Cook County SUV Crash Results in Illinois Personal Injury Claim on Behalf of Two Restaurant Customers

A recent Cook County personal injury verdict stands out from other Illinois auto accident cases due to its somewhat peculiar case facts. The Illinois personal injury claim was made on behalf of two men injured while sitting at the counter of Gold Coast Dogs, a Chicago-style hot dog chain. The plaintiffs were eating when a SUV crashed into the fast food chain’s window, striking the surprised plaintiffs.

As a result of the Illinois auto accident, one of the plaintiffs sustained a fractured ankle that required exploratory surgery and the other Cook County plaintiff suffered a non-displaced fibula fracture.

While it is certainly strange enough when a vehicle crashes into a building, in this Illinois personal injury claim the circumstances get even stranger. The SUV not only crashed through the window of the restaurant, but first crashed through a pedestrian gate as it was exiting a garage and then continued across the street and jumped the curb before crashing into the plaintiffs.

The strange circumstances are perhaps what led the defense to attempt to claim that the accident was caused by an “act of God”. Apparently the defendant had fainted immediately before the crash and the defense argued that this freed him from liability for the resulting injuries to both plaintiffs.

However, the plaintiffs contended that the driver was negligent because he had failed to heed and respond to warning signs of his impending fainting prior to the Illinois car crash. It appears that the Cook County jury agreed with the plaintiffs and awarded over $400,000 between the two parties. As a driver you are responsible for your actions when behind the wheel of a vehicle and are liable for any harm that results from negligence on your part.

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling Illinois personal injury lawsuits for over 30 years, serving those areas in and around Cook County, including Chicago, Schaumburg, Lisle, and Deer Park.