On Jan. 14, 2010, Anthony Rossi was driving eastbound on 95th Street in Oak Lawn, Ill. The corner of his car was hit by a semi-tractor-trailer truck on the same eastbound 95th Street driven by the defendant, Steven Groft, as he was changing lanes. The crash caused Rossi’s car to spin out of control.
Rossi, age 28, refused to be taken to a hospital by ambulance, but later drove himself to the emergency room at Christ Hospital. The defendants defended the case, arguing for limiting the severity of Rossi’s injuries.
Rossi maintained that he suffered a ligamentous cervical injury (whiplash), facet joint syndrome, aggravation of cervical spondylosis and chronic neck pain, which required a series of facet and trigger point injections and nerve ablations. Rossi had applied for a job as a Cook County Correctional Officer. He was not hired. Rossi claimed that his injuries from the crash prevented him from being hired by the County. He is now unemployed and a stay-at-home father.
The defendants admitted liability, but argued that the plaintiff Rossi was not injured to the extent that he claimed.
Before trial, the demand to settle the case was $900,000. The offer made by the defendants was $200,000. Counsel for Mr. Rossi, George T. Brugess and Kristen Lukaszak, reportedly asked the court to return a $2 million judgment.
The judgment entered by the court was for $350,000.
Anthony Rossi v. U.S. Xpress, Inc. and Steven Groft, No. 10 C-50240 (U.S.D.C. IL NE).
Kreisman Law Offices has been handling truck/car crashes for individuals and families who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of another for more than 37 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Mount Prospect, Orland Park, Alsip, Cicero, Maywood, Chicago (Avondale), Chicago (Belmont Harbor), Chicago (Logan Square), Chicago (Motor Row), Chicago (Old Town), University Park, Burbank, Des Plaines and Aurora, Ill.
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