When it comes to helping victims of car accident injuries, Power Rogers & Smith, P.C. is very proud of our success record. Our Chicago auto accident attorneys help clients navigate through the complexities of car accident law in Illinois. Here are just some of the verdicts and settlements achieved for those with a Chicago auto accident injury:

Rev. D.W. v. Transamerica Leasing, Inc. No. 98 L 3127
No. 85 L 11905

Joseph A. Power, Jr.
Larry R. Rogers, Jr.

A record $100 million* out-of-court settlement was reached on behalf of J. and Rev. D.S.W. of the south side of Chicago. This is believed to be the largest personal injury settlement to a single family in the country. Rev. and Mrs. W., both age 50, were the parents of six children killed in a fiery van crash at approximately 10:30 a.m. after Rev. D. W. struck a piece of debris that was lying in the roadway. The debris turned out to be a mud flap/taillight assembly that detached from a truck's chassis and became lodged in the van's gas tank. Sparks from the assembly caused an explosion and/or fire, which engulfed the van and its occupants in flames. Rev. and Mrs. W. were burned, but narrowly escaped. Their six children perished in the fire.

The investigation into this case led to the exposure of the truck driver's license for bribes CDL scandal that has plagued the Secretary of State's office and has brought about 28 indictments and 14 convictions as of January 2000. It also caused the indictment of former Illinois Governor George Ryan. The $100 million* settlement represents the largest settlement for a single accident or individual family in Illinois history.

*Illinois' largest personal injury award for a single family

Estate of J.L. v. Active Transportation Company, L.L.C. No. 00 CV 8448

Joseph A. Power, Jr.

A 43-year-old male lawyer was driving with his wife and children when he slowed down due to construction on the highway in Lafayette, Indiana. A truck struck his car from behind, causing the vehicle to burst into flames. The lawyer sustained fatal injuries. His wife and two minor children survive him. His wife suffered facial fractures, a concussion, bone bruising, lacerations, and sprains. His daughter sustained second- and third-degree burns, requiring amputation of her left leg and the toes of her right foot. She also fractured multiple bones in her pelvis and fingers. The lawyer's son suffered second- and third-degree burns to his legs.

T.C. v. Union Pacific Railroad Co., et. al.

Larry R. Rogers, Sr.

A 71-year-old African-American man was injured on July 25, 1995 when a semi-tractor trailer owned by Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad Co. pulled from a stop sign at a T-intersection in Northlake in front of a truck traveling eastbound in which plaintiff was a passenger. He suffered a spinal cord injury which left him with incomplete paralysis in his arms and legs.

A.K and F.K v. Millennium Waste, Inc.

Todd A. Smith
Brian LaCien

A $3.75 million settlement has been reached on behalf of A.K., 38, and F.K., 38, of Davenport, Iowa in a case pending in Rock Island County, Illinois. This settlement was for the injuries sustained by A.K. when he was involved in a motor vehicle collision with a Millennium Waste, Inc. garbage truck on June 30, 2004. This settlement is believed to be the second-largest personal injury settlement in Rock Island County history. The only reported settlement to exceed this settlement was in another case handled by Todd A. Smith and Power Rogers & Smith, P.C. In this case, the defendant Millennium Waste, Inc. was represented by John Telleen of Lane & Waterman.

In January of 2004, six months prior to the accident, A.K. began to experience back and leg pain which was attributed to a bulging disc. In April 2004, he underwent a discectomy to treat the disc. After a discectomy, A.K. was relatively pain-free and he returned to his job as an accountant. On June 30, 2004, A.K. was rear-ended by a Millennium Waste, Inc. garbage truck in Rock Island, Illinois. After the accident, A.K.'s back and leg pain returned. To treat that pain, A.K. received months of physical therapy, multiple injections, and even underwent a second discectomy. However, none of the treatment relieved A.K.'s pain, and no diagnostic tests were able to identify the cause of his pain. Due to A.K.'s pain, and the medication he receives to alleviate his pain, A.K. has been unable to continue work as an accountant.

*Second-largest settlement in Rock Island County history

Estate of R.M., deceased v. Patterson, et. al., Cook County

Larry R. Rogers

On 04/04/02 R.M., the plaintiff decedent (41, single with no dependents) was employed as a postal worker and working at the time of this occurrence, when he exited a store in Broadview, Illinois and was struck and killed by an illegally parked van after it was struck by a cement truck driven by the defendant, K. Patterson, working for PF Materials/Action Concrete & Supplement and Carpenterville Quarry.

Estate of C. v. Falcon Transport Company

Joseph A. Power, Jr.
Brian LaCien

On the morning of September 2, 2004 a collision occurred on the Indiana Toll Road in Laporte County, Indiana between two semi-trailer trucks. One of the semi-trailer trucks, owned by Defendant Falcon Transport Co. and driven by one of its employees, was heading eastbound when it collided with a semi-trailer truck parked on the right shoulder of the eastbound lanes. It was alleged that the parked semi-trailer truck had a mechanical problem which caused its driver, Plaintiff, to pull over on the highway. The parked semi-trailer truck was owned by third-party Defendant, Roadco Transport Services, Inc. As a result of the collision, Plaintiff was killed while he was on the side of the road with the Roadco semi-trailer truck. Plaintiff's widow brought suit against Falcon alleging that her husband's death resulted from Falcon's negligence. Falcon filed a third-party complaint against Roadco. At the time of his death, Plaintiff left his wife and three children surviving him.

K. v. Paul R. Stowe, et. al.

Joseph A. Power, Jr.
Sean M. Houlihan

Plaintiff was driving northbound on Illinois Interstate 294. As she approached the Touhy Road Toll Plaza, her motor vehicle was in the left-hand northbound lane of traffic. Defendant was also northbound on I-294 in the far right-hand lane of traffic. Defendant was driving a rental truck under an insurance policy issued for Grecian Delight Foods, Inc. Defendant was driving to pick up a friend in Glenview, Illinois in order to travel down to Atlanta, Georgia for the purpose of selling Grecian Delight food at the Atlanta Olympic Games. The evidence showed that as Plaintiff maneuvered her motor vehicle into the center lane of northbound traffic, she was struck by Defendant's truck, which was also entering the center lane of northbound traffic. As a result of being rear-ended by Defendant's truck, Plaintiff's motor vehicle was propelled into the median wall. Plaintiff was knocked unconscious by the impact of the crash and was freed from her motor vehicle by emergency workers. Plaintiff suffered the following acute injuries: ruptured right eye requiring prosthetic implant, multiple facial fractures including fractured left maxilla, fractured left orbit, fractured right orbit, and multiple facial lacerations with subsequent scarring. Plaintiff's injuries required numerous surgeries. This case was settled after extensive motion and appellate practice.

K.H. v. Waste Management, Inc., et. al., No. 98 L 53 (DeKalb County)

Todd A. Smith
Joseph W. Balesteri

23-year-old male was killed when his motorcycle encountered power steering fluid which had leaked from a truck that had been negligently maintained. The sole heir in this wrongful death action was the decedent's daughter who was not born until six months after her dad's passing.

T.E. v. Ellickson, et al., U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois No. 07 CV 3446

Joseph A. Power, Jr.

On January 7, 2007, T.E. was operating a vehicle in which his wife, W.E., was a passenger en route to a family funeral in Ohio. The E. vehicle was traveling on I-75 in Indiana near mile marker 138 when traffic in front of the vehicle was coming to a stop. T.E. stopped their vehicle in response to the traffic and then it was rear-ended by a semi-tractor trailer driven by Stephen F. Ellickson which then proceeded to strike another semi-tractor trailer. The semi-tractor trailer driven by Stephen F. Ellickson was owned by Schneider National Carriers, Inc., and the trailer was owned by General Electric Capital Corporation.

T.E. died at the scene of the accident. W.E. suffered fractured radial and ulnar shafts, fractured and bruised ribs, and an intra-cranial hemorrhage.

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Need help with your Chicago car accident injury? Contact Power Rogers & Smith, P.C. at 312-236-9381. Whenever a client seeks justice, we are there to help.