Illinois personal injury

This Illinois personal injury lawsuit involves an 80 year old woman who was seriously injured at a Target store in Rosemont Illinois in 2007. According to news reports, Claire Putnam was knocked to ground and hit her head when a Target store's automatic door malfunctioned. The door opened, but then closed again – hitting her on the head a second time. She was taken to Lutheran General Hospital and diagnosed with a subdural hematoma – a collection of blood on the surface of the brain.

Doctors performed a craniotomy, a surgical procedure in which a section of the skull is removed to access the brain underneath and then replaced after the procedure with tiny plates and screws. The injury left her with cognitive defects and she was forced to live in a nursing home. Prior to the accident, she had been a spry woman who cared for her 59 year old special needs daughter.

She hired a Chicago personal injury lawyer and filed a lawsuit against Target and the door manufacturer, Besam USA. The parties settled the matter for $7 million – which is a record settlement for this type of injury in Cook County.

Personal injury lawsuit damages

Damages in a personal injury lawsuit differ depending upon the facts and circumstances of the situation. However, the following damages are possible in Illinois: past and future medical expenses, past and future loss of earnings, pain and suffering, emotional anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, disability, disfigurement, loss of consortium (loss of spousal companionship and services), punitive damages and more.

An experienced Illinois personal injury attorney will be able to analyze your situation and determine what types of damages you might be entitled to. However, don't wait to contact an attorney as Illinois's statute of limitations to file a personal injury lawsuit is generally only two years from the date of the accident.