The Illinois Appellate Court weighed the application of the Illinois Health-Care Services Lien Act in an underinsured-motorist case. On Nov. 5, 2009, in Murphysboro, Ill., a car driven by Lori Maramba crossed the center line and struck a vehicle driven by David McRoberts. Caitlyn McRoberts and Kim McRoberts were passengers with David…
A bill signed into law by Illinois Gov. Patrick J. Quinn permits the Illinois Secretary of State to retroactively invalidate a driver’s license if the minor had a citation for which a disposition had not been rendered when the license was issued. In other words, a permit driver, 18 years old…
This case was brought before a jury panel twice. These were the facts: On Sept. 6, 2006, Michael Lynn was bicycling on the sidewalk facing eastbound on the southwest corner of 33rd Street and Wentworth Avenue in Chicago when he was struck by the defendant’s car driven by James Miller. Miller had been…
A federal court jury entered a $393,750 verdict for the plaintiff, Carmen Santillan, 47, who was driving her SUV westbound on Interstate 90 in Chicago when her car was rear-ended by a semi-tractor-trailer driven by the defendant, Daniel Ducharme. Ducharme was employed by Martin’s Bulk Milk Service, Inc. The crash, on…
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Travelers Insurance Co. alleging that it misled injured individuals in car accident cases against Travelers’ insureds. The case, filed in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County by Sabrina Roppo, alleges that when she was injured in a car…
In 2007, Illinois amended the Wrongful Death Act to add language saying, “including damages for grief, sorrow and mental suffering.” The language was added to the description of available wrongful death damages. According to this Chicago federal court case, Hammond v. System Transport, Inc., the Illinois legislature’s intentions in amending…
Heike Wehrle and Robert Wehrle were severely injured in an auto crash with a drunk driver who had minimal insurance coverage. The Wehrles had an underinsured motorist insurance policy with Cincinnati Insurance Co. that paid the difference between their $1 million coverage limit and the $200,000 that they received from…
Pedestrian Eusebio Camacho was struck and injured when crossing midblock at night by defendant Michael Lynch’s eastbound car. Camacho received a $56,803 verdict although a 50 percent comparative fault reduction was entered by the jury. The accident occurred on Oct. 12, 2010 when Camacho was walking northbound across Irving Park…
In this auto accident case, the defendant insurance company, Safeway Insurance Co., insured Ruben Delatorre under a policy of insurance with a limit of $40,000. Safeway hired an attorney to represent Delatorre in the personal injury lawsuit brought against Delatorre. However, the lawyer for Delatorre/Safeway never submitted a bill and was never…
Dorma Lawson, age 59, was driving northbound on Western Avenue in Chicago Heights, Ill., when she stopped to make a left turn into a bank parking lot north of Lincoln Highway. Lawson’s car was then rear-ended by a Kickert school bus. Lawson claimed that she sustained soft tissue injuries to her…