$17.6 Million Verdict for Man Left Incomplete Quadriplegic in Unauthorized Chicago Police Pursuit
Won by Romanucci & Blandin.
A Cook County jury returned a $17,682,374 verdict for Vernon Hudson after an off-duty Chicago police officer pursuing a homicide suspect without supervisor authorization lost control of her squad car and slammed into Hudson's vehicle on the Eisenhower Expressway, leaving him an incomplete quadriplegic.
What happened
On the evening of May 7, 2001, Vernon Hudson was traveling on the Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago when Officer Sung Joo Lee, responding to a radio call about a homicide suspect, joined the pursuit in her squad car. Officer Lee had not received direct authorization from a supervisor before entering the chase. Her vehicle spun 135 degrees and struck Hudson's car in the rear left quarter panel at approximately 8:50 p.m.
The impact caused Hudson's vehicle to roll over multiple times. The crash left Hudson an incomplete quadriplegic, a catastrophic and permanent injury affecting all four limbs. He faced a lifetime of medical care, lost earning capacity, and severe physical limitations.
Romanucci and Blandin filed suit against the City of Chicago in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Case No. 01 L 6424, before Judge Irwin Solganick. The firm's theory centered on the City's liability for Officer Lee's conduct: she had joined a high-speed pursuit without the required supervisory approval, and her lack of authorization placed her outside the scope of protected emergency driving.
On March 21 and 23, 2005, the jury returned a verdict of $17,682,374.05, itemized as $9,000,000 for pain and suffering, $6,000,000 for disability, $2,070,374.05 for lost earnings, and $612,000 for medical expenses. The City of Chicago appealed.
In December 2007, the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, affirmed the verdict in full, No. 1-05-2822. The court's opinion names Stephan D. Blandin and Antonio Romanucci as plaintiff's counsel.
Sources
This account is drawn from contemporaneous public reporting and the court record.
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