Illinois Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

The Illinois Supreme court reversed a $43,000,000 verdict against Ford Motor company citing the lack of sufficient evidence in a fuel tank explosion that killed one person and severely burned another.

Dora Mae Jablosnki and her husband John, were awarded $28,000,000 in compensatory damages and $15,000,000 in punitive damages by a Madison Country jury in 2005. The Jablonskis were rear-ended at high speeds in a construction zone.

The Jablonski's were driving a 1993 Lincoln Town car. The impact caused a pipe wrench in the trunk of the Jablonski's car to penetrate the trunk and puncture the gas tank which caused the tank to burst into flames. John Jablonski was killed in the accident and Dora Mae was severely burned.

Jablonski's attorneys claim that Ford's design of the car was negligent and failed to warn buyers of the risk.

Ford claims that moving the tank forward would eliminate the rear-wheel drive and body on frame construction of the car, making it a totally different car.

The original verdict was upheld by the Appeals court but the reversal by the Illinois Supreme Court was unanimous.

Toyota car company as committed $1,000,000 to assist the groth of Buckle Up For Life which originated in Ohio, Kentucky and California. The program will no extend to Illinois Colorado and Texas by 2012.

The program was born by the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center to help Hispanic and African American families injured or killed in car accidents.

Dr. Rebeccah L. Brown, associate director of trauma services and the director of the program said that the program was created because of the disproportionate number of African American and Hispanic children being treated the medical center with severe accident related injuries. "This disparity was unacceptable and we knew we had to do something about it."

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The estate of Janice DiCosolo, 38, was awarded more than $16.5 million Monday by a Cook County jury. DiCosolo was using a prescribed pain patch which lead to her death on Feb. 15, 2004.

Alza Corp. and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, manufactured and distributed the patch.

According to her attorney, F. John Cushing, DiCosolo's physician prescribed the patch. DiCosolo was suffering from regional pain syndrome. The patch was supposed to release the medication gradually over a period of three days. Instead, the patch delivered a lethal dose of fentanyl into DiCosolo's system at a rate of 16 times higher than it should have.

Fentanyl is a powerful opiate which is often used in prescribed pain medications.

According to a news realease, Alza Corp and Janssen recalled the patch a day after DiCosolo's death.

A CTA bus was rear-ended this morning at the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Blue Island Avenue, injuring 20 people. Another car reportedly careened off the road to avoid the crash and drove into a fence.

Passengers were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. Also injured in the accident were the driver of the two other vehicles. The driver of the car that rear-ended the bus was reported to be in serious condition.

According to CTA spokesperson, Katelyn Thrall, the bus was stopped at the intersection. At the time of the collision, there were 30 passengers on the bus. The driver was also injured.

Police do not know why the driver crashed into the back of the bus.

A civil lawsuit was filed last month in Cook County against the county seeking damages for the family of Nicholas Grossi, 25, of Addision, who committed suicide in the Cook County jail. Grossi who had a little more than a week left in the facility, tied his bed sheet to the top bunk and tied the other end around his neck, then sat on the floor, obstructing his airway and taking his own life.

Grossi's family says that Grossi suffered from clinical depression, and was taking Xanax prior to his arrest. Grossi who was serving a two week sentence on drug charges, was not allowed by Cook County jail officials to take his medications. Grossi's family contacted officials on Dec. 31, 2007 telling them that Grossi needed his medication. Grossi was found dead less than 24 hours later

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A Chicago woman shopping at a local toy store was injured when a box fell of a shelf landing on her head. She sustained neck injuries which required physical therapy. The toy store’s insurance company refused to settle and a lawsuit was filed against the toy store.

At trial it was proven that the employee of the store was negligent in stacking the merchandise onto the store shelves. The improperly stacked shelf caused the merchandise to fall and hit the woman in the head.

The woman was awarded $20,0000 for her injuries.

Donald W. Fohrman & Associates, Ltd. was the attorney for the injury victim.