Illinois · Free help for families
Help for Families of Tractor-Trailer Accident Victims in Illinois
If your family has lost a loved one or is caring for someone seriously injured in a commercial truck crash in Illinois, the Accident Victim Assistance Team is here to help.
Our phone line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Se habla español.
180
families lost a loved one to a large-truck crash in Illinois in 2023.
Source: NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts 2024
That is roughly 3 families every week in Illinois alone — each of them suddenly navigating grief, funeral costs, medical bills, and complex insurance claims, often while still trying to find out who was responsible. Illinois recorded 1.4 large-truck crash deaths per 100,000 residents.
What AVA provides
Three kinds of help, all free to your family. You can ask for one of them or all three.
Funeral grant assistance
Emergency financial support toward funeral, burial, or cremation costs.
The application takes about 15 minutes. No lawyer required.
Living-expense grant
Help with rent, mortgage, utilities, groceries, and medical bills while your family recovers.
For families of hospitalized victims and families of those killed in a crash.
Free legal consultation
A 30–60 minute consultation with a personal injury attorney experienced in commercial truck cases.
No obligation. No cost. You decide whether to move forward.
Why tractor-trailer cases are different in Illinois
Chicago is the largest rail-to-truck transfer point in North America. Freight leaving the intermodal yards funnels onto I-80, I-55, and I-90/94, where congestion, construction zones, and tight merges put passenger cars alongside heavy trucks constantly.
- Illinois carries heavy freight traffic on 5 major corridors
- I-55, I-57, I-70, I-80, I-90/94. Crashes on these routes often involve out-of-state carriers, which changes who you are dealing with and how quickly records must be requested.
- The wrongful death filing deadline in Illinois is 2 years
- Illinois’s statute of limitations for wrongful death is 2 years from the date of death, and 2 years for personal injury. Families do not have to decide anything today, but the window is real.
- Commercial trucks answer to federal rules, not just state law
- Interstate carriers are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — hours-of-service limits, driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing, inspection and maintenance records. Those federal records matter even in a state court case.
- More than one company may share responsibility
- The driver, the motor carrier, the broker, the cargo owner or shipper, the maintenance contractor, and the trailer or component manufacturer can each carry part of the liability. That is why these cases are rarely as simple as an ordinary car crash.
- A May 2026 Supreme Court ruling expanded who freight brokers answer to
- In Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC (No. 24-1238), the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held on May 14, 2026 that the federal preemption defense freight brokers had used for years does not block state-law negligent-hiring claims when a broker chooses an unsafe motor carrier. In plain language: if a broker put your loved one’s cargo with a carrier it knew or should have known was unsafe, that broker can now be held accountable in state court alongside the trucking company. This matters because brokers often have the paper trail — and the insurance — that a small motor carrier does not. Families do not need to understand the ruling to get help; we mention it so you know the landscape has changed in your favor.
- Evidence disappears within days
- Electronic control module ("black box") data, electronic logging device records, dashcam footage, dispatch messages, and driver hours-of-service logs can be overwritten or lawfully discarded on short retention schedules. A preservation request sent early protects your family’s options later.
Illinois at a glance
| Large-truck crash deaths (2023) | 180 |
|---|---|
| Deaths per 100,000 residents | 1.4 |
| Wrongful death filing deadline | 2 years |
| Personal injury filing deadline | 2 years |
| Major freight corridors | I-55, I-57, I-70, I-80, I-90/94 |
Filing deadlines are general civil statutes of limitation and are not legal advice. FMCSA, Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts
How AVA works
01
Submit a request form
Choose the type of help you need below — victim support, funeral assistance, living-expense help, or a free legal consultation. Each form takes about 5–15 minutes, is available in English and Spanish, and only asks for the basics up front.
02
We contact you within 24 hours
A real person from our team calls or emails to personally review your request, verify a few details, and share resources you can use immediately.
03
We support your family through what comes next
Depending on your situation, we may be able to help with emotional and peer support during the first hours, days, and weeks; charitable, needs-based funeral assistance and living-expense grants (verified requests are typically processed within 48–72 hours); and connecting you with a free legal consultation to understand your rights. The consultation is free and comes with no obligation.
Choose the type of help you need
Each request goes to the same AVA intake team. If you’re not sure which one fits your situation, start with victim support and we will guide you from there.
Victim support
Emotional and peer support during the first hours, days, and weeks after a fatal or serious commercial truck crash — for families and survivors.
Funeral assistance
Charitable, needs-based funeral, burial, or cremation grant for families of those killed in a commercial truck crash. Verified requests are typically processed within 48–72 hours.
Living-expense help
One-time, needs-based grant to help with rent, utilities, food, and medical bills when a loved one is catastrophically injured and undergoing extended ICU or hospital care.
Free legal consultation
A free consultation with an independent attorney from our referral network to help you understand your rights, options, and deadlines. No cost. No obligation. You decide whether to move forward.
You are not alone in this
This may be one of the worst weeks of your family’s life. In the middle of grief, people are asking you for paperwork, decisions, and money you were not prepared to spend. AVA exists for exactly this moment — not to sell you anything, but to take a few things off your shoulders while you take care of each other.
Whether you need a phone call, help with paperwork, or a place to start — we’re here.
— The Accident Victim Assistance Team
Common questions from Illinois families
Do I need to hire a lawyer to get AVA help?
No. Our grants and consultations are free and come with no obligation to hire anyone. Many of the families we help never file a claim at all.
How fast can I get funeral assistance in Illinois?
Verified funeral grant applications are typically processed within 48–72 hours. If a funeral home is waiting on payment, tell us when you call and we will flag your file.
What is the deadline to file a wrongful death claim in Illinois?
Illinois’s statute of limitations for wrongful death is 2 years from the date of death (2 years for personal injury claims). But physical and electronic evidence can disappear within days, so the sooner records are preserved, the more options your family keeps. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do you help families whose loved one was the truck driver?
Yes. AVA supports all families affected by tractor-trailer crashes, regardless of role. Truck drivers’ families are often left with the least support of anyone.
Is this available if my loved one was undocumented?
Yes. AVA assistance is available regardless of immigration status. We do not report anything to immigration authorities, and we do not ask for a Social Security number to open a case.
What documents will I need?
For funeral grants: a death certificate and the funeral invoice. For living-expense grants: proof of hospitalization and one recent bill. If you do not have them yet, apply anyway — we can start without them.
I heard the Supreme Court changed something about freight brokers — what does that mean for us?
On May 14, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II unanimously (9–0). The Court ruled that a federal law brokers had used to escape liability does not shield them from state-law negligent-hiring claims when they hire an unsafe trucking company. For families, it means one more party — often the one with the deepest paper trail and best insurance — can be part of accountability. AVA does not need you to know any of this to help you. When we set up your free consultation, the attorney will explain how (or whether) it applies to your case.
Do you work with families across all of Illinois?
Yes. We help families anywhere in Illinois, in cities and rural counties alike, and we can work entirely by phone and email if traveling is not possible right now.
Start your application
- Text or email: help@avahelp.org
- Se habla español.
Other states we serve
If the crash happened in another state, choose that state here.
- Texas730
- California392
- Florida341
- Georgia244
- Ohio220
- Tennessee179
- North Carolina172
- Indiana167
- Pennsylvania162
- Arizona155
- Alabama137
Numbers shown are 2023 large-truck crash deaths in each state. NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts 2024