Chicago Expressway Accidents: Who Is Liable in a Multi-Vehicle Crash?

Multi-vehicle crashes and traffic pileups in Chicago usually involve lots of traffic, so it is no surprise that the Windy City ranks first in the country for traffic congestion. Chicago is also heralded as third in the world for congested highways (Istanbul is first; Mexico City ranks second). Read, “Chicago tops New York for most traffic congestion in U.S., ranking says,” written and published by NBC-Chicago on December 2, 2025.

Chicago is also known for commercial truck traffic hazards, with the intersection of I-294 and I-290/I-88 found to be the “top freight bottleneck in the country,” according to the latest study released by the American Transportation Research Institute (“ATRI”). Read, “ATRI Releases Annual List of Top 100 Truck Bottlenecks,” written by Rebecca Brewster and published by ATRI on February 17, 2026.

Traffic pileups can happen in an instant, and lots of people can be severely injured or killed in these multi-vehicle collisions. When this happens, things get complicated quickly when insurance claims are made and fault is considered. Under Illinois law, liability in a Chicago multi-vehicle crash usually involves more than one driver or organization being at fault (think private company or government entity). Legal liability may lie with several parties.

Dangers for Traffic Pileups: Reasons for Multi-Vehicle Crashes in Chicago

In addition to our notoriously congested roadways and bottlenecks, there are other factors that contribute to the significant danger all those using Chicago roadways share in being hurt or killed in a multi-vehicle crash. These include the following:

1. Chicago Weather

Winter weather in the Chicagoland area is always dangerous for drivers of all types of motor vehicles, from the biggest semi-truck to the family sedan or motorcycle. However, summer heat can be a factor here as well, since it impacts the operation of tires and brakes.

Chicago traffic pileups are also at risk for high winds off the Great Lakes as well as dust storms that blind drivers. In May 2023, for instance, a dust storm caused a catastrophic 90-car pileup on Illinois’ I-55. Read, “Police Reveal What Was Behind Illinois Dust Storm That Led to Fatal I-55 Crash,” written and published by NBC-Chicago on May 3, 2023.

2. Distracted Driving

When a driver is not paying attention to the job of driving, whether dealing with kids; eating or drinking; texting; or checking the GPS or music volume, that driver’s reaction time is delayed. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warns that just taking eyes off the road for five seconds is enough for the vehicle to move the length of a football field at a speed of 55 mph.

3. Insufficient Distance Between Vehicles/Tailgating

For safety agencies, regulators, and advocates for accident victims and their loved ones, not keeping enough distance between the driver’s vehicle and the vehicle in front on the roadway (the “lead vehicle”) can cause the “domino effect” in a pileup. This happens when the lead vehicle suddenly slams on the brakes, and the car behind rear-ends the lead vehicle. This follows in a “compression wave,” where vehicles moving behind the driver have insufficient time and distance to stop before colliding. It becomes a massive chain reaction, resulting in a pileup. See, Garber, Nicholas J., and Sarath C. Joshua. “Traffic and geometric characteristics affecting the involvement of large trucks in accidents.” (1991).

Under Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/11-710, it is against state law for a driver to follow a lead vehicle “more closely than is reasonable and prudent.”

4. Frustrated Driving (Unsafe Lane Changes, Speeding)

Going either too fast or too slow in heavy traffic can cause a multi-vehicle crash. Heavy traffic tends to move in a coordinated way, and someone going too fast or put-putting along can break that continuity with a resulting pileup. Likewise, impatient and frustrated drivers deciding to maneuver through the congestion by zipping through things with fast and furious lane changes can also ignite a multi-vehicle collision. Cutting across lanes, swerving through traffic, or speeding can cause tragic pileup accidents here.

Sometimes, frustrated driving or speeding can combine with other factors, like winter weather, to cause a major multi-vehicle collision. One horrific example happened here on Kennedy Expressway, where officials said speeding in light snow resulted in a shocking 54-vehicle pileup. Read, “54 cars involved in Chicago crash; 14 injured,” written by Diane Pathieu and published by ABC-7 News on April 15, 2020.

Liability in a Chicago Pileup: Determining Fault in a Multi-Vehicle Crash

Here in Illinois, car accidents are investigated and analyzed by law enforcement on the scene, and insurance adjusters may be close behind. Investigators for state or federal agencies may be involved, too, alongside independent accident reconstruction experts working on behalf of the injured pileup victims.

Chicago multi-vehicle crashes will follow the legal parameters of the modified comparative negligence system defined by Illinois law in 735 ILCS 5/2-1116. For more, read “Comparative Negligence” published by the Illinois Department of Insurance.

Here, facts are found and admissible evidence is studied to determine how the chain reaction occurred, and from this scenario, how a specific percentage of fault is assigned to each driver involved in the pileup. Explains the Illinois Department of Insurance:

Under modified comparative negligence, an injured party may recover damages only if he/she is less than 50% at fault for the injury or damages. However, the recovered amount may be reduced in proportion to the degree that the injured party was at fault. For example, if the other driver is determined to be 80% at fault and you are determined to be 20% at fault, you can collect for your damages because you were less than 50% at fault. However, the other driver’s insurance company might only offer to pay for 80% of your damages.

Liability Complexities of a Chicago Multi-Vehicle Crash

In a Chicago pileup, assessing liability can be a real controversy between the parties involved. There can be fault assessed among:

1. First Driver to Hit Another Vehicle

The first vehicle to collide with another vehicle is operated by a driver who usually receives the greatest percentage of fault.

2. Other Drivers in the Multi-Vehicle Collision

Other drivers may be at fault, too, if the experts confirm they were doing things like speeding; zipping through traffic; tailgating; or driving distracted. Poor maintenance of their vehicle (think bad brakes, bald tires) can also bring liability to other drivers in the pileup.

3. Commercial Motor Vehicles (Tractor-Trailers, Buses, Big Rigs)

Huge and heavy 18-wheelers can cause enormous harm in a Chicago pileup, even if they are being driven at low speed. The owner and operator of that truck can be at fault if experts find there has been poor repair or maintenance of the big rig, negligent hiring or supervision of the trucker, etc.

4. Government Agencies

In some situations, even IDOT or the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority may be determined to be at fault in a Chicago pileup if investigations reveal that bad roadway design, road conditions (like a failure to maintain that stretch of roadway), or missing road work construction warning signs contributed to the crash.

Chicago Pileup Accident Victims: Seeking Justice, Claims for Damages

After a multi-vehicle collision on a Chicago roadway, anyone hurt in the pileup has a legal right to pursue an independent investigation into the multi-vehicle crash in order to determine all those who may have legal liability under state law for their personal injuries. Damages here can include things like medical care and treatment; pain and suffering; lost wages; lost earning capacity; and more. See, 10 Types of Injury Damages That May Be Awarded to Accident Victims.

Pileup victims will deal with multiple insurance companies, all having insurance adjusters known for creating chaos with finger pointing for cause as each tries to limit the liability of their policy holders. Coupled with the complexities of causation in these cases, accident victims can be overwhelmed very quickly and the help of an accident reconstructionist and legal advocate can be invaluable.

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Chicago is world-renown for its traffic congestion. We face a high risk of being involved in a multi-vehicle crash on our roadways, especially on infamously high-volume interstates like the Dan Ryan (I-90/I-94) and the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290). Please be careful out there!