Man Injured by Drunk Driver Awarded Compensation

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Car Accidents

Car accidents can happen at any time.  Stephen Dewart was walking on a sidewalk in the Gulf Coast neighborhood in Chicago when his life changed forever.  It was a beautiful day on May 21^st in 2011 and it will not be forgotten by Dewart for a long time.

City driver Dwight Washington is the main reason the Dewart will remember.  He had an open bottle of brandy when he drove his city issued pickup truck into a crowd of pedestrians at the intersection of Cedar and Rush.  The accident caused injuries to seven total people.  After the accident, Washington had a blood alcohol content level of over two times the legal limit.

Dewart was downtown to help his wife with a photo shoot for her company.  His parents were also in the neighborhood and stumbled on their son after the horrible crash.  Dewart recounted the accident during his personal injury case against the city of Chicago.  “I first heard screeching tires.  Then, out of the corner of my right eye, I see this white pick-up barreling toward me at a high rate of speed.  I heard the engine accelerate and realized there was nothing I could do.  I was frozen.”

The damage that he sustained from the accident was severe.  His fibula (calf bone) shattered which required surgery to insert a metal plate.  His tibia (shin bone) also was shattered and needed surgery to insert a metal rod.  His back also suffered four fractured vertebrae in his back.  The pain was severe and his body will never be the same.  But the accident also affected his marriage as it was hard to go through months of physical therapy after three surgeries.

Even though Washing was behind the wheel, Dewart does not just blame him for the pain.  He felt that the city of Chicago should have been more responsible.  The jury agreed with him after close to two hours of deliberation.

Your life may not be the same after a car accident, it is important to be compensated.  It is not fair to have to deal with pain, hospital bill and other changes to your life caused by a negligent party.  Contact an experienced personal injury attorney in Cook County today.