Chicago Injury Attorney Blog

An Illinois judge has awarded the family of Verna Corcoran $10 million for her wrongful death. Corcoran, an 83-year-old McHenry County resident, was murdered in her house on Mother’s Day in 2006.

McHenry County Judge Michael Feetterer awarded the amount to Corcoran’s family after representatives for the estate of Jose Manuel Albada-Grijaldo failed to appear in court on a number of occasions to challenge the wrongful death case against him.

Police say that Albada-Grijaldo strangled Corcoran after she caught him in the middle of robbing her house. Albada-Grijaldo was shot and killed by Marengo police officer Eric Bockelmann after he was apprehended while driving Corcoran’s car.

Bockelmann was cleared of any wrongdoing, but an Illinois wrongful death lawsuit filed against Bockelmann and the city of Marengo claims that the 21-year-old suspect was unarmed and did not pose a threat to the police officer. If Albada-Grijaldo ’s estate recovers compensation for his death, however, Corcoran’s estate will have a claim on the award.

Wrongful Death Compensation
The death of a loved one is an unbearable loss. There are, however, legal remedies available to hold the responsible party civilly liable for your loss. In the event that your loved one was a victim a crime, you may be able to sue the suspect for wrongful death recovery in a case separate from any criminal proceedings against the defendant.

In Illinois, only the decedent’s husband or wife or next of kin are allowed to file a wrongful death claim against the negligent party or parties. Surviving loved ones may be able to obtain compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, loss of companionship, loss of benefits, associated costs, and other damages, such as punitive damages.

Court awards $10 million to family of McHenry County murder victim, Daily Herald, October 8, 2008

Family of murder victim awarded $10 million, NorthwestHerald.com, October 8, 2008

Related Web Resource:

Illinois Wrongful Death Act, Illinois General Assembly