489,000 Cook County Verdict for Delivery Man Hit by Car in Parking Lot

In September 2008, Robert Jones, a delivery man bringing pizza dough to the Pizza Hut restaurant in South Elgin, Ill., was hit by a Pizza Hut employee. Mr. Jones was delivering pizza dough on a loaded dolly through the parking lot heading toward the restaurant’s back door when he was hit by Bibiana Bojorge, who was on her way to deliver a pizza.

Jones, 41, sustained a leg fracture that required surgery. He also will require a knee replacement surgery in the future.

The defendant argued at the trial that Mr. Jones had pizza dough stacked up too high on his dolly, so he was not able to see in front of him. The defendant contended that Mr. Jones ran into the car driven by the 19-year-old pizza delivery driver.

Mr. Jones is now a police officer.

The lawsuit brought by the plaintiff was against the pizza delivery driver and Pizza Hut of America, Inc. The jury’s $489,364 verdict was reduced by 5 percent and made up of the following specific damages:
• $69,345 for past medical expenses;
• $60,000 for future medical expenses;
• $100,000 for past pain and suffering;
• $200,000 for future pain and suffering;
• $15,000 for past lost of normal life;
• $10,000 for future loss of normal life; and
• $60,775 for lost income.

The attorney for Robert Jones was Thomas M. Lake of Dudley and Lake. Before trial, a demand of $500,000 was made, and counsel for Jones asked the jury to return a verdict of $950,000. The offer to settle by the defendants was $150,000.

Robert Jones v. Bibiana Bojorge and Pizza Hut of America, Inc., 10 L 10349 (Cook County).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling automobile crashes, truck accidents and injury cases for individuals and families for more than 36 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Lincolnwood, Chicago (Humboldt Park), Berkeley, Calumet City, Highland Park, Geneva, Joliet, Cicero, Chicago (Back of the Yards) and Aurora, Ill.