Chicago Injury Lawyer Update: City Settles Police Chase Case

Chicago Personal Injury Attorney Update: City settles unauthorized police chase case.

Chicago aldermen approve $3 million settlement in police chase crash

The Chicago City Council today approved a $3 million settlement in the case of a young woman who suffered a permanent brain injury in a crash involving a stolen vehicle being followed by police.

The settlement goes to the family of Regina Varela, who suffers a host of cognitive problems as a result of the August 2004 crash.
Varela, who was 17 when the crash occurred, was a passenger in a car headed west on Addison Street at Kedzie Avenue when a stolen conversion van being pursued by police ran a red light and hit the car broadside.

The man driving the stolen van, a passenger in the van and a witness on the street testified police had been chasing the van for several blocks, according to a Law Department news release.

The officers involved, however, said they had just activated their emergency equipment and were several car lengths behind the van when the crash occurred, the release stated. They were disciplined for being outside their district without approval, it stated.

Another example of why it is so important to retain a experienced Chicago injury attorney if you have been injured in an accident.