$1 million settlement for woman struck by speeding police car in Melrose Park
January 14, 2011
A Melrose Park woman who was hit by a speeding police vehicle will receive $1 million from the Village of Melrose Park and a former part-time village police officer. The settlement was secured on January 4, 2011 by Richard Pullano and Mathew Siporin of the law firm Pullano & Karnezis.
On September 15, 2006, part-time police officer Christopher Calloway wrongfully engaged in a high-speed chase that originated in neighboring Franklin Park. While in pursuit, Officer Calloway entered the intersection at North Avenue and 15th Street against a red light and at a speed of up to 70 miles per hour, according to transportation experts involved in the case.
Officer Calloway struck Kimberly Baskerville’s car on the driver’s side as she entered the intersection. Ms. Baskerville, a 43 year-old single mother of three children, sustained numerous injuries including fractures to her pelvis and ribs, bilateral lung contusions, a lacerated spleen, and a lacerated liver.
Melrose Park police regulations forbid all officers to engage in high-speed chases unless it is clear the perpetrator had engaged in a violent crime. Chases need to be authorized by commanding officers, and pursuing officers must dramatically reduce speed when approaching and traveling through intersections.
“Not only was Officer Calloway unauthorized to engage in the chase, Officer Calloway drove recklessly on a roadway in the community he was employed to serve,” said Mr. Siporin. “He ignored the training he received in his ten years on the force, and the common sense that should have told him not to speed through a busy intersection when he had a red light.”
Chicago law firm Brenner Ford Monroe & Scotts, Ltd. represented Mr. Calloway. The Village of Melrose Park was represented by Mulherin, Rehfeldt & Varchetto, P.C. of Wheaton. Cook County Judge Jeffrey Lawrence presided over the case.
About Pullano & Karnezis
Pullano & Karnezis is a leading personal injury firm in Chicago. The firm’s partners have successfully represented clients in complex cases involving medical negligence; automobile, truck, motorcycle, aviation, boat and other vehicle accidents; construction site accidents; premises and product liability; and other forms of negligence. At Pullano & Karnezis, intense preparation and a competitive spirit combine to provide clients with superior representation and significant awards.