$461,000 Jury Verdict for Multiple Injuries Suffered in Car Crash Caused by Distracted Driver

Robert Frederickson, 39, was a passenger in a vehicle that was being driven by his wife near their apartment complex. Cecilia Martin, a Special Occasions Catering employee, was driving an SUV when she reached for her phone in her purse causing her to rear-end the Fredericksons’ stopped car.

Martin, who was stunned by the crash, allegedly pressed the SUV’s accelerator striking the Fredericksons’ car a second time. As Frederickson attempted to exit the vehicle, Martin struck it a third time causing it to move for a distance before reaching a stop.

Frederickson suffered multiple injuries in this crash including left sacroiliitis, a disk herniation at L4, and a left labral tear.

His medical expenses were nearly $34,000. He was a law enforcement officer who had been physical active. He is no longer able to perform that type of work.

He sued Martin and her employer, Specials Occasions Catering, under an agency. He alleged that she had negligently failed to control the SUV and caused the collision by reaching for her purse and taking her eyes off of the road. The defendants admitted liability but disputed the amount of Frederickson’s damages. The jury signed a verdict for $461,200 plus fees and costs.

The attorneys representing Frederickson were David L. Crump, Tera L. Eubanks and Edward Harper.

At trial, the Frederickson attorneys presented experts in vocational rehabilitation and economics. The defendants presented experts in orthopedic surgery, vocational rehabilitation and economics.

Frederickson v. Martin, No. 2015-2-03122-8 (Wash. Super. Ct. King County).

For more than 40 years, Kreisman Law Offices has been handling car crash cases, rear-end collision cases, motorcycle accident lawsuits, bicycle accident lawsuits and truck accident cases for individuals, families and loved ones who have been injured, harmed or killed by the carelessness or negligence of others, in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Barrington, Lake Forest, River Forest, Forest Park, Crestwood, Cary, Crystal Lake, Gurnee, Round Lake Beach, Naperville, St. Charles, Aurora, Zion, Highland Park, Morton Grove, Niles, Chicago (South Shore, East Garfield Park, North Lawndale, Englewood, Austin, Gresham, Back of the Yards, Logan Square), Tinley Park, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, Bolingbrook and Lynwood, Ill.