Personal Injury Law

Chicago wrongful death lawsuit filed in hit and run death

The family of a South Side Chicago wrongful death victim has filed an Illinois wrongful death lawsuit against the man who has been charged in connection with the death. The Cook County wrongful death lawsuit was filed last week in Cook County Circuit Court and accuses the charged driver with negligence in the February death of the wrongful death victim, a 59 year-old Chicago woman.

In the criminal case, Cook County prosecutors allege that the driver was operating a late model Dodge that struck and killed the 59 year-old Chicago wrongful death victim as she was crossing the intersection of 69th Street and Halsted Street. Chicago police say that video surveillance footage from the area, including red light camera footage, led them to the alleged driver. The driver, who is from Chicago, has been charged with felony reckless homicide and failure to report an accident resulting in the death of another person. The driver remains in Cook County jail on $350,000 bail. The Chicago wrongful death lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the driver.

Legally, wrongful death means a death that has been caused by the fault of another person. In addition to the hit-and-run described above, other examples of wrongful deaths may be deaths caused by the manufacture of a defective or dangerous product, the construction of an unsound structure or building, or failing to diagnose a fatal disease. Wrongful death lawsuits, like the Cook County wrongful death lawsuit described above, are usually filed by family members or beneficiaries of the decedent.

More information about the Illinois hit-and-run lawsuit is available here.

Full post as published by Illinois Injury Lawyer Blog on April 05, 2010 (boomark / email).