Corboy & Demetrio's $10.5 Million Police Chase Verdict Affirmed on Appeal
The Illinois Supreme Court has denied further review of Corboy & Demetrio's $10.5 million jury verdict, which now, with post judgment interest and costs, results in the City of Chicago paying over $12.48 million to the representative of the estate of a 61-year-old Illinois man.
A Cook County jury had awarded $10,500,000 to the family of a man that died during a reckless police chase on the northside. Then Illinois Appellate Court, First District, had issued an opinion affirming the verdict last year. Now, the Illinois Supreme Court has denied the City of Chicago's request for further review of the verdict.
The family will now receive the full verdict value plus nearly $2,000,000 of interest that has been earned during the appellate process. In 2023, Corboy & Demetrio obtained a Cook County jury verdict of $10.5 million in the death of a 61-year-old Chicago man who was killed during a police chase that took place in the early morning hours on April 13, 2018.
The crash occurred while three Chicago Police Department officers were pursuing a motorist for a traffic violation without contacting their supervisors on the radio, in violation of police and city policy. The decedent was survived by three adult children and his wife, all who testified during the seven-day trial.
With their verdict, jurors rejected the City's argument that the three officers in the unmarked vehicle did not violate the City's rules and procedures governing police chases. Judgment was entered against the City by the Honorable Bridget J. Hughes.
After trial, the City appealed. In affirming the jury's verdict, The Appellate Court "agree[d] with the trial court that plaintiff's willful and wanton claim against the City was not a claim 'based on negligence' subject to apportionment under section 2-1117."
Thus, the Appellate Court held that the trial court correctly denied the City's request to ask the jury to apportion fault between the driver of the pursued vehicle and the City. The appellate court also found that the granting of Corboy & Demetrio's motion to bar the jury from hearing evidence that the driver of the pursued car was driving a stolen vehicle "was entirely reasonable."
The City requested that the Illinois Supreme Court review the case. The Illinois Supreme Court has now denied that petition, clearing the way for final resolution of the matter.
Corboy & Demetrio Partner William T. Gibbs, who tried the case to verdict and successfully defended the verdict throughout the appeals, said, "Eight and a half years after the Lam family needlessly lost the pillar of their family, their tragic loss will be remedied."
