Doe, age 7, was riding in a van operated by his classmate’s mother. As the van entered an intersection that was controlled by a traffic light, Roe, an employee of a contracting company, collided with the van, which caused it to strike a telephone pole. Both Doe and his classmates…
Chicago Injury Lawyer Blog
Illinois Appellate Court Reverses Good Faith Finding in Wrongful Death, Joint Tortfeasor Contribution Act Lawsuit
On April 27, 2017, Kevin Hartley was working for his uncle, Tony Hartley, at Hartley’s Painting. Hartley was refinishing the bathtub at an apartment complex in Nashville, Tenn. While on the job, Kevin was wearing a respirator mask and gloves but was overcome by fumes from the NAPCO White Lighting…
$1.2 Million Settlement Reached in Failure to Yield Right of Way
Maria Lezcano, 43, was driving through an intersection when an SUV driven by Grace Coleman struck the passenger side of Lezcano’s car. Ms. Lezcano suffered herniated disks at C4-5, C5-6, L3-4, L4-5, all of which necessitated pain management, chiropractic care and surgery. Lezcano continues to suffer ongoing neck and back…
$765,000 and $498,500 Settlements Reached in Flatbed Trailer Truck Crash Caused by Faulty Brakes
Steven Parker was an employee of Black Toppers Inc. when he was driving on Interstate 95 in a Black Toppers truck pulling a loaded flatbed trailer owned by Sam’s Paving. Parker lost control of his truck, which swerved to the right, and over-corrected, which led to him crashing through the…
U.S. District Court Rejects Defendant’s Causation Defense in Tractor-Trailer Death Case
James Archibald was a diabetes patient who had called his wife to say he was coming home from work early because he was feeling ill. Archibald was driving along a westbound rural road in southern Illinois at about 9 p.m. Suddenly, he encountered a hazard: A tractor-trailer owned by Orbit…
Illinois Appellate Court Finds Limited Liability Company Co-Owner is Entitled to Prejudgment Interest and Share Interest Under the Illinois Limited Liability Company Act
Michael Maschmeyer was the co-owner of Chicago Roof, Deck and Garden LLC (CRDG) with 42.5% of the interest in the company. Darren Flynn and Tomasz Bartosiewicz owned the remaining 57.5% interest in the company. Flynn and Maschmeyer had been partners for several landscaping and real estate development businesses in the…
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Decides Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claim
ABC Acquisition Co.’s breach of fiduciary duty claim was brought against James Trausche, the former president of Aetna Bearing Co. Trausche’s business assets were acquired by ABC. This issue of law presented a question of first impression under Illinois law about an officer’s obligations to a successor corporation. After ABC…
$5.17 Million Settlement Reached for Catastrophic Injury to an Electrician at Construction Site
Mr. Doe, a 44-year-old electrician, was hired by a general contractor to perform electrical work at a housing development project. When Mr. Doe stepped on the mid-rail of a temporary guardrail, installed to provide fall protection on a second-story landing, the mid-rail collapsed. It had been joined with just one…
Illinois Appellate Court Reverses Judgment in Favor of Plaintiff Based Upon an Admission of Negligence Under the Theory of Agency
In a 2-1 decision, the Illinois Appellate Court reversed a judgment that resulted in a $1 million verdict in punitive damages and a $163,327 in compensatory damages. The suit was brought against Pan-Oceanic Engineering Co. for reckless conduct that allegedly caused a motor vehicle crash, injuring Fletcher McQueen. It was…
$21.5 Million Jury Verdict in Rear-End Collision at Railroad Crossing
Jose Maclovio, an 18-year-old farmworker, was riding home in a van driven by Ramiro Tadeo-Lazaaro. A vehicle driven by Craig Brewer rear-ended the van as it was stopped at a railroad crossing. Maclovio suffered a burst fracture at C5, which required an emergency surgery. Sadly, despite this treatment, Maclovio suffered…