The left turn is the most dangerous routine maneuver a driver makes. National crash data has put left turns at the center of roughly a quarter of all intersection crashes for decades. The reason is simple: a left-turning driver has to judge oncoming traffic speed, watch for pedestrians and cyclists in the crosswalk, account for the windshield pillar (A-pillar) blocking the view, and cross multiple lanes of opposing traffic – often with a yellow or stale-green signal pressuring the decision. When the call goes wrong, the impact is usually a broadside hit on the right or left side of the through vehicle, where there is the least crumple zone and the most exposure to the spine, the hip, and the head. If you or someone you love was hit by a left-turning driver anywhere in Chicago – in the Loop, on a Lakeview side street, at a busy arterial intersection on Western or Pulaski, or on a Cook, DuPage, Lake, or Will county suburban road – the attorneys at Phillips Law Offices are ready to pull the signal-timing records, lock down the camera footage, and pursue every dollar the law allows. We have been doing this work since 1945.

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Where these crashes happen in Chicago and Cook County

Left-turn crashes cluster at signalized intersections with high turning volumes and at major arterial junctions. Inside Chicago we see them at signal grid intersections all over the city – at Michigan/Wacker and Michigan/Randolph in the Loop, at the long arterial crossings of Western, Pulaski, Cicero, Ashland, Halsted, and Damen with the east-west arterials (Lawrence, Belmont, Fullerton, North, Chicago, Madison, Roosevelt, 31st, 47th, 63rd, 87th), at Lake Shore Drive ramps that feed into Belmont, Diversey, and Hollywood, and along the State Street and Michigan Avenue corridors. Truck and CTA-bus left turns in the Loop are a chronic source of pedestrian and cyclist injuries. Out in Cook County and the collar counties, the long permitted-left-turn intersections on Roosevelt Road, North Avenue, Lake Cook Road, Algonquin Road, and the IL-Route corridors (53, 59, 64, 83) generate steady left-turn-into-oncoming-traffic crashes.

Left-turn crashes on Chicago city streets are worked by Chicago Police Department, with the Major Accident Investigation Unit (MAIU) taking the serious and fatal ones. Crashes on the interstates and Lake Shore Drive are worked by Illinois State Police District Chicago. Cook County Sheriff’s Police handles the unincorporated stretches. Victims of left-turn crashes – especially T-bone broadsides and pedestrian/cyclist hits – are typically transported to Northwestern Memorial, Rush University Medical Center, Stroger Hospital (Cook County’s Level I trauma center), University of Chicago Medicine, or Mt. Sinai. Civil cases are filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County (or DuPage, Lake, or Will county depending on where the crash and the parties land), with appeals running to the Illinois Appellate Court, First District.

Common causes we see in Chicago left-turn crashes

• Left-turn driver fails to yield to oncoming traffic. The textbook violation under 625 ILCS 5/11-902. The turning driver misjudges the oncoming car’s speed or distance and turns into the path of a vehicle that had the right of way.
• Permitted-left-turn confusion. Many Chicago intersections use a “permitted” left-turn phase (steady green ball, not a dedicated green arrow) where the turning driver must yield to oncoming traffic. Drivers familiar with protected-only intersections misread the signal and turn anyway.
• Truck or CTA-bus left turns. A box truck, semi, or CTA bus making a tight left turn at a Loop or arterial intersection pins a passenger car against the median or the curb. The vehicle’s size and turning radius compound the driver’s inability to see what is to the side and behind.
• Left-hook crashes against motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The classic “I didn’t see them” crash. The motorcyclist or cyclist coming the other way is invisible against the windshield A-pillar or in the rear-view sun glare. Pedestrians in the crosswalk get hit by drivers focused on the gap in oncoming traffic instead of the crosswalk.
• Stale-green and yellow-light decisions. The driver accelerates into the intersection on a yellow trying to clear it before the red, then runs out of time and turns across oncoming traffic that also accelerated to beat the light.
• Obstructed-view turns. Construction barrels, parked delivery trucks, or another left-turner in the adjacent lane block the view of oncoming traffic.
• Dedicated left-turn lane misuse. Drivers in a dedicated left-turn lane sometimes get a green light (not a green arrow) and assume it gives them the right of way to turn against oncoming traffic.
• Distracted-driving left turns. Phone use, infotainment fiddling, and conversation with passengers while making a left turn under 625 ILCS 5/12-610.2.
• Speeding by the oncoming through-driver. Where the through-driver was speeding 20+ mph over the limit, comparative fault is a real defense for the turning driver and we have to be ready for it.

Injuries that bring families to a left-turn accident lawyer

Left-turn crashes are typically broadside (T-bone) impacts on the driver’s side or passenger’s side of the through vehicle. There is almost no crumple zone in a side hit, which means the energy of the crash transfers straight into the occupants. Pedestrian and cyclist crashes in the crosswalk are even worse – the victim has no vehicle at all to absorb the impact.

• Traumatic brain injuries from the head striking the side window or door frame
• Cervical and lumbar spine injuries from lateral acceleration – common in T-bone impacts
• Hip, pelvis, and femur fractures from the intruding door panel
• Shoulder and rib injuries on the impacted side
• Internal organ damage and internal bleeding from the side intrusion
• Concussion and post-concussion syndrome
• Catastrophic, often fatal, injuries to pedestrians and cyclists hit in the crosswalk
• Wrongful death of a spouse, parent, or child

Who is liable in a Chicago left-turn crash

Left-turn cases usually start with a strong presumption that the turning driver is at fault. Identifying every responsible party is how we unlock the layered insurance coverages that make full recovery possible.

• The left-turning driver – for the violation of the duty to yield under 625 ILCS 5/11-902 and to pedestrians under 5/11-906.
• The vehicle owner if separate from the driver.
• The driver’s employer if the driver was on the clock – delivery, rideshare, commercial – under respondeat superior and direct negligent-hiring/training/supervision claims.
• The CTA or municipality if a CTA bus, City of Chicago vehicle, or suburban municipal vehicle was the one turning – subject to the strict notice and limitations rules of the Tort Immunity Act, 745 ILCS 10/8-101.
• A construction contractor if a poorly designed work-zone setup obstructed the turning driver’s view of oncoming traffic.
• The signal-timing authority (City of Chicago Department of Transportation, IDOT, or a suburb) in narrow circumstances where the signal phasing itself created the unsafe condition.
• The rideshare or delivery platform if the at-fault driver was on a trip – the platform’s commercial-period coverage applies.
• Your own UM/UIM carrier if the turning driver was uninsured or underinsured – mandatory coverage under 215 ILCS 5/143a.

The Illinois law that drives a Chicago left-turn case

• Duty to yield on a left turn: 625 ILCS 5/11-902 – a left-turning driver must yield to any oncoming vehicle so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.
• Duty to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks: 625 ILCS 5/11-906.
• Driver due-care duty to pedestrians: 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1.
• Right of way at signalized intersections: 625 ILCS 5/11-306 – colors of signals and what they mean.
• Statute of limitations – personal injury: two years from the date of the crash under 735 ILCS 5/13-202.
• Wrongful death: two years under 740 ILCS 180/2.
• Modified comparative fault (50% bar): 735 ILCS 5/2-1116.
• Mandatory UM/UIM coverage: 215 ILCS 5/143a.
• Duty to report and remain at the scene: 625 ILCS 5/11-401 and 5/11-403.
• Tort Immunity Act: 745 ILCS 10/8-101 – one-year limit and formal written notice for CTA, City of Chicago, county, and municipal defendants.

What to do in the first 72 hours after a Chicago left-turn crash

1. Get medical attention first. T-bone impacts hide injuries. Internal bleeding, spinal-cord injury, and TBI can present hours or days later. Northwestern Memorial, Rush University Medical Center, University of Chicago Medicine, and Stroger Hospital are the Level I trauma options in Chicago; Mt. Sinai handles serious crashes on the West Side. For pedestrian and cyclist victims, the trauma center is usually the first stop. Follow up with your primary doctor and keep every bill, every imaging study, and every discharge note.
2. Call 911 and make sure a written police report is generated. CPD MAIU works the serious city-street crashes. Illinois State Police District Chicago works Lake Shore Drive and the interstates. Cook County Sheriff’s Police handles the unincorporated stretches. Get the RD number on a CPD report or the case number on an ISP report.
3. Photograph the intersection. Get the position of both vehicles, the signal heads (and which lamp was lit, if you can), the crosswalk markings, any debris pattern, and the surrounding traffic signs – “Yield on Green,” “Left Turn Yield on Green Ball,” dedicated-arrow signage. Photograph the windshield A-pillar area on the turning vehicle – it often shows whether visibility was the issue.
4. Identify every camera at the intersection. CTA bus cameras, CPD pod cameras, private building cameras on bars/restaurants/banks, City of Chicago red-light and speed cameras, and dashcams on rideshare drivers in the area. Footage is overwritten in days. We send subpoenas the day we are retained.
5. Do not give a recorded statement to the turning driver’s insurer. They call within 24 to 48 hours specifically because they know you are still in shock. You are not required to talk to them. Decline politely and refer them to counsel.
6. Call a left-turn accident lawyer right away. Signal-timing records from the City of Chicago Department of Transportation and IDOT, and surveillance footage from private buildings and CTA buses, are routinely overwritten on 7- to 30-day cycles. Spoliation letters need to go out fast.

How Phillips Law Offices investigates a Chicago left-turn case

1. Day 1 – Camera and signal-timing preservation. We send spoliation letters to every private business at the intersection (banks, bars, restaurants, drugstores), to the CTA for bus-camera footage on any route that crossed the intersection within an hour of the crash, to CPD for pod-camera footage, and to the City of Chicago Department of Transportation/IDOT for signal-phasing logs and red-light-camera footage.
2. Scene reconstruction. We retain accident reconstruction engineers to analyze the impact pattern (T-bone angle, crush profile), to download EDR data from both vehicles where available, and to reconstruct the timing of each driver’s entry into the intersection against the signal phase.
3. Medical workup. We coordinate with treating physicians and, where the injuries warrant it, life-care planners and vocational economists to project future medical and wage losses. T-bone broadside injuries (spinal, hip, head) often require long-term care planning.
4. Witness and police investigation. We pull the CPD/ISP report and contact the witnesses on it before their memories fade. Pedestrian and cyclist witnesses are particularly important because they were often standing at the corner with a clear view of both signals.
5. Insurance and corporate discovery. We identify every layer of coverage – the turning driver’s primary and umbrella, the vehicle owner’s policy, the employer’s commercial policy, the rideshare/delivery platform’s commercial-period coverage, the CTA or municipality’s self-insurance, and your own UM/UIM – so the full coverage is on the table.

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What our Illinois clients have said

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Frequently asked questions

How is the left-turn driver presumed at fault in Illinois?

Illinois codifies the duty to yield in 625 ILCS 5/11-902: a driver intending to turn left at an intersection must yield to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. The same statute governs left turns into a driveway or alley. When a left-turning driver crosses oncoming traffic and collides with a vehicle that had the right of way, the left-turner is presumed negligent. The presumption is rebuttable, but rebutting it requires real proof – that the oncoming driver was speeding, ran a red light, or did something else to break the chain of presumption.

If the other driver had a green left-turn arrow, am I out of luck?

Not at all. A driver with a green left-turn arrow has the right of way only when the arrow is green. We pull the City of Chicago/IDOT signal-timing records to confirm exactly what colors were displayed in the seconds before impact. We also subpoena CTA bus cameras, Lake Shore Drive cameras, and the cameras on private buildings at the intersection. Many drivers claim a green arrow that the timing records do not support.

What if a city bus or police car was the one turning left?

The Tort Immunity Act (745 ILCS 10/8-101) imposes a one-year statute of limitations and a formal written-notice requirement for many claims against local-government defendants – the CTA, the City of Chicago, the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County Sheriff, suburban municipalities. The notice must be served within one year of the crash. Move fast: missing the notice can end the case.

What if I was the one turning left but the oncoming driver was speeding or ran a red light?

You can still recover. Illinois uses modified comparative fault under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. If the oncoming driver was speeding 20+ mph over the limit, ran a red light, or was distracted on a phone, the jury or insurer apportions fault between the two of you. As long as you are 50% or less at fault, you recover, with damages reduced by your share. We pull EDR data, signal-timing records, and traffic-camera footage to nail down the oncoming driver’s speed and signal status.

How long do I have to file a left-turn accident lawsuit in Chicago, Illinois?

Two years from the date of the crash for most adult personal-injury plaintiffs under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. Two years for wrongful death under 740 ILCS 180/2. One year and a formal written notice for many government defendants (CTA, City of Chicago) under the Tort Immunity Act, 745 ILCS 10/8-101. Pedestrian and cyclist victims should move quickly because witness memories and surveillance footage do not last.

What if a pedestrian or cyclist was hit in a crosswalk by a left-turning driver?

Illinois codifies the driver’s duty to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks at 625 ILCS 5/11-906 and the general due-care duty at 5/11-1003.1. A left-turning driver who hits a pedestrian or cyclist in a marked or unmarked crosswalk is presumed negligent. Damages in pedestrian and cyclist cases are typically catastrophic because there is no vehicle around the victim to absorb the impact. We move on these cases on day one.

Do I have to pay anything upfront to hire Phillips Law Offices?

No. We handle Chicago left-turn accident cases on a contingency fee. There are no hourly bills and no out-of-pocket cost to retain us. We advance the case costs and are reimbursed from the recovery. If there is no recovery, you owe us nothing.

Contact our Chicago left-turn accident lawyer

If you have been hurt in a left-turn crash in Chicago, anywhere in Cook County, or in DuPage, Lake, or Will county, call Phillips Law Offices for a free, no-obligation case review. The sooner we get the spoliation letters out to private cameras, the CTA, and the City of Chicago signal-timing systems, the stronger your case will be. Call (312) 346-4262 or use our contact form.

Phillips Law Offices, North Clark St, Chicago

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Related Phillips Law Offices pages

• Chicago Car Accident Lawyers (main practice page)
• Chicago Red Light Accident Cases
• Chicago Speeding Accident Lawyer
• Chicago DUI Accident Lawyer
• How to Obtain Traffic Camera Video of a Car Accident
• Accident Reconstruction Experts
• Traumatic Brain Injury

Page reviewed by the attorneys at Phillips Law Offices. The information on this page is for general education only and is not legal advice. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. No aspect of these advertisements has been approved by the Supreme Court of Illinois.