Accident Procedures for Illinois

 Posted on June 16, 2013 in Personal Injury

If you are in a car accident in Illinois, there are certain steps that you should always take. These steps will help you to stay safe and out of legal trouble, along with preventing trouble with your insurance company, such as higher rates. The first three things you should always do are

1. move your car out of traffic if possible,
2. check everyone for injuries,
3. then call 911.

After making sure that everyone is safe and that that injured people have help, be sure to exchange information with the other cars involved in the collision. Get names, addresses, insurance company information, driver's license numbers, license plate numbers and descriptions of all the people and vehicles involved. If possible, also get contact information of any witnesses, should the event end up in a court. In an Illinois traffic accident, if there was death, bodily injury or over $1,500 of property damage (Illinois DMV Guide), all drivers involved must file a crash report. Although many towns require police officers to work every accident, if there is no officer, the drivers are responsible for filing a report with the police department or sheriff's office of the local area or with the State Police. Passengers may also file if the driver is unable to do so. Drivers are responsible for reporting the crash to the Illinois Department of Transportation within 10 days after the accident occurred. If you do not file an accident report in which you were involved, you may be fined $2,500 or sentenced to a year of jail (Illinois DMV Guide). If you leave the scene of an accident, that is considered a hit-and-run, for which consequences are much worse. If you leave the scene, but still report it within 30 minutes, the charges will be minimal according to the Illinois DMV Guide. After 30 minutes, however, consequences may involve a $25,000 fine, three years of jail-time and a suspended or revoked license. If you were involved in a traffic accident and need legal advice, contact an accident attorney today. Attorneys at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices can assist you with your traffic accident case in Illinois today.