Cook Co. jury awards Valparaiso couple $43.8M in semi injury suit

Keywords damages / Illinois / Valparaiso
  • Print
Listen to this story

Subscriber Benefit

As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
This audio file is brought to you by
0:00
0:00
Loading audio file, please wait.
  • 0.25
  • 0.50
  • 0.75
  • 1.00
  • 1.25
  • 1.50
  • 1.75
  • 2.00
fees
IL file photo

An Illinois jury has awarded a Valparaiso couple $43.8 million for injuries suffered in a 2016 semi crash.

Cynthia Kroft suffered a spinal cord injury in the crash at the intersection of the Indiana Toll Road and State Road 49 in Chesterton, leaving her partially paralyzed, according to a press release from Allen Law Group, which represented the couple.

The jury awarded her $38.8 in damages, including $10 million for the “loss of normal life reasonably certain to be experienced in the future,” and $9.5 million for expected future medical care, treatment and services.

The jury awarded Mark Kroft $5 million, including $800,000 for the “value of the services of his wife of which he has been deprived.”

According to Allen Law Group, the driver of the semi rear-ended the car while stopped at a traffic light.

This was the second time the case proceeded to a jury trial. The case was originally filed in 2016 in the Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois.

The first time, the firm said, the jury rendered a verdict of $43.5 million in 2021, but the court later ordered a new trial at the request of the trucking companies.

Kenneth J. Allen

“The Krofts are an amazing couple and the verdict recognizes the enormity of their loss, although no amount of money is sufficient to compensate them for what they’ve been through,” attorney Kenneth Allen said in a statement.

Counsel for the defendants did not respond to a request for comment.

The case is Cynthia Kroft, Mark Kroft v. Evans Delivery Co Inc., Kraft Foods Group Inc., Kraft Heinz Foods Co LLC, Land Transportation, PR Rental Inc., Predrag Radisavjevic, Viper Trans Inc., Great West Casualty Company, 2016L009466.

Please enable JavaScript to view this content.

{{ articles_remaining }}
Free {{ article_text }} Remaining
{{ articles_remaining }}
Free {{ article_text }} Remaining Article limit resets on
{{ count_down }}