As electric vehicles (EVs) become increasingly common on Illinois roads—especially in suburban hubs like Cook and DuPage counties—the nature of car accidents and personal injury claims is shifting. For the team at Therman Law Offices and other personal-injury attorneys in the region, the question isn't simply "Are EVs safer?" but rather "How are EV crashes different, and what does that mean for victims and liability?"
The Rise of EVs in Illinois
Illinois has set ambitious targets for EV adoption—to have around one million plug-in electric vehicles on the road by 2030. As more EVs mix into suburban commuter traffic (on expressways like I-90, I-294, and local arterials in Schaumburg, Naperville, and nearby), the patterns and mechanics of collisions are evolving. With new vehicle architecture (battery packs, silent motors, fewer moving parts) come different crash risks and post-crash issues.
Why EV Crashes Can Differ from "Traditional" Cars
Silent motors / instant torque / different mass
EVs often accelerate quickly, sometimes quietly at low speed. In suburban settings with shopping-centre traffic, parking lots, and high‐speed arterial roads, this can mean less audible warning for pedestrians or other drivers and unfamiliar movement dynamics.
Battery pack hazards and fire risk
One of the most critical differences lies beneath the floor: high-voltage lithium-ion battery packs. These bring new risks. Lithium-ion battery packs can ignite, explode, or reignite hours after a crash. Industry tests at the Fire Safety Research Institute in Northbrook, Illinois, confirmed that EV fire behaviour (temperature, off-gassing) is measurably different from internal-combustion‐engine vehicles.
First-responders and attorneys alike must be aware: a crash that looks like a "minor fender-bender" may later involve a rebounding battery fire or toxic gas exposure.
Liability & evidence-gathering complexity
Liability in EV crashes often involves additional layers. If a battery malfunctions, overheats, or fails to isolate after impact, there may be potential manufacturer, battery-supplier, or repair-shop liability. Combine that with the usual issues of driver fault, and you've got a more complex claim scenario.
What Injury Lawyers See on the Ground in Illinois Suburbs
In practice, the team at Therman Law Offices has noticed a few recurring themes in suburban EV crashes:
- Disabled vehicles on expressway ramps or at high speeds. Suburban crashes often involve commuter traffic on highways like I-90 or I-355 or large retail centres. EVs can sometimes "shut down" electrical systems safely but may also experience unique failure modes in a crash (e.g., loss of auxiliary power, braking issues).
- Delayed fires or reignitions in parking facilities. Because EVs are parked post-crash in lots or garages and battery packs may hold "stranded energy," there is an elevated risk of fire later, which complicates salvage, evidence preservation, and insurance claims.
- Witness-gathering is different. In suburban scenarios, there's often more space, more ambient noise, maybe dash-cam video, but fewer pedestrian bystanders compared with inner-city crashes. Outdoor lighting, highway lighting, and visibility at dusk vs dawn matter.
- Fault profiles shifting. With EVs accelerating differently, silent movement at low speed, and new driver behaviour (range anxiety, different throttle feel), faults may become contested in new ways. The standard "rear-end = fault" assumption may not apply so cleanly when a silent electric vehicle is backing out or creeping.
Charles N. Therman, founding attorney of Therman Law Offices, notes:
"As a Personal Injury Attorney working in the Chicago-suburbs, I'm seeing EV crash claims where the vehicle's unique architecture makes a big difference in both how the accident happened and how evidence must be gathered."
What Should Victims Do After an EV Crash in Illinois?
- Call 911 and explicitly identify an EV is involved. Emergency responders need to know there may be high-voltage components or battery risk.
- Document the scene thoroughly. Take photos of the battery compartment (if visible), signage, damage to the underbody, fluid leaks (coolant or battery coolant), high-voltage orange wiring.
- Get medical attention and preserve records. Injuries may result not just from impact but from subsequent fire, shock, or toxic exposure.
- Preserve evidence quickly. Notify your attorney early so towing, salvage, and repair do not destroy hidden evidence like battery pack damage, thermal markings, or electrical isolation failures.
- Ask about specialized experts. Some EV cases require forensic automotive engineers, battery experts, or fire-science specialists.
- Understand your local traffic context. In Cook and DuPage counties, commuters, tolled expressways, and high-volume suburban retail areas all bring higher speeds and more complex crash dynamics than slow, crowded city streets.
Why the Suburban vs City Distinction Matters
In city traffic, speeds are lower, traffic density is higher, pedestrians are more common, and damage is often more limited. In contrast, suburban roads (and highway ramps) around Schaumburg, Naperville, and surrounding Cook/DuPage corridors involve higher speeds, fewer witnesses, larger impact forces, and vehicles accelerating or decelerating more rapidly. When an EV is involved, these differences amplify the risk of serious injury or complex evidence issues.
Further, suburban parking lots and "big-box" retail drives create hybrid crash zones: partly high speed (entry/exit lanes), partly pedestrian crossings, partly multiple mobility modes (cars, e-scooters, EVs). This blended environment can complicate fault and discovery of electronic evidence (dash-cams, vehicle telematics, battery logs).
Summary
Are EVs safer? In many respects, yes—they bring advanced safety features, quieter motors, fewer moving mechanical parts, and strong crash-test results. However, they are definitely different. As injury lawyers in Illinois see more of these cases, the differences matter: battery fire risk, delayed hazards, evolving fault profiles, evidence complexity, and suburban traffic dynamics all shift how claims are handled.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a crash with an EV in the Chicago or Schaumburg suburbs, the early steps you take—documenting, preserving evidence, and engaging an attorney familiar with EV-specific risks—can significantly affect your outcome. Because when technology changes, so does liability.
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