Romanucci & Blandin Reaches $500,000 Settlement for Client Injured Due To Negligent Vehicle Maintenance During an Oil Change
CHICAGO (September 7, 2023) – Romanucci & Blandin, LLC Senior Attorney Daisy Ayllon and others secured a $500,000.00 settlement on behalf of a middle-aged woman who sustained permanent injuries in a highway vehicle incident. The plaintiff alleged that Defendants Shell Oil Company and Jiffy Lube International negligently failed to secure the hood of the work vehicle she had brought them for an oil change, causing the hood to pop up from the closed position while she was driving soon after, blocking her view, and causing her to swerve and collide into a concrete barrier.
The plaintiff, a health advocate and driver, dedicated 16 years of her professional career to helping children and adults with physical and mental disabilities with basic life skills, educational support, and driving them to and from doctors’ appointments. In February 2020, after dropping a patient off at a doctor’s appointment, the woman was traveling on I-94 heading northbound in the far north suburbs in Illinois when the vehicle’s hood popped open, blocking her view and causing the crash. As a direct result of the crash, the woman sustained serious injuries including, but not limited to a traumatic brain injury, several fractured ribs, and injuries to her arm.
Attorneys for the driver argued that Jiffy Lube, through its employees and agents, was negligent in failing to properly inspect the integrity of the hood latch for any defects or providing the requisite maintenance to the hood latch to ensure that it was working properly, failing to latch the hood properly after the oil change, and failing to have a system in place—such as a safety checklist—to verify that the hood latch and other vehicle components were safe and that the vehicle was safe to drive.
“After the severe injuries sustained by our client, we are immensely proud to have obtained this settlement which will help improve her quality of life, which was significantly altered as a result of this careless auto maintenance,” said Senior Attorney Daisy Ayllon.
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About Romanucci & Blandin, LLC
Romanucci & Blandin is a Chicago-based national trial practice committed to fighting for victims of negligence, abuse and wrongful death. For 25 years, we have secured more than $850 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients - many for millions of dollars and others record-setting awards. Our experience ranges from mass shootings, civil rights and police misconduct to medical malpractice, sexual abuse, motor vehicle accidents or workplace injury cases involving individual or institutional negligence. Romanucci & Blandin is a valuable legal resource to individuals and groups of people who have been injured by others’ wrongdoing. Referring attorneys and clients say several factors differentiate our firm: Our record of success, depth of experience, talented and dedicated legal team, tireless preparation and strategic use of communications to fight for the rights of those whose lives have been changed forever. We are different from other personal injury firms in that our work does not stop when a verdict or settlement is secured. We are often inspired by our clients’ experiences and commit resources to create change in our communities. For more information about Romanucci & Blandin, please visit www.rblaw.net or call (312) 458-1000.
