Fighting for you in Bloomington
Hurt in a car crash on I-55 or I-74, in a slip-and-fall at a Bloomington-Normal business, or by a negligent driver, employer, or product? Phillips Law Offices has handled Illinois personal-injury cases since 1945, including matters in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Free consultation. No fee unless we win.
An injury caused by someone else’s negligence reshapes everything: the medical bills, the days you can’t work, the things you can’t do for your family. For 80 years, the lawyers at Phillips Law Offices have been representing injured Illinois clients – from Chicago to central Illinois, including Bloomington, Normal, Lincoln, El Paso, Pontiac, Heyworth, Hudson, and across McLean County. We investigate, preserve the evidence, deal with the insurers, and pursue every dollar the law allows.
Recognized for results in Illinois personal-injury law
Eight decades of trial work have put the firm and its lawyers on the lists that matter. A sample:
No aspect of these advertisements has been approved by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Personal-injury cases in Bloomington and central Illinois
Bloomington-Normal sits at the crossroads of I-55, I-74, and I-39 – the “X” interchange at Le Roy is one of the busiest rural freight hubs in the state. US-150, Veterans Parkway, Empire Street, Hershey Road, Towanda Avenue, and Main Street carry the daily mix of commuter traffic to State Farm’s headquarters campus, Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan, and the courts. That traffic mix – long-haul trucks crossing town, students and faculty driving narrow university-area streets, an aging building stock that creates slip-and-fall risk in commercial properties – means a wide range of injury scenarios.
Cases in this corridor are heard in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit (McLean, Logan, Livingston, Ford, and Woodford counties), with McLean County Circuit Court in Bloomington as the primary trial venue. Federal cases sit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois (Urbana and Peoria divisions).
Common personal-injury cases we handle in Bloomington
- Motor-vehicle crashes – car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, rideshare, pedestrian
- Slip, trip, and fall on poorly maintained property under the Premises Liability Act (740 ILCS 130/2)
- Injuries on commercial property – stores, restaurants, university buildings, parking lots
- Dog bites under the Illinois Animal Control Act, 510 ILCS 5/16 (strict liability against the owner)
- Construction-site injuries against non-employer third parties (separate from a workers’ comp claim)
- Defective products – manufacturing, design, and failure-to-warn claims
- Medical malpractice – failure to diagnose, surgical error, birth injury
- Nursing home neglect and abuse
- Wrongful death of a spouse, parent, or adult child
Injuries we see in Bloomington personal-injury cases
- Traumatic brain injuries and post-concussion syndrome
- Cervical and lumbar spine injuries, herniated discs, spinal cord damage
- Orthopedic fractures – femur, pelvis, wrist, ankle, ribs
- Crush injuries and amputation
- Burns, lacerations, scarring, and disfigurement
- Internal organ injury and internal bleeding
- Soft-tissue injuries – whiplash, ligament tears
- Psychological injury including PTSD and depression after trauma
- Wrongful death
The Illinois law that drives a personal-injury case
- Personal-injury statute of limitations: two years from the date of the injury under 735 ILCS 5/13-202.
- Wrongful death: two years under 740 ILCS 180/2.
- Medical malpractice: 2-year discovery rule + 4-year statute of repose – 735 ILCS 5/13-212.
- Property damage: five years – 735 ILCS 5/13-205.
- Modified comparative fault (50% bar): 735 ILCS 5/2-1116.
- Premises Liability Act: 740 ILCS 130/2.
- Illinois Animal Control Act (dog bites): 510 ILCS 5/16.
- Tort Immunity Act (public defendants): 745 ILCS 10/8-101 – 1 year + formal notice.
- Mandatory auto insurance, UM/UIM: 215 ILCS 5/143a.
- Wrongful Death Act: 740 ILCS 180/1.
What to do in the first 72 hours after a Bloomington injury
- Get medical attention first. Even if you feel “okay” at the scene, internal injuries and brain injuries can present hours or days later. OSF St. Joseph Medical Center and Carle BroMenn Medical Center (Normal) are the trauma options. Follow up with your primary doctor.
- Report the incident in writing. A police report for vehicle crashes (Bloomington PD, Normal PD, McLean County Sheriff, or Illinois State Police District 6 for interstates). A formal incident report at any business where a fall or unsafe-condition injury occurred.
- Photograph everything. Vehicle damage, the spill or hazard that caused a fall, debris, weather conditions, your visible injuries. Save the clothing and footwear you were wearing.
- Get names and contact info for every witness and every responding officer or store employee.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other party’s insurance adjuster. You are not required to. They use those statements to pin comparative fault on you later.
- Call a Bloomington personal-injury lawyer right away. Surveillance video, telematics data, and incident reports get overwritten on rolling cycles – the spoliation letter has to go out fast.
How Phillips Law Offices investigates a Bloomington personal-injury case
- Day 1 – Spoliation and preservation letters to defendants, insurers, employers, and any business that owns surveillance video of the incident.
- Scene documentation and reconstruction – accident reconstruction engineers for vehicle crashes, premises-liability experts for fall scenes, medical experts for malpractice.
- Medical workup – we coordinate with treating physicians and, where injuries warrant it, life-care planners and vocational economists to project future medical and wage losses.
- Insurance and corporate discovery – identifying every layer of coverage (primary, excess, umbrella, UM/UIM) so the full coverage is on the table.
- Resolution – most cases resolve through pre-suit negotiation or mediation. When the carrier and its insurer will not pay fair value, we file suit and try the case in courts across Illinois.
Meet the attorneys who will work on your case
Stephen D. Phillips
Managing Partner. Decades of trial experience in serious-injury and wrongful-death litigation.
Stephen J. Phillips
Partner. Focus on complex personal-injury and commercial-vehicle cases throughout Illinois.
Terrence M. Quinn
Partner. Litigation focus on catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and trial practice.
Alec D. Mesrobian
Associate. Works on case investigation, discovery, and trial preparation in serious-injury matters.
What our Illinois clients have said
“Stephen Phillips and his team were absolutely incredible to work with. They were professional, responsive, and genuinely cared about my case.”
Reagan Tokoly“Phillips Law Offices handled my case with professionalism and care. They kept me informed throughout the entire process.”
Brandon DeWitt“The team at Phillips Law Offices was outstanding. They fought hard for my case and got me the compensation I deserved.”
Dani BernyClient testimonials reflect individual experiences and are not a guarantee of any particular result. Every case is unique and is evaluated on its own facts.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Bloomington, Illinois?
Illinois gives most adult personal-injury plaintiffs two years from the date of the injury under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. Wrongful-death claims follow a two-year window under 740 ILCS 180/2. Medical-malpractice claims follow 735 ILCS 5/13-212 (2-yr SOL, 4-yr repose). If a public entity is involved, the Tort Immunity Act (745 ILCS 10/8-101) shortens the window to one year and requires a formal notice.
Can a Chicago-based firm handle my Bloomington personal injury case?
Yes. Phillips Law Offices is admitted in all Illinois state and federal courts, including the Eleventh Judicial Circuit (McLean County) and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. We represent injured clients across central Illinois and travel for depositions, mediations, and trial when needed. Most investigation and litigation work happens remotely – the witnesses and the evidence drive the location, not where we sit.
What kinds of cases does Phillips Law Offices handle?
Auto, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian crashes; premises liability and slip-and-fall; product liability; medical malpractice and birth injury; nursing home neglect; dog bites under the Illinois Animal Control Act; construction-site injuries against non-employer third parties; and wrongful death.
What if I was partly at fault?
Illinois follows modified comparative fault under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. You can still recover if you are 50% or less at fault, with damages reduced by your share. Cross the 50% line and recovery is barred. Insurers exploit this rule by trying to shift blame onto the injured party – a careful investigation usually shifts the percentages back.
How much is my Bloomington personal injury case worth?
It depends on the severity of injuries, lost income (current and future), medical bills (past and projected), pain and suffering, loss of normal life, and the available insurance coverage. Catastrophic-injury and wrongful-death cases routinely resolve in the high six and seven figures. Past results are not a guarantee; every case is evaluated on its own facts.
Do I have to pay anything upfront?
No. We handle Bloomington personal-injury cases on a contingency fee. There are no hourly bills and no out-of-pocket cost to retain us. We advance the case costs – experts, depositions, accident reconstruction, medical record retrieval – and are reimbursed from the recovery. If there is no recovery, you owe us nothing.
Hablamos español
Si usted o un ser querido resultó herido en un accidente en Bloomington o en cualquier parte de Illinois, llámenos al (312) 346-4262. La consulta es gratis y no cobramos honorarios a menos que ganemos su caso.
Contact our Bloomington personal injury lawyer
If you or a loved one has been hurt in Bloomington, Normal, Lincoln, El Paso, Pontiac, or anywhere across McLean County and central Illinois, call Phillips Law Offices for a free, no-obligation case review. The sooner we get the spoliation letter out and the investigation started, the stronger your case will be.
Free, confidential case review
Phillips Law Offices, 161 N Clark St #4925, Chicago, IL 60601. Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. Calls answered 24/7.
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.