2018-L-006481 (Cook County, Illinois)
Jessica successfully defended an indoor soccer facility after a 250 lb gate fell off the wall and landed on a five-year old boy. The Plaintiffs retained a forensic engineer, who opined that the facility should have implemented a preventative maintenance program to discover the deterioration in the concrete that caused the anchors to fail. The Plaintiffs also argued that the facility was negligent in failing to properly inspect, maintain, and repair the premises.
The five-year old suffered a femur fracture requiring two surgeries. Plaintiffs further claimed that the five-year-old suffered from ongoing post-traumatic stress disorder, which caused emotional distress, two subsequent hospitalizations, permanent limitations, and a loss of future earning capacity. Plaintiffs asked for more than $2.8 million at trial.
Jessica represented the soccer facility and argued that the facility was not negligent, that the facility did not have notice, and that the father shared fault for failing to properly supervise the minor. Jessica further maintained that the minor did not suffer from PTSD and that any ongoing issues were related to his pre-existing condition, and not to the incident at the facility. After hearing from 13 witnesses over a 6-day trial, the jury agreed that the facility was not negligent and returned a full defense verdict. This marks Jessica’s 10th trial earning a complete defense win for her client.
