Complete Illinois accident reports and news.

The state of Illinois – The Prairie State, the Land of Lincoln, and the heart of America

Illinois is the 5th most populous state and 25th largest state in terms of land area. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a diverse economic base and is a major transportation hub. The Port of Chicago connects the state to other global ports from the Great Lakes, via the Saint Lawrence Seaway, to the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, via the Illinois River. For decades, O'Hare International Airport has been ranked as one of the world's busiest airports. Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics.

To accommodate residents and visitors alike, the major Illinois roadways are in heavy usage:

Illinois is at the heart of the country’s interstate highway system. This vast system consists of coast-to-coast interstates I-80 and I-90, along with I-70 that extends from the east coast to Utah. These major corridors are joined by multiple north – south corridors including I-39, I-55, and I-57 and additional east – west corridors such as I-24, I-64, and I-74.

In all, there are 2,185 interstate miles that serve the state, making Illinois the third ranking state in the U.S. There are a total of 15,969 miles of state highways and 7,847 bridges making the interstate route accessible across the entire state. More than 7,200 trucking establishments within Illinois take advantage of this extensive network of highways. Illinois is also home to seven of the 150 nationally designated scenic byways.

 The Illinois Department of Transportation provides a high-quality site with road conditions, maps, videos, and traffic cameras.

The climate of Illinois is unique, with drier winters than nearby states

Because of its nearly 400 miles length and mid-continental placement, Illinois has a widely varying climate. Most of Illinois has a humid continental climate with hot, humid summers and cool to cold winters. The southernmost part of the state, from about Carbondale southward, and the eastern suburbs of St. Louis, border on a humid subtropical climate with more moderate winters. Average yearly precipitation for Illinois varies from just 48 inches at the southern tip to 35 inches in the northern portion of the state. Normal annual snowfall exceeds 38 inches in Chicago, while the southern portion of the state normally receives less than 14 inches. The highest temperature recorded in Illinois was 117 °F recorded on July 14, 1954, at East St. Louis, while the lowest temperature was -37 °F, recorded on January 15, 2009, at Rochelle.

Illinois averages around 50 days of thunderstorm activity a year which put it somewhat above average for number of thunderstorm days for the United States. Illinois is vulnerable to tornadoes with an average of 35 occurring annually, which puts much of the state at around 5 tornadoes per 10,000 square miles annually. 

In Accident Data Center, our data about accidents in the Illinois region is divided into the following regions:

Champaign and Springfield-Decatur, Illinois accidents;

Chicago, Illinois accidents;

Davenport, Iowa, Rock Island and Moline, Illinois accidents;

Peoria and Bloomington, Illinois accidents;

Quincy, Illinois, Hannibal, Missouri, and Keokuk, Iowa accidents;

Rockford, Illinois accidents.

Legal information for accident victims in Illinois

After someone has been injured or killed in a motor-vehicle crash in Illinois, many decisions need to be made immediately and questions need to be answered. For example, how much of the medical costs will be covered by the insurance policy? How can an injured person get help with medical bills immediately? What if the at-fault driver has no insurance?

Where to find legal assistance after an Illinois injury accident

After a serious crash, it is crucial to get help from an Illinois personal injury attorney who understands the legal standards and practices, who knows how insurance policies function, and who can handle all aspects of an insurance claim so the injured person can focus on recovery. If someone is killed due to the negligence of someone else, an Illinois wrongful death lawyer can launch a claim that will begin the process of financial recovery for the family members left behind. Learn more here about what an Illinois accident attorney can do to help.

Accident reports by area

Champaign & Springfield-Decatur, IL - 461
Chicago, IL - 1,745
Davenport, IA-Rock Island-Moline, IL - 159
Peoria-Bloomington, IL - 67
Quincy, IL-Hannibal, MO-Keokuk, IA - 105
Rockford, IL - 143

Legal and Other Resources and Information

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BOX TRUCK ACCIDENTS

If you were involved in a delivery van accident or other truck or car crash in Chicago, you should take immediate steps to protect yourself and your potential injury claim. Learn more here...

College of Law-University of Illinois

College of Law-University of Illinois

Since 1897, the University of Illinois College of Law has offered students a rigorous, broad-ranging, and innovative legal education on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, one of the world's great research universities.  With a nationally renowned faculty, a rich and diverse curriculum, myriad opportunities for professional training, and the expansive resources of a world-class, comprehensive research university, Illinois Law features a first-rate academic program designed to prepare students to excel in their future professional careers.
Northwestern Law

Northwestern Law

Northwestern Law empowers students to meet the challenges of the complex, competitive, and ever-changing legal and business worlds.  We invite you to take a closer look at a law school that respects both its traditions and the constant need for change, that produces world-class scholarship in a collegial environment, and that offers a supportive learning community at the center of one of the world's leading cities.
University of Chicago Law School

University of Chicago Law School

The University of Chicago Law School occupies a unique niche among this country's premier law schools. Located on a residential campus in one of America's great cities, Chicago offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary professional education that blends the study of law with the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Students, faculty, and staff form a small, tightly knit community devoted to the life of the mind. Learning is participatory. Chicago does not seek to impose a single viewpoint or style of thought on its students. Instead, our faculty exposes students to contrasting views, confident in students' abilities to choose their own paths.
Illinois State Bar Association

Illinois State Bar Association

Founded in 1877, the Illinois State Bar Association is the premier legal association in the state. As a voluntary organization of more than 30,000 members, the Association's primary focus is to assist Illinois lawyers in the practice of law and to promote improvements in the administration of justice.

Most recent accident reports

Chicago, IL

9 people injured, transported to hospitals, after a van runs a red light and sideswipes a Chicago Transit Authority bus, at the intersection of West Madison Street and South Ashland Avenue, on Chicago's West Side.

Accident Date: 
Mon, 04/14/2014

Nine people were injured Tuesday afternoon when a van sideswiped a Chicago Transit Authority bus on Chicago's Near West Side.

CTA officials said the incident happened at 1:43 p.m. in the intersection of West Madison Street and South Ashland Avenue.