In February 2023, a Chicago man became the recipient of the largest settlement award in the history of civil lawsuits filed in Illinois. The case involved a tragic accident at a 7-Eleven convenience store that left the plaintiff in critical condition. According to court documents, the accident dates back to 2017, and it required the amputation of the plaintiff’s legs above the knee.
The judge assigned to this case, which is the kind that a Joliet personal injury attorney handles, approved the record-breaking $91 million settlement that 7-Eleven and the plaintiff negotiated. The legal argument was based on the liability presented by the way 7-Eleven parking lots are designed in relation to the storefront. The plaintiff’s legal team was able to obtain more than a decade’s worth of accident reports and investigations conducted by loss prevention specialists employed by 7-Eleven, and this is how the legal argument was framed.
In the civil complaint against 7-Eleven, the plaintiff argued that the area between the storefront and the parking spaces provided little to no protection to patrons and pedestrians. Over the course of 15 years, more than 6,000 accidents at 7-Eleven locations across the United States have involved cars crashing into storefronts; the injuries and damages caused by these accidents could have been prevented or at least mitigated with the installation of concrete bollards. The case was settled just a day before it would have been docketed for a jury trial.
If you are thinking about taking legal action after an accident, then feel free to contact Block, Klukas, Manzella & Shell, P.C., a Joliet personal injury attorney that helps clients across Illinois.
