In April 2010, the plaintiffs Rose Schurer and Andrea DeVivo were driving westbound on Lawrence Avenue in Norridge, Ill., when an oncoming van crossed the center line and struck their vehicle. The eastbound van was driven by the defendant, 56-year-old Pawel Pawlowska. The plaintiff, Schurer, suffered four fractures in her…
Chicago Injury Lawyer Blog
Congress’s 1997 Act Limits Amtrak’s Payout to Crash Victims to $200 Million
In the aftermath of the recent Philadelphia Amtrak derailment, which cost the lives of eight individuals and severely injured more than 200, it came to light that the U.S. Congress had passed an act in 1997 to limit or cap Amtrak’s total payouts to train crash victims to $200 million.…
U.S. Court of Appeals Finds No Personal Jurisdiction in Illinois Under the Minimum State Contacts Analysis
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago has found an Illinois resident did not establish the minimum state contacts for a case to be heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago. William Kipp purchased a ski ticket at Devil’s…
$162,500 Cook County Jury Verdict when Two Cabs Collide in Chicago’s Loop, Injuring Passenger
On March 11, 2011, Veronica Thomas was a passenger in a taxi cab heading eastbound on Jackson Boulevard in Chicago’s Loop when the defendant cab ran a red light on southbound State Street and struck the plaintiff’s cab, which she was riding in. As a result of the crash, Thomas,…
Deadly Truck Crash Involving Comedian Tracy Morgan and Others Settled for Undisclosed Amount
Tracy Morgan, the actor/comedian, has settled his lawsuit against Walmart. In June 2014, Morgan and three others were involved in a truck crash on the New Jersey Turnpike when their limousine was struck by a Walmart truck. Morgan’s close friend and mentor, James “Jimmy Mack” McNair was killed. Morgan suffered…
June 15, 2015 Marks the 800th Anniversary of the Great Charter, the Magna Carta, Which Was Signed and Sealed by England’s King John on That Date
The United States Constitution and the Illinois Constitution have to credit many key provisions and the foundation of American laws and freedoms to the June 15, 1215 signing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede, England, by then King John of England. The origin of the 13th century Magna Carta began…
Illinois Appellate Court Determines Statement Falls within the Hearsay Exception Under Illinois Rules of Evidence 803
The Illinois Appellate Court for the 1st District has reversed and remanded a case decided in the Circuit Court of Cook County. In August 2011, Virginia Jahrke arrived at the health club belonging to Capital Fitness Inc. for her usual one-hour training session. After she finished her session, she went…
Takata Agrees to Recall 33.8 Million Defective Airbags
Takata Corp. is headquartered in Japan and manufactures millions of airbags installed in American vehicles. The company has agreed to recall 33.8 million airbags. That number doubles the already massive recall. A consent agreement was entered into between Takata and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There is a…
$7.25 Million Jury Verdict for Worker Killed on Highway Shoulder
Daniel DiNardi was a State Department of Transportation supervisor who was pulling his orange Department of Transportation pickup truck onto the right shoulder of a highway to remove debris. Before getting out of his truck, he activated the emergency lights and yellow strobe lights on his truck. After he placed…
Settlement Confirmed by Illinois Appellate Court Where Trial Judge’s Recollection of Pre-trial Agreement Was Clear
The Illinois Appellate Court for the 1st District has affirmed a trial court’s decision regarding a settlement. Gary Hines and Lisa O’Rourke were in Chicago visiting Hines’s father, Norman, near the end of 2012. As the visit was ending, Norman drove the two to the airport. When they arrived, Norman…