Chicago jury awards $13.7 million in wrongful death lawsuit
The family of a salemsan killed in a high-speed crash was awarded $13.7 million by a Chicago jury.
Roger Czapski, 22, was working as a car saleman for BMW on August 4, 2004, when Christopher Maher, 22 came into his dealership to test drive a 2003 BWM 5301i sedan. Czapski was in the front passenger seat and two of Maher's friends were in the back.
Maher, was driving the car at a speed of approximately 90 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone, when the car clipped another vehicle and ran into a light pole. The front passenger side of the car took the brunt of the impact killing Czapski. Maher and his friends survied the crash but suffered serious injuries.
Maher, who pled guilty in 2005 to aggravated speeding received one year probation and 30 days of community service at the Cook County medical examiner's office. Czapski denied liability in the wronful death lawsuit.
At trial, Maher said that Czapski encourage him to drive faster then the posted speed limit and never asked him to go slower. Maher said that Czapski also took him outside the normal route for test drives.
The trial was before Judge John Grogan, in the Cook County Circuit court. After a one week trial, the jury awarded $13.7 milliion to Czapski's family. Under the Illinois comparative negligence statue, Maher was found to be 98% responsible for Capski's death.
