If you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you recover nothing. Insurers push hard to shift blame onto injured people for exactly this reason, which is one of the most important things a lawyer fights over.

Joint and Several Liability

When more than one party is at fault, Illinois law in 735 ILCS 5/2-1117 governs how responsibility is divided. A defendant found at least 25 percent at fault can be held responsible for the full amount of your economic damages, such as medical bills and lost wages, while damages are otherwise allocated by each party’s share. In a multi-vehicle I-57 crash with several at-fault drivers and companies, these rules can decide who actually pays.

Deadlines to File: The Statute of Limitations

Illinois sets firm deadlines for filing an injury lawsuit, and missing one usually ends the case for good. The most important deadlines are below.

Type of Claim	Deadline to File	Statute
General personal injury (negligence)	2 years from the injury	735 ILCS 5/13-202
Wrongful death	2 years from the death	740 ILCS 180/2
Medical malpractice	2 years from discovery; 4-year outer limit	735 ILCS 5/13-212
Product liability	2 years, with a longer repose period	735 ILCS 5/13-213
Claim against a city, county, or local government	1 year	745 ILCS 10/8-101
Dram shop (bar or tavern liability)	1 year	235 ILCS 5/6-21

These are general rules, and important exceptions apply. A claim involving a county road or a local government body carries a one-year deadline, not two, which catches many people off guard. The safest step is to talk with a lawyer soon after an injury rather than counting days on your own.

The Discovery Rule and Statutes of Repose

Two doctrines can change a deadline. The discovery rule can delay the start of the clock until the date you knew or should have known you were injured and that someone’s wrongful conduct may have caused it, which matters most in cases like a missed diagnosis. A statute of repose, by contrast, sets an absolute outer deadline measured from the date of the negligent act, regardless of when the harm is discovered. Medical malpractice carries a four-year repose period, and product liability has its own. Once a repose period runs, even the discovery rule usually cannot revive the claim.

Extra Time for Minors

When the injured person is a child, Illinois law in 735 ILCS 5/13-211 generally pauses the limitations period until the child turns 18. Statutes of repose can still impose an outer limit, and medical malpractice has its own special rule for minors. The protection exists because a child cannot be expected to protect their own legal rights, but it should never be relied on without legal advice.

Wrongful Death and Survival Claims

When someone dies, Illinois recognizes two claims. A claim under the Wrongful Death Act compensates the surviving family for their own losses. A survival claim under the Probate Act, 755 ILCS 5/27-6, lets the estate recover for what the person endured before death, including conscious pain and medical bills. The two are usually brought together by the personal representative of the estate.

No Cap on Damages in Illinois

Unlike some states, Illinois does not cap the damages an injury victim can recover. The Illinois Supreme Court has struck down caps on non-economic damages, including in medical malpractice cases, as a violation of the separation of powers in the state constitution. There is no statutory limit on what a jury can award for pain and suffering. A court can still reduce a verdict it finds excessive, but no across-the-board cap applies.

Prejudgment Interest

Since July 1, 2021, Illinois law in 735 ILCS 5/2-1303 adds prejudgment interest of 6 percent per year to most personal injury and wrongful death judgments. The interest runs on the damages awarded, not counting punitive damages, and is meant to discourage insurers from dragging cases out for years. A defendant can limit this by making an early, reasonable settlement offer. For injured people, it adds real pressure on an insurer to settle fairly rather than stall.

Compensation You Can Recover

The goal of an injury claim is to make you whole by recovering the losses the injury caused. Illinois recognizes three broad categories of damages.

Type of Damages	What It Covers
Economic	Medical bills, future medical care, lost wages, lost earning capacity, property damage, out-of-pocket costs
Non-Economic	Pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of a normal life, emotional distress, loss of consortium
Punitive	Awarded only for egregious conduct, to punish the wrongdoer (limited by statute)

Economic damages are the out-of-pocket losses backed by bills and records, including the cost of future care. Non-economic damages cover real harms without a fixed price tag, like chronic pain, scarring, and the loss of things you once enjoyed. Because Illinois places no cap on these damages, the value of a claim depends on the facts, not an arbitrary limit.

Understanding Your Insurance Coverage

In most injury cases, the money comes from an insurance policy, so finding every policy that may apply is important. Several can come into play in the same case.

Liability coverage. The at-fault party’s policy pays for the harm they caused, up to its limits. Illinois requires drivers to carry minimum auto liability coverage, but those minimums are often far below what a serious injury costs.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Part of your own auto policy, this applies when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough. It is one of the most overlooked sources of recovery, and it matters here, where many at-fault drivers on I-57 are from out of state.
Medical payments coverage. Often called MedPay, this optional auto coverage can pay medical bills quickly, regardless of fault.
Commercial and umbrella policies. Trucking companies and businesses often carry higher-limit commercial or umbrella coverage that can be critical in a serious truck crash.

Finding every applicable policy, and stacking coverage where the law allows, can be the difference between a recovery that falls short and one that actually covers your losses.

How Injury Settlements Are Valued

The most common question we hear is what a case is worth. There is no calculator for it. Value depends on the severity and permanence of the injury, the total past and future medical bills, lost income and lost earning capacity, how clearly the other side is at fault, and the amount of insurance available. A permanent injury that ends a career is worth far more than a sprain that fully heals.

One factor that surprises people is the role of liens. If your health insurer, Medicare, Medicaid, or a hospital paid for treatment, they often have a right to be repaid out of your settlement. In a county where care comes from several out-of-county and out-of-state providers, these liens can pile up across multiple bills. A good lawyer works to reduce them through negotiation and the legal rules that govern them, which can put significantly more money in your pocket at the end of the case.

What to Expect: The Claim Timeline

Every case is different, but most injury claims move through the same stages.

Investigation and treatment. We gather the crash report, records, and photos and work to preserve evidence while you focus on getting medical care and reaching maximum improvement.
Demand. Once your treatment and damages are clear, we send the insurer a demand documenting liability and your full losses.
Negotiation. Many cases settle here. We push back against lowball offers and negotiate for fair value.
Filing suit and discovery. If the insurer will not be fair, we file in the Pulaski County Circuit Court and both sides exchange information through discovery and depositions.
Mediation and trial. Most cases resolve before trial, often at mediation. If a fair settlement is still not possible, we are prepared to try the case to a jury.

What to Do After an Injury in Pulaski County

The steps you take early can protect, or sink, your claim. If you are able, do the following.

Get medical care right away. With no hospital in the county, that may mean a trip to Anna, Carbondale, Paducah, or Cape Girardeau. Go anyway. Some serious injuries do not show symptoms for hours, and a gap in treatment is the first thing an insurer uses against you.
Report the incident. Call the police or sheriff after a crash, tell the manager about a store fall, or notify your employer in writing about a work injury.
Document everything. Photograph the scene, your injuries, and anything that caused the harm, and get the names and numbers of any witnesses, who may be out-of-state travelers you will not see again.
Do not admit fault. Stick to the facts and avoid guessing about what happened.
Be careful with the insurance company. You are not required to give the other side a recorded statement. Talk to a lawyer before you do.
Call a personal injury lawyer. The sooner counsel is involved, the more can be done to preserve evidence and protect your rights.

Common Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Claim

Good cases are sometimes undermined by avoidable errors. Being aware of them helps you protect your own claim.

Waiting to get treatment. A delay lets the insurer argue you were not really hurt or that something else caused the injury.
Giving a recorded statement to the other insurer. Adjusters use these to pin you to words that can be twisted later.
Accepting the first offer. Early offers are usually low and often come before the full extent of an injury is known.
Posting about the incident on social media. Photos and posts are routinely used out of context to dispute injuries.
Missing the deadline. The statute of limitations is unforgiving, and the shorter one-year government and dram shop deadlines catch people off guard.
Trying to handle a serious claim alone. Insurers know that unrepresented people are easier to underpay.

How Insurance Companies Fight Claims

It helps to remember what an insurance company is: a business that makes money by collecting premiums and paying out as little as possible. Adjusters are trained and often friendly, but they work for the company, not you. Common tactics include making a fast, low offer before you understand your injury, asking for a recorded statement they can use against you, asking you to sign a broad medical authorization, blaming you to trigger the comparative fault rules, and arguing your injuries were pre-existing.

When you have a lawyer, the calculus changes. An insurer knows an experienced injury attorney understands the value of a claim and is prepared to file suit and try the case. A study by the Insurance Research Council found that injury victims who hired an attorney recovered substantially more on average than those who represented themselves, even after fees. Representation is not about being difficult. It is about not being taken advantage of at the worst moment of your life.

Why Local Representation Matters in Pulaski County

Injury cases are filed and tried in the county where the crash or injury happened, which means a Pulaski County claim generally lives at the Pulaski County Courthouse in Mound City, part of the First Judicial Circuit. There is real value in working with a firm that practices in these courts and knows the procedures and how cases move through them.

Local knowledge also means understanding the ground. We know that I-57 brings catastrophic truck and high-speed crashes, that the rural two-lanes flood and freeze, that the nearest trauma care is a long ride or a helicopter away, and that the people who sit on a Pulaski County jury are members of this community. Presenting a case to them honestly and clearly is part of the work.

Just as important, getting help here should not depend on driving to an office. We can come to you if your injuries make travel difficult, or set up a free virtual consultation, so distance and a long recovery are not reasons to go without a lawyer.

Injury Statistics in Illinois and Nationwide

Serious injuries are far more common than most people realize, and the data shows how often they trace back to preventable conduct. The figures below link to the underlying government and research sources.

The Illinois Department of Transportation recorded more than 300,000 traffic crashes on Illinois roads in 2024, including over 1,000 fatal crashes.
Unintentional injuries are the number one cause of death for Americans between the ages of 1 and 44, according to the CDC’s injury statistics system (WISQARS).
Large trucks are involved in thousands of fatal crashes each year, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that occupants of other vehicles make up most of those killed in crashes involving large trucks.
Traumatic brain injuries contribute to about 30 percent of all injury-related deaths in the United States, per the CDC, with motor vehicle crashes among the leading causes.
Time to definitive trauma care affects survival, and rural crash victims face longer response and transport times than urban ones, according to research summarized by the CDC’s injury prevention program. In a county with no hospital, that delay is a real factor.

Statistics never capture what a serious injury does to one family. What they do show is that these harms are widespread and, in most cases, caused by someone’s choice to be careless.

Why Choose Olson & Reeves for Your Personal Injury Case?

No Fee Unless We Win. We handle injury cases on a contingency fee, so you owe no attorney’s fee unless we recover for you. The case review is always free. In a county where money is tight, that means a serious case does not require money up front.
We Take On the Insurance Companies. Insurers try to lowball injured people and shift blame. We push back hard and make them justify every position.
We Know These Roads and Courts. We are familiar with I-57, the rural routes, and the Pulaski County Courthouse in Mound City, and we know how injury cases move through the First Judicial Circuit.
Prepared to Try Your Case. We work to settle claims fairly, but we prepare every case as if it will go to trial, which is what gives an insurer a reason to pay full value.
You Work Directly With Our Firm. From your first call to your final check, you deal directly with our firm, and we can come to you anywhere in the county.

Proven Results: Recent Southern Illinois Personal Injury Victories

We don’t just talk a big game. We get results, and we are ready to get results for you too. Here are some of our recent results for Southern Illinois injury clients:

$110,000 Settlement – Our client was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a car accident in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
$100,000 Settlement – Our client was sideswiped in a car crash near Vandalia, Illinois.
$45,000 Settlement – Our client was involved in an I-57 car accident in Jefferson County, Illinois, after a careless driver changed lanes without checking his mirror. Our client was pushed off the road and sustained soft-tissue injuries to the neck and shoulder.

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts.

Still Not Sure? Listen To Our Former Clients!

Matthew W. – “This firm is highly recommended!! They are professional, efficient, and polite! The firm keeps you updated step by step and explains the process clearly!! Sydney is just plain awesome!! Love these guys!”
Heather M. – “They are amazing! I contacted them and they responded immediately! Kept me updated through the whole process! I will always recommend them and use them in the future!”
Johnnie T. – “They were honest with us from the start and really gave us every option they could think of. They took their time and really listened to the whole story. I would highly recommend them!”
Chad H. – “Best results that I ever had from an attorney! Highly Recommend!”
Rita S. – “Very friendly, cared about me as a person. Great communication.”

Check Out All Of Our Google Reviews Here!

Serving Pulaski County From Across Southern Illinois

No Office Visits Required! We’ll Happily Come To You or Set Up a Free Virtual Consultation!

We represent injured people throughout Pulaski County, including Mound City, Mounds, Ullin, Karnak, Olmsted, Grand Chain, Villa Ridge, and the surrounding communities. Pulaski County injury cases are generally filed at the Pulaski County Courthouse, 500 Illinois Ave, Mound City, IL 62963, in the First Judicial Circuit. You do not need to travel to meet with us. Call (618) 316-7322 and we will arrange a time to talk by phone, by video, or in person wherever works for you.

Pulaski County Personal Injury FAQ

I was hurt on I-57 in Pulaski County but I live out of state. Can I still bring a claim?

Yes. If you were injured on I-57 in Pulaski County because another driver was careless, you can pursue an Illinois injury claim even if you live in another state. The claim is generally filed where the crash happened, here in the Pulaski County Circuit Court in Mound City, and Illinois law applies.

We regularly handle claims for travelers hurt on the interstate. You will not have to keep driving back to Illinois, since we can handle most of the work remotely and come to you when needed. The important thing is to act before the Illinois deadline runs and before evidence disappears.

There's no hospital in Pulaski County. How does that affect my injury case?

It affects both your care and your claim. Serious injuries here are transported out of the county, often by helicopter, to the trauma center in Carbondale or to hospitals in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Paducah, Kentucky. That means your medical records come from several out-of-county and out-of-state providers, and air transport itself is a sign of a serious injury.

We gather records from every provider that treated you, in Illinois and across state lines, and we account for the long response and transport times that are part of life in this county. Those facts often support, rather than weaken, a serious injury claim.

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

Most personal injury claims in Illinois must be filed within two years of the injury under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. But the deadline depends on the case. A claim against a county, city, or other local government is limited to just one year, and medical malpractice has its own special rules.

Because some deadlines are much shorter than people expect and missing one usually ends the case, the safest step is to speak with a lawyer soon after the injury rather than waiting.

Where would my Pulaski County injury lawsuit be filed?

A Pulaski County injury case is generally filed at the Pulaski County Courthouse in Mound City, at 500 Illinois Avenue, which is part of the First Judicial Circuit. Injury cases are usually filed in the county where the crash or injury happened or where a party is located.

We practice in these courts and know how cases move through them. If your injury happened just outside the county, or out of state during a shopping trip, we will explain where the case belongs and handle the filing.

Can I still recover money if I was partly at fault?

Yes, as long as you were 50 percent or less at fault. Illinois uses a modified comparative negligence rule under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. Your compensation is reduced by your share of the blame, but if you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you cannot recover anything.

For example, if your damages are 100,000 dollars and you are 20 percent at fault, you recover 80,000 dollars. Insurers push hard to inflate your share of the blame, which is one of the most important things a lawyer fights over.

A semi hit me on the interstate. Why are truck cases different?

Truck crashes are different because the injuries are usually far more severe and more parties can be responsible. Besides the driver, the trucking company, the owner of the trailer, a maintenance contractor, and the company that loaded the freight may all share fault, and federal safety rules add another way to prove negligence.

Key evidence like the truck’s electronic logs and engine data can be erased quickly, so it is important to act fast to preserve it. The good news is that trucking companies usually carry much higher insurance limits than an individual driver, which can matter in a catastrophic case.

How much does it cost to hire a personal injury lawyer?

Nothing up front. We handle injury cases on a contingency fee, which means you pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover money for you, and the case review is free. Our fee comes as a percentage of the recovery at the end, not out of your pocket along the way.

This is how injury law works so that anyone with a real case can afford a lawyer, regardless of income. If we do not recover for you, you do not owe an attorney’s fee. We are glad to explain exactly how it works before you decide anything.

Is there a cap on how much I can recover in Illinois?

No. Illinois does not cap the damages an injury victim can recover. The Illinois Supreme Court struck down caps on non-economic damages, including in medical malpractice cases, as unconstitutional. There is no statutory limit on what a jury can award for pain and suffering.

A court can still reduce a verdict it finds excessive, but no across-the-board cap applies. The value of a claim depends on the facts of the case, not an arbitrary legislative limit.

I was in a crash caused by fog or ice on I-57. Can I still recover?

Often, yes. Bad weather does not excuse careless driving. Illinois drivers are required to adjust to the conditions, so a driver who was going too fast for heavy fog over the river bottoms or who lost control on an icy I-57 bridge can still be at fault for a resulting crash.

These cases turn on what a reasonable driver should have done in the conditions. Witness accounts, scene evidence, and the other driver’s own statements help establish fault, which is one more reason to involve a lawyer early before that evidence fades.

What should I do right after an accident in Pulaski County?

Get medical care first, even if that means a trip out to Anna, Carbondale, Paducah, or Cape Girardeau, because some injuries do not show right away. Then report the crash, photograph the scene and your injuries, collect witness information, and avoid giving the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement until you have spoken with a lawyer.

Witnesses on I-57 are often travelers you will never see again, so getting their names and numbers at the scene matters more here than almost anywhere. Call us as soon as you can, and we will help protect the evidence and your rights.

Contact a Pulaski County Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Case Evaluation

If you or someone you love was hurt by another’s negligence in Pulaski County, do not wait while deadlines run and evidence disappears. Call Olson & Reeves for a 100% free case evaluation at (618) 316-7322. You pay nothing unless we win your case. Whether you were hurt on I-57, on a rural route through Mounds or Mound City, or while traveling through, we can come to you or set up a free virtual consultation.