Thomas Topal owned real estate in Benld, Ill., when he died on March 15, 2017. The mortgage on the property was held by First National Bank in Staunton, Ill. In February 2020, Associated Bank N.A. (Associated) acquired First National Bank and succeeded it as mortgagee. On Oct. 22, 2020, just…
When Joyce Fogle, 57, slowed her car for traffic on a highway, Taylor Merritt’s vehicle rear-ended Fogle’s vehicle. Fogle was taken to a hospital where she underwent a CT scan of her brain and x-rays of her knees. She received conservative treatment for back pain and later underwent surgery at…
Charles Peterson, 39, was driving on an interstate highway when another vehicle collided with his. The impact of the crash caused Peterson to lose control of his vehicle, which moved onto the highway median. The driver of a commercial truck then made a sudden turn on the highway, causing its…
Raquel Manzo, 53, a homemaker, was driving her car and stopped at a stop sign when Daniel Garcia Buenrostro, who was driving a dump truck, suddenly rear-ended her car. Manzo suffered neck and lower back injuries that required a cervical fusion at C6-7 with injections. Manzo, who was a candidate…
Judge Marcia Maras ruled in May 2022 that the prejudgment interest statute passed by the Illinois legislature was unconstitutional. However, another law division judge gave notice on July 20, 2022, stating that the motions on constitutional issues can and should be decided by the trial judge. In a written order…
Tyler Dahlstrand, 28, was an iron worker employed at Midwest Steel Inc., which FCA US LLC hired as the contractor for a welding project at the Belvedere, Ill., assembly plant. Dahlstrand was assigned to a night shift and worked above a wire mesh walkway with cut outs covered with unsecured…
James DeFranscesco, 53, owned his own trucking company. He parked his tractor-trailer for the night at a truck stop in Georgia but was awakened when an adjacent tractor-trailer got stuck to his rig after turning too sharply while pulling out. DeFranscesco opened his door and fell to the pavement while…
The Illinois Appellate Court has ruled against a plaintiff who was blinded in one eye when a bar patron threw a bottle at him. The plaintiff was seeking to collect $1 million over the insurance policy limit of $1 million. In this case, the trial court had ruled that Orlando Valdez did…
Circuit Court Judge Marcia Maras has ruled that the prejudgment interest law that went into effect in 2021 is unconstitutional. Under this law, plaintiffs in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits are able to collect 6% interest against defendants from the time the lawsuit is filed until it is disposed…
Robin Chapman, 55, was driving to work when a tow truck owned by Super Dirty Recovery LLC and driven by its employee, Joseph McRaith, pulled out suddenly from a side street and collided with Chapman’s vehicle. Chapman suffered a broken left elbow, a fractured right ankle, broken ribs and a…