Articles Posted in Rear-End Crash

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James Fregeau was involved in two different and separate motor vehicle crashes.  Both cases were consolidated for discovery and trial.  The first crash took place on April 22, 2009 when a car driven by the defendant, Anthony Foster, rear-ended a vehicle, which then pushed into Fregeau’s car, injuring him.

The second crash took place on Dec. 4, 2010, when the car driven by defendant Dina Whittier rear-ended Fregeau’s car on southbound Interstate 57 near 167th Street in Markham, Ill.   In that case, both cars spun out and a second impact with each other occurred.

Fregeau, 27, claimed that he suffered spinal sprains and an aggravation of facet joint arthropathy,  which required emergency room visits, doctor visits, CT scans, MRIs, bone scans, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, facet blocks and future facet ablations.

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James R. Fregeau was involved in two separate rear-end motor vehicle crashes within 20 months.  In both cases his car was rear-ended by another vehicle.  Fregeau filed two separate lawsuits that later were consolidated for discovery and trial. 

The first crash took place on April 22, 2009 when the car driven by defendant Anthony Foster rear-ended a vehicle in front of him that was then pushed into the Fregeau car.  The second crash took place on Dec. 4, 2010 when the car driven by defendant Dina Whittier rear-ended Fregeau’s car on southbound Interstate 57 near 167th Street in Markham, Ill.  In that case, the Fregeau and the Whittier car spun out and a second impact occurred when they struck each other.

As for the first crash, Fregeau was 27 years old and claimed he suffered spinal sprains and aggravations of a facet joint arthropathy, which required emergency room visits, doctor visits, CT scans, MRIs, bone scan, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, facet blocks and future facet ablations. 

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On May 20, 2008, Timothy Balota, 31, was driving southbound on Interstate 55 in Collinsville, Ill., when traffic came to a stop approaching a construction zone near Route 157.  Collinsville is a near east side suburb of St. Louis.  A truck was stopped behind the plaintiff’s car when the semi-tractor-trailer driven by defendant Lewis Casey rear-ended the truck at 20-30 mph.  That crash triggered a chain reaction collision, which included five vehicles. 

At the time of the crash, Balota was on his way to have staples removed from a surgery necessitated by a life-threatening accident just 13 months earlier. 

As a result of the impact of this crash, Balota sustained cervical disc injuries at C5-6, C3-4 and C6-7 with future surgery recommended by his treating physician.  Balota also suffered aggravation of pre-existing conditions in his lumbar and thoracic spine. He claimed past and future lost time as a carpenter of $485,299. 

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On June 10, 2010, Jeffrey Glazer was driving southbound on Route 59 in Barrington Hills, Ill., when he was rear-ended by a car driven by the defendant Richard Cabrera near Bartlett Road.  Glazer said he had slowed to check traffic signs to determine the name of the intersecting street.  The force of the crash was heavy enough to knock both rear wheels off of Glazer’s car and break the rear axle, totaling his car.

Cabrera’s vehicle sustained $4,958 in property damage.  Glazer, 61 and an accountant, contended that the collision caused central disc herniations at L1-2, L4-5 and L5-S1.  He also claimed that he had bilateral lumbar radiculopathy and a cervical strain.  Glazer underwent numerous physical therapy procedures and chiropractic treatments, and his medical bills totaled $34,417.

The police report showed that the defendant Cabrera, 57 and a mechanic, told the investigating officer that he was distracted when his cell phone rang and when he looked up he didn’t have time to stop before he crashed his vehicle into the rear end of the Glazer car.

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On July 17, 2009, Kristen Henson was driving in the left lane of northbound Illinois Interstate 94 in West Deerfield Township when a car driven by the defendant, Steven Teeters, rear-ended her car.  Henson, 35, was a retail purchaser. She alleged in her lawsuit that the crash caused headaches and soft tissue injuries to her neck, lower back, tailbone and pelvic area injuries. 

The headaches and neck injury healed shortly after the crash, but Henson claimed that the low back, tailbone and pelvic injuries were permanent and continued to cause pain and limitations in her daily activities.

The defendant, Steven Teeters, admitted that before the collision his eyes were closed briefly and therefore he did not notice that Henson’s car was moving slowly or slowing down.  Teeters said that because he had his eyes closed he didn’t react fast enough to avoid the impact. Teeters admitted fault, but contested the nature, extent, duration and causation of Henson’s injuries.

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A Cook County jury signed a verdict of $38,681 related to an Aug. 13, 2010 rear-end car crash.  The plaintiff, Christina Pervomskaya, was stopped in a line of traffic on Waukegan Road in Glenview, Ill., when she was rear-ended by Sally Langan’s motor vehicle. 

Pervomskaya, 28, suffered a concussion, post-concussion syndrome, headaches and neck, back and shoulder strains. She worked as a dental hygienist and missed 4 days of work because of this incident.  The defendant, Langan, denied that Pervomskaya was injured to the extent that she claimed and that some of her medical care was not necessary.

Before trial, the demand to settle the case made by Pervomskaya’s counsel was $40,000.  The attorney asked the jury to return a verdict of $80,000.  The offer made by the defendant before trial was $45,000.

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On April 19, 2010, Frances Villarreal was stopped at a red light on eastbound 67th Street at Cicero Avenue in Chicago.  Villarreal was waiting to make a right turn when her car was rear-ended by the defendant, Cynthia Zaragoza.  The crash occurred during the morning rush hour.

Villarreal claimed that she suffered an aggravation of bulging discs at L4-5 and L5-S1, as well as a sacroiliac joint dysfunction, right shoulder sprain, thoracic/lumbar sprains and a right knee contusion.  Her medical bills totaled $12,163.

The defendant denied that she was negligent and claimed that Villarreal stopped suddenly and was holding a beverage. She also disputed the nature and extent of her claimed injuries and noted that photographs showed no damage to Zaragoza’s vehicle.  There were only minimal scratches to Villarreal’s car.

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