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Cook County Jury Orders Illinois City of Cicero to Pay $7.5 Million for Laborer's Wrongful Death

In Cook County, a jury awarded $7.5 million to the family of a man that died after being pinned to the back of a police car. 39-year-old Eduardo Godinez died in 2003 after he was pinned against the back of a Cicero police car in a motor vehicle crash involving a drunk driver. The Illinois wrongful death lawsuit named the city of Cicero as the defendant in the case.

Cicero police had arrived at the scene to break up an altercation that Godinez was involved in. The police officers told Godinez to step off the sidewalk, onto the street, and behind one of the police cars, but they did not turn on their vehicle's emergency lights.

Motorist Luis Contreras, who was drunk driving an SUV at a speed of about 74 mph, struck a jeep before hitting Godinez, who ended up pinned against the police car. Both of his legs were severed and he died the following day.

Wrongful Death
A death can qualify as a wrongful death if the victim would have been entitled to personal injury compensation had he or she survived the accident. In Illinois, the immediate family members of a decedent can file a wrongful death lawsuit if the person that died was killed because of another party?s negligence. Under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act, you have two years from the date of death to file a lawsuit.

Pedestrian Injuries
Pedestrians injured in motor vehicle accidents are prone to serious?even fatal?injuries, including severed limbs, burn injuries, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and death. Our Chicago wrongful death lawyers can determine whether a driver or another negligent party caused your loved one?s wrongful death. There may be more than one liable party.

Common causes of pedestrian accidents:

? Driver inattention
? Faulty traffic signs
? Drunk driving
? Speeding
? Defective motor vehicles

Cicero ordered to pay $7.5 million in wrongful-death suit, ChicagoTribune.com, July 11, 2008

Illinois Wrongful Death Act

Related Web Resource:

City of Cicero, Illinois

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on July 22, 2008 (boomark / email).