The Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago found that an injured motorcyclist’s husband’s statement was an admissible statement for the jury to hear and not barred as hearsay. The man told a state trooper that although his wife was severely injured, she said to him: “I’m sorry. It’s not the trucker’s…
Articles Posted in Auto Accidents
Illinois Supreme Court Considers Dispute Over Commuting Worker Injured in Car Accident
The Illinois Supreme Court has taken a case for consideration dealing with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission as to an employee’s commute from a motel to a job site. The issue in the case is whether the employee is covered for his injuries by the Workers’ Compensation Act when he was…
Cook County Jury Verdict for Rear-End Stop Light Crash Exceeds Insurance Policy Limits
A Cook County jury returned a $21,762 verdict for a 68-year-old man who was stopped at a red light on southbound Harlem Avenue at Jackson Boulevard in Chicago. Tehudulio Roman was waiting for the traffic light to change when his car was rear-ended by the defendant, 18-year-old Daniel Garcia, in a…
$3 Million Judgment for Wrongful Death in Rear-End Collision with Postal Truck
In November 2008, Chavonne Freeman, 53, was stopped in traffic on westbound 144th Place at LaGrange Park in Orland Park, Illinois, when her car was rear-ended by a U.S. Postal Service vehicle. Freeman was taken from the scene to the emergency room at Palos Community Hospital. She complained of neck and back pain. She…
Cook County Jury Verdict for Driver in Crosswalk Pedestrian Collision
On April 30, 2009, Bretton Vaughn was driving southbound on Halsted Street in Harvey, Ill. Vaughn’s vehicle struck the plaintiff pedestrian, Sherry Wilson, in the crosswalk at 149th Street. The intersection at that location is a 3-way intersection. Wilson had walked westbound across two northbound lanes and two southbound lanes before reaching an…
Illinois Appellate Court Sets Out Spoliation of Evidence Rules; Kilburg v. Zante, et al.
Plaintiff Joyce Kilburg was injured while she was a passenger in a taxicab. She filed a lawsuit claiming negligence and spoliation of evidence against defendants, which included the driver of the Zante Cab Co. taxi, Taxi Medallion Management, Inc. (Taxi Medallion), Taxi Affiliation Services, LLC (Taxi Affiliation) and Wolley Cab Association…
$25,000 Jury Verdict in Three-Car Collision at Stop Sign
Elaine Shafran was stopped at a stop sign on Portwine Road and Orange Brace Road, in Riverwoods, Ill., when northbound defendant, Atsuko Alvarez, rear-ended a minivan behind the plaintiff, pushing the van into plaintiff’s station wagon. The plaintiff, a 56-year-old special education teacher, alleged that the impact caused aggravation of…
Illinois Supreme Court Hears Argument Regarding Service of Summons on Deceased Defendant in Car Accident Case; Relf v. Shatayeva, etc.
The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments in a car accident case regarding a lawsuit brought against a deceased motorist. Two years after a 2008 car crash, the plaintiff, Sandra Relf, filed a personal injury lawsuit against a motorist she believed was negligent in causing her injuries. The issue in this case…
Injuries in Red Light Crash Leads to $132,641 Cook County Jury Verdict; Romano v. Suchan
On Dec. 19, 2010, 38-year-old Paul Romano was driving southbound on Pulaski Street in the City of Chicago when the defendant, Kathleen Suchan, driving eastbound on 87th Street, went through a red light and crashed into the plaintiff’s vehicle. Romano was not treated by paramedics and did not go to the…
Health Care Liens are Limited to 40% of Verdict After Deducting Attorney Fees and Costs; Stanton v. Rea, et al.
In 2003, plaintiff Amy Stanton was a passenger in a car driven by the defendant, Carolyn Rea. Stanton was injured and hospitalized after the car crashed. The driver of the other vehicle in the accident was uninsured. In October 2007 the case proceeded to a jury trial. The trial judge entered a verdict on…