In a one-day trial in Tazewell County, Ill., a jury decided in favor of a plaintiff who suffered soft-tissue injuries to his neck and back. The plaintiff, Marshall Canfield, had no broken bones; however, in a straightforward trial, the jury awarded $46,074 made up of the following damages: • $22,500…
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which is a division of the United States Department of Transportation, has requested that “black boxes,” electronic data recorders or electronic on-board recording devices found in trucks and cars, should have the capacity to monitor a truck driver’s hours behind the wheel. The…
In a close case decided by the Illinois Appellate Court, Third District, defendant Will County Washington Township was held responsible for injuries suffered by occupants of an automobile in an accident that was alleged to have been caused by Washington Township roadway construction. In this case, Ricky Robinson Sr. allegedly…
In this case, the defendant, Dale Levan, admitted liability for an auto accident that left a woman, Denise Ponto, injured. The verdict on damages was $585,174, but the defendant had only $100,000 in liability insurance. The plaintiff tried to collect the rest of the money from the city of Dixon,…
Most of us assume that when we rent a car, the vehicle has been inspected and is safe for us to drive. Unfortunately, some car rental agencies have made cars available to customers even after these vehicles have been recalled for safety reasons. Now a move is under way in…
A Chicago man has been awarded $558,474 by a Cook County jury stemming from an injury he sustained while a passenger in a vehicle that was rear-ended by another car. The impact was so great that the seat in which he was riding was broken in half. The verdict was…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued an advisory to pedestrians after statistics showed pedestrian fatalities rose by 4 percent in 2010 relative to their levels in 2009. The report notes that 4,280 pedestrians died in 2010, up from 4,109 in 2009. Another 70,000 pedestrians were injured in traffic…
All of us have seen ambulances speed through intersections, their sirens blaring and lights flashing in an effort to warn other motorists. Now the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that an ambulance driver cannot be held liable if a collision occurs with another vehicle. Citing an immunity law, the high…
We once thought that the most dangerous behaviors among teen drivers were drunk driving or failure to wear seatbelts. Now we know that using a cell phone — either talking on the phone or texting — represents a similarly grave threat when teens get behind the wheel. A recent study…
Eleven-year-old A.J. was injured in an automobile crash and was taken for treatment to St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates. The bills that were sent by the hospital to the boy’s parents featured the crest of Alexian Brothers Catholic order and, in large font, the name “Alexian Brothers.” Below…