If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident, it is important that you begin looking out for your best interests.

Husband of car crash victim sues sheriff’s department

The husband of a car accident victim is suing the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department in the wrongful death of his wife. The husband is a local high school teacher. His lawsuit claims the police dispatcher committed a blatant oversight by neglecting to report a missing stop sign which resulted in the death of his 32-year-old pregnant wife.

The victim was driving west on Montague Road in her silver Toyota and had entered the intersection, where she was struck by a 56-year-old driver in a white Saturn going north on Rock City Road. A witness who resided near the busy intersection had called earlier in the morning to report a missing stop sign, which had been blown into a nearby field during a storm the night before. The dispatcher had assured the caller the sign would be replaced.

According to reports, the incident took place during a shift change, and the dispatcher had taken another call and allegedly forgot to address the missing stop sign.

The lawsuit filed by the husband of the victim alleges that the county had been negligent about replacing the stop sign, which resulted in the death of his wife. The highway department had reported to work an hour earlier due to the storm, but the call was not directed to the appropriate department that was checking for fallen signs following the storm.

The victim, pregnant with the couple’s second child, was on her way to an appointment with her obstetrician in Freeport when the incident occurred. She was airlifted by helicopter to St. Anthony Medical Center, in Rockford. At the time of her death, she teaching at the same high school, where her husband was a member of the faculty.

Her spouse is seeking $4 million in damages for the wrongful death of his wife.

If you have suffered injuries in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence or recklessness, you may be able to pursue compensation through civil court. Claims may be made in for medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, as well as other damages.

Source:  oglecountynews.com, “Husband of Polo teacher killed in car crash is suing the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department” Vinde Wells, Oct. 02, 2013

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