Hudson v. City of Chicago
Apr 11, 2008OUTCOME: Verdict in favor of plaintiff $17,786,000.00
Plaintiff was driving westbound on the Eisenhower Expressway on May 7, 2001 at 8:50pm in the far right hand lane of traffic. Police Officer Sung Joo Lee, a second year City of Chicago police officer d ... riving an unmarked squad car, entered a police pursuit of a suspected murderer without first asking supervisors permission to do so. While engaged in the pursuit, she lost control of her vehicle and spun 135 degrees striking the plaintiff’s vehicle in the rear left quarter panel with the front right side of her police vehicle causing plaintiff’s vehicle to roll over several times rendering the plaintiff an incomplete quadriplegic. Plaintiff’s contentions and causes of action: Police Officer Lee, as agent for the City of Chicago, was wanton and willful in failing to notify her supervisor of her involvement in the pursuit contrary to General Order 97-3 which requires her to do so. She failed to notify her supervisor despite her knowledge her participation in the pursuit was against the General Orders. Furthermore, she was approximately the 15th vehicle in the pursuit and that her involvement would have been of no consequence to the apprehension of the suspect. Defense position: Police Officer Lee was assisting the primary and secondary vehicles in the pursuit, not actively involved in the pursuit herself, therefore the General Orders were not applicable to her. Unusual legal issues or interesting trial techniques or happenings: The plaintiff carried a heavy burden because the standard was willful and wanton misconduct because the City was claiming immunity because the officer had her mars lights on and was assisting in an emergency. However, the jury answered special interrogatories that the officer was not acting in an emergency and that her conduct was willful and wanton.
