In a recent Chicago product defect case, the pace of settlement negotiations were perhaps hastened because in November 2008 the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that defendants in negligence suits who settle prior to trial, should not be named on jury verdict forms for the purpose of apportioning liability (Ready v. United/Goedecke Services, Inc., et al., WL 5046833).
The recent Illinois product liability case involved involving a punch press operator and settled for over $5 million. Both of the worker’s arms were amputated after a punch press malfunctioned and part of the machine crushed both arms.
Seven years ago a U.S. District Court judge approved a $1.1 million settlement in this same Illinois product defect case, which released one of the manufacturers of the machine that caused the injury. However, the case wasn’t over as there two remaining manufacturer parties still involved in the Illinois product liability case.