Does a Personal Injury Lawsuit Cover Lifeflight?

 Posted on May 27, 2025 in Car accidents

After a major car crash, you may have no say in how you are transported. If paramedics determine your injuries are life-threatening, they may call in a medical helicopter — often called a "lifeflight" — to get you to a trauma center as quickly as possible. You survive. You stabilize. And then the bill comes.

Emergency air transport is one of the most expensive medical services in the United States. And in Illinois, especially near high-speed corridors like I-90 and I-294, serious accidents are common enough that many victims find themselves relying on this kind of care. The question is: Who pays? Our Park Ridge, IL car crash injury lawyer can help you answer that. 

The Cost of Lifeflight in Illinois

A lifeflight or air ambulance trip typically costs anywhere from $12,000 to $50,000, but it is not unheard of for lifeflights to cost as much as $100,000. If the company providing the flight is out-of-network, insurance may cover only a portion of the cost, or refuse to cover it at all. Many victims are left with bills totaling tens of thousands of dollars just for the flight itself.

That is before even considering the cost of emergency room care, surgery, or hospital admission. When the accident was not your fault, those costs should not be yours to bear. A personal injury lawsuit can help.

When Does a Personal Injury Claim Cover Emergency Transport?

If you were seriously injured in a car crash caused by another driver — whether by speeding, texting, impaired driving, or reckless lane changes — you may be entitled to compensation. This includes not just medical expenses, but also emergency response costs such as ambulance or lifeflight bills.

However, the key is proving liability. You must show that another party’s negligence caused or contributed to your injuries and that those injuries made air transport necessary. Your attorney will work to obtain crash reports, emergency dispatch logs, medical records, and insurance documentation to demonstrate:

• The severity of your injuries

• The necessity of air transport

• The connection between the at-fault party’s actions and your medical costs

A strong personal injury claim will include not only the cost of the flight, but all related expenses, including hospital stays, rehabilitation, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Getting Lifeflighted After Car and Truck Accidents on I-90 and I-294 

I-90 and I-294 are among the busiest and most dangerous highways in Illinois. These are major trucking routes with fast-moving traffic, frequent construction, and aggressive drivers. Accidents on these highways are often catastrophic and involve high-speed collisions, rollovers, and pile-ups that result in spinal injuries, traumatic brain damage, or multiple fractures.

Victims of these crashes are frequently airlifted to hospitals in Chicago or nearby trauma centers. If this has happened to you or someone you love, you need legal counsel who understands both the legal and logistical realities of highway injury claims.

Contact a Des Plaines, IL Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Emergency air transport should save your life, not destroy your finances. A Park Ridge, IL personal injury attorney at Quinn Law Group, LLC can help you fight for compensation after a serious crash on I-90, I-294, or anywhere else in Illinois. Call 847-232-7180 today for a free consultation.