The defendant Adolyne Dolmer was driving northbound on I-394 in Sauk Village, Ill., when she ran the red light at Sauk Trail Road and T-boned the eastbound car of Megan and Todd Bishop. The Bishops are husband and wife. The impact was on the passenger side of the Bishop car.
The Bishops alleged in their lawsuit that the crash was heavy, that it spun their car almost 360 degrees and totaled their vehicle. Megan, age 34, was in the front passenger seat and suffered injuries to her cervical facet joints in her neck with accompanying headaches and radiating symptoms down her left arm. She claimed permanency for the remainder of her life expectancy of 41.9 years. She was treated with 14 injections and 2 radiofrequency neurotomy procedures, designed to kill the nerves in the cervical facets. She also underwent physical therapy and pain medicine.
Todd Bishop, who was driving, claimed loss of consortium for his wife’s injuries and no other damages.
The defendant, Adolyne Dolmer, age 78, argued that Megan at most had a soft tissue whiplash injury. Dolmer said the support for that was the test results for Megan that were all normal. In addition, Dolmer maintained that Megan’s complaints were subjective, her medical treatment over the past six years was sporadic and only $3,000 to $4,000 of her medical expenses were associated with this crash. Because of health problems, Dolmer did not attend the jury trial.
Before the case was tried, the demand to settle was $100,000, which was the defendant’s insurance policy limits. The offer to settle the case by Dolmer’s attorney was $10,000.
The jury’s verdict of $34,800 to Megan Bishop was made up of the following damages:
- $20,000 for past pain and suffering;
- $10,000 for medical expenses;
- $4,800 for lost wages;
- $0 for future pain and suffering;
- $0 for loss of normal life.
In addition, the jury found that Todd Bishop had not suffered any loss of consortium on his claim.
The attorney for the Bishops was Christopher Theisen.
Megan Bishop and Todd Bishop v. Adolyne Dolmer, No. 09 L 9869 (Cook County, Illinois).
Kreisman Law Offices has been handling automobile accidents, bicycle crashes and motorcycle 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 37 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Arlington Heights, Salk Village, Morton Grove, Niles, River Forest, Glen Ellyn, Forest Park, Park Ridge, Chicago (Roscoe Village), Chicago (Andersonville), Libertyville and Highland Park, Ill.
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