If you were hurt in a crash, mounting medical bills and time away from work can pile up fast, often because another driver wasn’t paying attention. When that happens, an Aurora car accident lawyer at Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates can review your claim and explain your options under Illinois law. Crashes across the Fox Valley usually trace back to a single careless moment, like a glance at a phone or a missed stop sign. Illinois law lets injured people hold the at-fault driver accountable for medical bills and lost income.
The Horwitz family has represented injured Illinois workers and families since 1924. We handle the investigation, the insurance company, and the paperwork so you can focus on recovering. We take car accident cases on a contingency fee, so there’s no upfront cost to talk with us.
Call (800) 985-1819 or contact us online for a free consultation.
Why Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates?
Two things define our approach: decades of trial experience and a readiness to take a case to verdict when an insurer won’t be fair. Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates is a third-generation Illinois trial firm, and we’ve recovered more than $1 billion for injured people across the state. We’re built for long, complex cases.
When you work with our legal team, we approach your case with the preparation and attention it deserves. Our Aurora personal injury lawyers build claims thoroughly because that’s what helps our clients, whether the case settles or moves toward trial.
Here’s what sets our firm apart:
- We investigate the crash, prove negligence, document your damages, and build a case insurance companies take seriously.
- We have a long track record of major results, including multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts for injured people across Illinois.
- We work on a contingency fee, which means you pay nothing up front.
- We handle the paperwork, the insurance calls, the medical record requests, and the investigation, so you can focus on healing.
- We keep you informed. You’ll always know where your case stands and what comes next.
Illinois law gives most people two years to file a lawsuit, but key evidence can disappear well before then. If you want a firm that stands up for you and handles the insurance company directly, our Aurora car accident lawyers are ready to help.
Our car accident case results
We’ve recovered substantial amounts in motor vehicle cases, including:
- $16.4 million: A 17-year-old passenger suffered severe brain and spinal cord injuries in a single-car crash involving a dealership’s loaner vehicle. After the dealer’s insurer refused to settle at its policy limits, we took the case to trial, and the jury awarded $16.4 million.
- $1.3 million: A driver was t-boned by a motorist pulling out of a parking lot and developed a herniated cervical disc. The defense admitted fault but disputed the severity of her injuries. Michael Wierzbicki proved the harm was permanent, and the jury awarded $1.3 million for her medical bills, pain, suffering, and loss of a normal life.
- $1 million: A woman stopped at a red light in Orland Park was rear-ended hard enough to push her car into the one ahead, leaving her with whiplash and a torn cervical disc. Michael Wierzbicki won summary judgment on the other driver’s negligence, and the jury awarded $1 million, including future surgical costs.
Past case results don’t guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts.
Client testimonials
| “Once again, Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates did not fail me. As soon as I got into my car accident, I called them, and they immediately handled the case. All the staff were always professional and kept my spirits high through the rough times. The case got settled before I could look up, and I was beyond happy with the settlement.” —Bianca T. |
| “Had a great experience with Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates accident lawyers. Everyone was very helpful, professional, and nice to deal with throughout the process. They made everything easy and kept me informed every step of the way. Highly recommend!” —Jody U. |
Common causes of car accidents in Aurora
Most Aurora crashes come down to driver behavior. The causes we see most often include:
- Distracted driving: Texting, eating, or adjusting a GPS pulls a driver’s eyes off Route 59 traffic for several seconds at a time, and can be considered distracted driving.
- Speeding: Higher speeds on I-88 leave less time to react and make crashes more severe.
- Impaired driving: Alcohol and drugs slow reaction time and cloud judgment, especially late at night.
- Failure to yield: Rolling through stop signs or turning across oncoming traffic causes many intersection crashes around the city.
The types of car accidents that can happen in Aurora
Aurora’s mix of highways, arterial roads, and busy intersections produces a few recurring crash types:
- Rear-end collisions: Often from tailgating or sudden stops in stop-and-go traffic, and a common source of whiplash.
- T-bone (side-impact) crashes: T-bone crashes happen at intersections when a driver runs a light or fails to yield.
- Head-on collisions: Among the most dangerous, usually tied to wrong-way driving or crossing the center line.
- Multi-car pileups: Chain-reaction crashes on highways like I-88 that can involve several vehicles and disputed fault.
Common injuries from car accidents
Car crashes put strong forces on the body, and Aurora’s higher-speed roads, like I-88, tend to produce more serious injuries. Some of the most common ones include:
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Spinal cord and back injuries
- Broken bones
- Whiplash and other soft-tissue damage
- Internal injuries and organ damage
Some injuries, like concussions and internal bleeding, don’t cause symptoms right away. An immediate medical exam at a local hospital like Rush Copley Medical Center matters even if you feel fine.
The most common locations and dangerous roads for car accidents in Aurora
Many Aurora crashes cluster on a handful of busy routes. Crash activity tends to run higher along I-88, Route 59, Eola Road, and Farnsworth Avenue, where commuter traffic, merging, and frequent intersections raise the risk. If you were hurt on one of these roads or anywhere in the area, a car accident lawyer Aurora residents rely on can help you sort out what happened.
What should you do after a car accident?
Once you’re safely home, a few steps protect both your health and a possible claim.
- Get a medical evaluation, even if you feel fine. Concussions, whiplash, and internal injuries can take hours or days to appear. A prompt exam also ties your injuries to the crash.
- Write down what you remember. Note the time, weather, road conditions, and how the other driver acted, and back up any photos or video.
- Request the police report. If an officer responded, get the report from the responding agency. It often includes witness statements and a fault assessment.
- Notify your insurer. Report the crash promptly. You don’t have to give a recorded statement before speaking with a lawyer.
- Track your symptoms and costs. Keep a simple log of pain, co-pays, lost wages, and rental costs. These help value the claim later.
- Talk to an Aurora car accident lawyer. The sooner the investigation starts, the easier it is to preserve evidence like surveillance video and witness accounts.
What to expect from the car accident claim process
Most Illinois car accident claims follow the same path. Your attorney gathers the police report, medical records, and evidence from the scene. Once your treatment stabilizes, our team sends the at-fault driver’s insurer a demand for your documented losses, and negotiations begin. If the insurer won’t agree to a fair amount, your car accident attorney in Aurora can file a lawsuit before the two-year deadline, move through discovery, and take the case to trial. Many claims settle along the way, though preparing the case for trial often affects what the insurer offers.
What types of car accident compensation are available?
Illinois injury claims generally cover two kinds of damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages reimburse measurable losses you can document, such as emergency and follow-up treatment, future medical care, medications, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity if your injuries keep you from working as before.
Non-economic damages cover losses that don’t come with a receipt, like physical pain, emotional distress, and a loss of a normal life. They’re harder to put a number on, but they’re a real part of many serious injury claims.
Determining fault in Aurora
Illinois uses modified comparative negligence to decide how fault affects your recovery. You can recover damages as long as you’re 50% or less at fault for the crash. At 51% or more, you can’t recover anything.
If you share part of the blame, your compensation drops by your percentage of fault. Say your damages total $200,000, and you’re found 20% at fault — you’d recover $160,000. More than one party can share fault, too. If a defective tire helped cause the crash, the manufacturer could be liable alongside another driver.
Talk to an Aurora car accident lawyer at Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates
A free consultation is the simplest way to learn whether you have a claim and what it may be worth. We’ll review what happened, explain your options under Illinois law, and deal with the insurance company so you can focus on healing. You won’t pay attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Call (800) 985-1819 or contact us online to talk with an Aurora car accident lawyer at Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates.
Frequently asked questions about Aurora car accidents
How much does a car accident lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates handles car accident cases on a contingency fee, so the fee is a percentage of what we recover. If we don’t recover money for you, you don’t owe attorney’s fees, and the consultation is free.
What’s the statute of limitations for a car accident claim in Illinois?
Two years. Under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit in Illinois. Claims against a government body, such as a city or transit agency, often carry a shorter one-year deadline, so confirm the timeline early.
How long will it take to resolve my Aurora car accident case?
Most cases resolve in a few months to a couple of years. Straightforward claims with clear fault settle faster, while serious injuries, disputed fault, or a filed lawsuit can stretch the timeline. Settling is usually quicker than a trial, but accepting an early offer can mean taking less than the claim is worth.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
You can still recover damages in Illinois as long as you’re 50% or less at fault, though your compensation is reduced by your share of the blame. Fault is often disputed after a crash, so it’s worth reviewing the details with an attorney before you accept an insurer’s version of events. Call (800) 985-1819 to talk through what happened.
