$70,000 Cook County Jury Verdict in Rear-End Four-Car Chain Reaction Crash

On March 9, 2013, the defendant Roy H. Verdin was driving eastbound on 159^th Street in Orland Park, Ill. His vehicle rear-ended Christina L. Barron’s car at 94^th Avenue and pushed it into two other vehicles ahead of her.

Barron, 46, maintained that she suffered a torn rotator cuff injury along with soft tissue sprains. She lost one week of work as a retail sales clerk. Her medical expenses were $40,000.

The defendant argued that the crash was only a “fender bender.” It was maintained that no airbags deployed and that the plaintiff’s rotator cuff tear was not related to this occurrence.

Before trial, the attorney for Barron, Ernest T. Rossiello, made a demand to settle the case for $100,000. At the close of all evidence in that closing argument, Rossiello asked the jury to return a verdict of $400,000. The only offer made on behalf of the defendant, Roy H. Verdin, was $12,800.

At trial, Barron’s counsel presented a physician expert in pain management while the defendant engaged an expert in orthopedic surgery.

The jury’s verdict in favor of Barron was $70,000.

Christina L. Barron v. Roy H. Verdin, No. 14 L 6480 (Cook County, Ill.).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling car accident cases, rear-end crashes cases, truck accidents, bicycle injury cases and motorcycle accident cases for individuals and families who have been injured or killed by the negligence of another for more than 40 years, in and around Chicago, Cook County and surrounding areas, including Tinley Park, Richton Park, Inverness, Arlington Heights, Lisle, Justice, Worth, Orland Park, Evergreen Park, Gurnee, Glencoe, Glenview, Naperville, Kenilworth, Elmhurst and Schiller Park, Ill.