Bicycle Crash With Cab Driver Ends With Cook County Jury Verdict

A Cook County jury entered a $4,268 jury verdict for Jonathan Mischo, who was riding his bicycle eastbound on Belle Plaine Avenue in Chicago when he was struck by the car driven by the defendant, Dawit Tekeste, who was driving a southbound taxi cab at the intersection of Belle Plaine and Clarendon.  Mischo suffered a sprained left wrist and aggravation of chronic headaches. Tekeste maintained that Mischo was traveling through a stop sign, didn’t stop and entered the intersection when the collision took place.

The attorney for Mischo, Bryan O’Connor Jr., asked the jury to return a verdict of $117,000.  The offer to settle the case before trial was $4,500.

The jury’s verdict of $8,535 was reduced by 50%, which the jury found was the contributory negligence of Mischo.  The total verdict of $4,268 was made up of the following damages:

  • $4,268 for medical expenses.

The jury was asked a special interrogatory which was: “Was the negligence of Jonathan Mischo a proximate cause of any injuries claimed by Mischo?”  And the answer was:  “Yes.”  “If yes, was the negligence of Jonathan Mischo more than 50% of the proximate cause of any injuries claimed by Jonathan Mischo?”  Answer:  “No.”  In response to the jury’s answers to the special interrogatories, the jury’s verdict was reduced by one-half .

Jonathan Mischo v. Dawit Tekeste and Habtom Inc., 12 L 2260 (Cook County, Ill.).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling bicycle accident cases, car crashes and truck accidents for individuals and families who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of another for more than 38 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Lemont, Romeoville, Oak Park, Elmwood Park, Melrose Park, Franklin Park, Schiller Park, Schaumburg, Berkeley, Chicago (Lawndale, Little Village, Chinatown, Little Italy, Greek Town, Roscoe Village, Albany Park, Sauganash, North Park, Ravenswood, Rose Hill, Andersonville, Uptown), Des Plaines, Rolling Meadows, Mount Prospect and Northbrook , Ill.

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