After a pedestrian accident, the first decisions often determine how strong your claim is months later.
Do these steps as soon as you can:
- Get medical attention (urgent care, ER, or follow-up). Some injuries—like concussions, internal bruising, or soft-tissue damage—may not show up immediately.
- Report the crash and make sure the incident is documented. If there’s a hit-and-run, ask responders about the process for capturing details.
- Preserve scene evidence: photos of the crosswalk/intersection, vehicle location, lighting conditions, and any visible injuries.
- Write down a timeline while it’s fresh: what you were doing, which direction you were walking, what traffic signals were showing, and what the driver did right before impact.
- Don’t give recorded statements to insurance without understanding how your words could be framed.
Illinois injury claims are heavily evidence-driven. A quick, careful start can help prevent common setbacks—like missing medical documentation or losing video that gets overwritten.


