Illinois Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
A trio of car accidents in Naperville have caused the tragic deaths of four people in the past month.
The latest heartbreaking accident, which happened just after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10th, took the lives of a 77-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman who were out walking. Preliminary investigations reveal that the pair was crossing Hobson Road at the intersection of College Road, when they were struck by a 2017 black Toyota Tundra—driven by a 64-year-old Naperville woman– turning west onto Hobson from the northbound lane of Wehrli Road. The pedestrians, who were both Naperville residents, were transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. Sadly, the man died shortly after arrival; the woman succumbed to her injuries the next day.
Only a few days prior, another terrible accident was caused by a driver under the influence on Royce Road. At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6th, a 54-year-old Naperville man driving west on Royce Road crossed over into the eastbound lane, according to a police investigation. The man’s 2014 Dodge Ram then proceeded to hit an eastbound 2017 Ford Fiesta head-on. Naperville Fire Department responded to the crash to provide emergency medical attention, but tragically, the driver of the Fiesta, a 41-year-old man from Woodridge, was declared dead on the scene. The police charged the driver of the Dodge Ram with Aggravated Driving Under the Influence and Reckless Homicide.
Symphony of Joliet is one of several nursing homes across Illinois that are facing shocking outbreaks of COVID-19. As of June 5th, 2020, the facility has had 132 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 25 deaths, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. To understand that in context, Symphony of Joliet only has 214 beds and an average occupancy of about 169 residents. Even given that some of the 132 infections are among staff, the sheer number of COVID-19 cases at Symphony of Joliet shows that the virus spread to an alarming number of residents at the nursing home.
Meadowbrook Manor–a large nursing home in Bolingbrook with 298 beds– is one of the nursing homes facing the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Illinois. As of May 29, 2020, the facility had reported 188 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among residents and 40 deaths–the highest reported death toll at any nursing home in the state. Considering that the average number of residents at Meadowbrook Manor is usually 244, these numbers are shocking. At this occupancy rate, as many as 77% of the residents at Meadowbrook Manor in Bolingbrook may have been infected with COVID-19. Even if every bed at Meadowbrook Manor was occupied, that would still work out to 63% of residents possibly infected. It’s hard to fathom how that could happen.
As coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise at Illinois nursing homes, Alden Estates has emerged as the nursing home facing the worst COVID-19 outbreak in Naperville. As of June 12, 2020, the facility had reported 94 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among residents and 21 deaths. Considering that the number of residents at Alden Estates of Naperville is usually 131–according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services–these numbers are staggering. Moreover, Alden Estates accounts for 41% of Naperville’s COVID-19 cases and 62% of the city’s coronavirus deaths.
White public officials have rushed before TV cameras to proclaim that the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police was the work of “one bad apple”, or a cop “gone rogue”—a statement then typically followed by the assurance that, “the great majority of police officers are not racists.” 
The First District Appellate Court of Illinois held in Nakamura v. BRG Sports, LLC that a former NFL player’s personal injury suit against his helmet manufacturer stemming from a severe concussion the player suffered was allowed to proceed as there was an issue of fact as to when the player discovered his injury. The trial court initially dismissed the player’s action as being time barred by Illinois’ two-year statute of limitations for personal injury actions.
Illinois is moving to a new phase in an effort to reopen the economy. As shelter-in-place orders are lifted and more cars are on the road, however, we must not forget to do our part to prevent car accidents.
Villa at Windsor Park is located at 2649 E 75th St in Chicago, Illinois, and is a large, for-profit nursing home. They have 240 certified beds and participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs. As of May 24, 2020, 143 cases of COVID-19 have been reported among residents and staff at Villa at Windsor Park, and, sadly, 33 residents have died.
Located in Hinsdale, Illinois, Manorcare of Hinsdale is a large nursing home with 202 certified beds. They are a non-profit nursing home and participate in both Medicare and Medicaid programs. Manorcare of Hinsdale is facing a major COVID-19 outbreak like other nursing homes in Illinois. Between residents and staff there have been 164 COVID-19 infections and 27 deaths as of May 23, 2020.