Motor Car Accidents in Chicago and Illinois: another tragic case of a pedestrian and a speeding motor vehicle. I just published an article last Tuesday (myaccidentlaw.com) about a Joliet man who received a large verdict after he was hit and injured by a Joliet police car in hot pursuit of a suspect.. Now the Chicago City Council Finance Committee has approved paying $6.5 million to settle a lawsuit stemming from the death of an 8 year old boy and the personal injury of an 11 year old girl who suffered a fractured skull and hearing loss for four months.
The plaintiffs were crossing Grand Avenue near Kildare in 2004 when they were hit by an unmarked police car in pursuit with lights and sirens. The police officer stated that he saw a man in a motor vehicle point a gun at someone on the sidewalk. Unfortunately for the officer, there were no witnesses to corroborate his story and a police investigation failed to locate either the car or the driver. The fact that there were no witnesses and the officer did not obtain approval for pursuit from a superior proved to be dispositive factors in the large award.
As South Chicago Accident Lawyers, we know the dangers to innocent bystanders, pedestrian, cyclists and drivers, from hot pursuit. Speeding police officers in pursuit of suspects are trying to protect the public at large but courts grapple with deciding when the pursuit of a suspect necessitates the use of speed and force which endangers innocent bystanders.
The Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys at Grazian and Volpe (now Lloyd Miller Law) sympathize with police officers on this issue and are dedicated to protecting and advocating for the innocent victims who are personally harmed and injured. We monitor all Illinois and national lawsuits in this particular area involving car accidents and all motor vehicle accidents to understand the factors and holdings which are to the best advantage of plaintiffs. Ultimately, we are all paying for criminal activity and it is unfortunate that it causes personal injury, emotional distress and even death to the innocent and those trying to protect them.
