$148M Verdict: Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.
$148,000,000 Verdict:
Dancer Paralyzed by Collapsed Shelter at O’Hare International Airport
Congratulations to Patrick A. Salvi, Jeffrey J. Kroll, Tara R. Devine, Patrick A. Salvi II, and Eirene N. Salvi of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. in Chicago, Il for the $148,000,000 verdict they obtained on behalf of their client, a 24-Year-old dancer and college student, who was left paralyzed when the pedestrian shelter she was standing next to collapsed onto her.
The Plaintiff was standing with her mother and 19-year-old sister outside of the airport, near the outer lane of the lower level street that accesses Terminal 2. The three women just returned to Chicago from Minneapolis where they were shopping for bridesmaid dresses for an upcoming wedding. As the women were waiting to be picked up, a storm came through the area and a pedestrian shelter weighing more than 750 pounds became loose and fell onto the Plaintiff.
The Plaintiff sustained a T11-T12 fracture dislocation and a complete spinal cord injury, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. A pain expert testified the Plaintiff’s spinal cord “stretched until it popped and ripped.” The Plaintiff also endured a T10-L1 spine fusion surgery and a spinal cord stimulator placement surgery.
“This is a verdict these jurors can be proud of and exactly what the Plaintiff deserves. We are thankful to these 12 people for fully recognizing her injuries and helping her move on with her life.”
Patrick A. Salvi, Esq.
Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.
Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C argued that the Defendant was negligent in maintaining the shelters at O’Hare Airport. It was determined that the shelter, which injured the Plaintiff, had missing bolts. An investigation later found other shelters at the O’Hare Airport were poorly maintained, with missing bolts, corroded parts, or broken brackets. Five months prior to trial, the city of Chicago admitted wrongful conduct for the incident that dramatically changed the Plaintiff’s life.
After a 10-day trial, a verdict of $148 million was obtained by the Illinois personal injury law firm Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. The law firm partnered with MediVisuals to develop multiple illustrations and animations of the Plaintiff’s injuries and surgeries. See a compilation of selected animation sequence in the video below.
This video is a compilation of selected animation sequences created for the Plaintiff’s case. It consists of a T10-L1 spine fusion surgery, the complete spinal cord injury, a T11-12 fracture dislocation and an explanation of the permanent neuropathic pain from transected spinal cord.