Mixan Mahony, LLC represents injured people in Champaign-Urbana as a Champaign pedestrian accident lawyer. Local cases are usually filed in Champaign County’s 6th Judicial Circuit at the Champaign County Courthouse, 101 E. Main St., Urbana. The first steps are medical care, the report, and a written request to keep video and records before they are lost.
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Where Champaign-Urbana cases are filed
Local claims are heard in Champaign County’s 6th Judicial Circuit. Expect filings, hearings, and any trial at the Champaign County Courthouse, 101 E. Main St., Urbana, consistent with 735 ILCS 5/2-101.
The blocks around Green Street and Wright Street carry heavy pedestrian traffic during the school year, and many crashes there involve turning drivers who do not see a pedestrian in the crosswalk.
Champaign Pedestrian Accident Lawyer: Local corridors in Champaign-Urbana
Green Street, Wright Street, Sixth Street, University Avenue, Springfield Avenue, and Neil Street: these are the corridors behind most Champaign-Urbana crash claims.
- Green Street: dense foot traffic, delivery vehicles, and buses.
- MTD bus stops: riders crossing in front of and behind buses.
- the Main Quad crossings: students crossing in groups between classes.
- downtown Champaign: nightlife pedestrians on Neil Street and Walnut Street.
Champaign Pedestrian Accident Lawyer: Pedestrian injuries in Champaign-Urbana
Pedestrian injuries in Champaign-Urbana cluster around campus. Green Street, Wright Street, Sixth Street, and the streets around the Main Quad are crowded with students walking between classes, and drivers turning at signals often fail to yield to people in the crosswalk.
MTD buses add another risk. Riders cross in front of and behind buses at stops, and drivers passing a stopped bus may not see them. A claim involving an MTD bus is a claim against a public transit district, which can carry a shorter deadline.
Downtown Champaign and Urbana also see late-night pedestrian crashes, especially on weekend nights near bars and restaurants on Neil Street and Walnut Street.
Champaign Pedestrian Accident Lawyer: Why Champaign-Urbana Has So Many Pedestrian Crashes
Few places in Illinois mix cars and people on foot like Champaign-Urbana. Tens of thousands of students walk between classes, apartments and Campustown every day. Green Street, Wright Street, Lincoln Avenue, University Avenue, Springfield Avenue and Neil Street carry cars, buses, delivery drivers, bikes and scooters through crowded crosswalks. For related cases, see our page on Champaign-Urbana car crash claims.
- Drivers turning right on red without looking for people in the crosswalk
- Left-turning drivers who do not see pedestrians crossing on a walk signal
- Night crashes on poorly lit streets and during football and basketball game traffic
Crashes With Buses and Government Vehicles
Champaign-Urbana is served by a busy public bus system, and many pedestrian crashes involve buses or city and university vehicles. Claims against a local public entity can have a one-year filing deadline under 745 ILCS 10/8-101 and other special rules. If a bus or government vehicle was involved, it is important to talk with a Champaign pedestrian accident lawyer quickly.
Evidence in a Pedestrian Case
Camera footage near campus is often recorded over quickly, so it should be requested right away.
Help for Students and Families
A serious pedestrian crash can derail a semester or an entire academic year. Students may face missed classes, lost scholarships, delayed graduation and lost job offers, along with medical bills and pain. Those losses can be part of a claim, and documenting them early makes a difference.
Many students go home to recover, which makes it harder to handle a claim in Champaign County. Mixan Mahony can meet students and parents by phone or video, request records from local hospitals and police, and handle communication with the insurers. Parents should check their own auto policies, because family coverage may include uninsured and underinsured motorist protection for a student who was hit while walking.
Scooters, Bikes and Delivery Drivers
Campus streets are crowded with e-scooters, bicycles and food delivery drivers who are often in a hurry. Pedestrians can be hurt by a driver making a quick stop for a pickup, a delivery driver cutting through a parking lot or a cyclist on a crowded sidewalk. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1512, a person riding a bicycle on a sidewalk or crosswalk must yield to pedestrians. Delivery and rideshare drivers may be covered by company insurance policies, and we investigate which policies apply in each crash.
Some of these crashes happen in parking garages and private lots, where different rules and property owners may come into play. We look at lighting, signage and the layout of the lot as part of the investigation.
Yes. You can bring a claim in Champaign County, and a parent auto policy may provide uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. We can handle much of the case by phone or video.
Pedestrian right of way in Champaign-Urbana
Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1002, drivers must stop and yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk when traffic control signals are not in place or not operating, and drivers turning at a signal must yield to people lawfully crossing. A driver who turns into a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk is often at fault.
Pedestrians have duties too, and insurers sometimes argue a walker darted out or crossed against the signal. Illinois’ comparative fault rule, 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, lets an injured pedestrian recover if they were 50% or less at fault, reduced by their share.
Insurance after a pedestrian crash
A pedestrian’s claim usually runs against the driver’s liability policy. If the driver had no insurance or fled the scene, the pedestrian’s own auto policy may still help: Illinois policies must include uninsured motorist coverage under 215 ILCS 5/143a, and that coverage often applies even when the policyholder was on foot.
When a public bus or a government vehicle is involved, shorter deadlines apply. Claims against a local public entity generally must be filed within one year under 745 ILCS 10/8-101.
Hospitals and medical records in Champaign-Urbana
Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana and OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana: most local trauma and emergency records start there, and those records often decide how an insurer values the injury.
The two rules that shape most claims
The first is the deadline. Most injury suits in Illinois must be filed within two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202), but suits against local public entities generally must be filed within one year (745 ILCS 10/8-101). Missing the deadline usually ends the claim.
The second is comparative fault. Under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, your damages are reduced by your share of fault, and you cannot recover if you are found more than 50% responsible.
Do I need a lawyer based in Champaign-Urbana?
No. An Illinois law license covers the whole state, so a Chicago firm can represent you in Champaign County the same way a local firm can. The case is filed in the local circuit court, and court appearances are handled there or by video when the court allows it.
Many clients never need to travel to our office. Consultations can happen by phone or video, documents can be signed electronically, and we can meet in person near you when that is easier.
First steps in Champaign-Urbana
- Get medical care and follow up with your doctor
- Get the report number from the Champaign Police Department, the Urbana Police Department, and the University of Illinois Police Department
- Photograph the scene, vehicles, and injuries
- Write down witness names and phone numbers
- Notify your own insurer, but avoid recorded statements to the other side
- Talk with a Champaign pedestrian accident lawyer before evidence is lost
Read next: Champaign County injury cases, Illinois pedestrian accident claims, Illinois wrongful death claims, and examples of past results. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
You can read the Illinois crosswalk right-of-way statute on the Illinois General Assembly website: 625 ILCS 5/11-1002.
Frequently asked questions
Who has the right of way in a Champaign crosswalk?
Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1002, drivers must stop and yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, so a turning driver who hits a walker in the crosswalk is often at fault.
What if a bus hit me near campus?
A claim against a public transit district can have shorter deadlines under the Tort Immunity Act, so talk with a lawyer quickly.
Who pays after a pedestrian is hit in Champaign-Urbana?
Usually the driver’s liability insurer, and the pedestrian’s own uninsured motorist coverage may apply if the driver was uninsured or fled.
What does it cost to hire a Champaign pedestrian accident lawyer?
The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless there is a recovery.
Talk with a Champaign pedestrian accident lawyer
The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless there is a recovery.
Call (312) 262-3971 any time, 24 hours a day, or contact us online for a free consultation.
Mixan Mahony, LLC
444 W. Lake St., Suite 1707
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 262-3971
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Past clients: if our team helped you, you can share your experience on our Google Business Profile. Please do not include private medical or case details in a public review.
Attorney advertising. This page is general information about Illinois law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.