The University of Illinois System must report any motor vehicle accident involving employees acting within the scope or course of university business to the Department of Central Management Services (CMS), where the accident is defined as damage to state-owned property and/or damage to another party's property or harm to their person. Employees must report any motor vehicle accident to their university office, as determined by the category of motor vehicle.
The system is subject to and complies with the Illinois Administrative Code (Section 5040.520). If an accident is incorrectly reported, the State of Illinois may refuse to defend the employee in a lawsuit or to pay a judgment on their behalf. The system may suspend an individual driver or an entire unit from further use of system motor vehicles should they fail to report accidents correctly.
All accidents involving motor vehicles operated by employees within the scope or course of system or university business.
Employees involved in a motor vehicle accident must report the incident to law enforcement while still at the scene. Employees must then follow reporting requirements that apply to their category of motor vehicle.
In the event of an accident, drivers, even those driving their personal vehicles if doing so on university business, will be required to provide their personal information (including, but not limited to, their social security number) for accident reporting as required by Central Management Services (CMS).
Employees should consider notifying their personal auto insurance carrier of an accident, for reporting purposes only, even when the incident did not occur in a personal vehicle. If the claim is reported after the seven-day deadline to CMS and/or the accident occurred during non-business use of the vehicle, the State of Illinois will deny the claim. The employee’s personal insurance carrier will then become the primary insurance.
Employees should notify their personal auto insurance carrier of an accident. The State of Illinois Self-Insured Motor Vehicle Liability Plan only provides liability coverage after your personal auto insurance has been exhausted. Consult How Personal Insurance Becomes Involved in a Claim. The State Plan does not provide collision coverage for the employee’s personal vehicle and the system does not reimburse personal insurance deductibles. Employees should contact their tax advisor to determine if any insurance deductible can be deducted on their personal tax return.
System drivers and passengers are covered by workers' compensation benefits if injured while acting within the scope or course of university business. Non-employee passengers are not covered by the State of Illinois Self-Insured Motor Vehicle Liability Plan so should contact their personal insurance. On a case-by-case basis, the system may choose to aid an individual with medical costs, should circumstances warrant. Under no circumstance will the system pay more than $10,000 in medical payments on behalf of an individual in such a situation.
*For questions on how to complete the CMS Claim Intake Form, please reach out to your appropriate university motor vehicle department.*
How Personal Insurance Becomes Involved in a Claim
Office of Treasury Operations Claims Management Illinois Administrative Code (Section 5040.520)
Chicago: UIC Transportation Campus Auto Rental Service (CARS)
Springfield: Motor Pool
Urbana-Champaign: Facilities and Services Car Pool
First Published: September 2012 | Last Updated: April 2025 | Last Reviewed: May 2024