312-372-1227 $363 million jury verdict obtained by Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard ranked highest Illinois verdict of 2022, 10th in U.S.
Two other verdicts obtained by firm listed among Top 30 cases in Illinois
CHICAGO (September 25, 2023) – A $363 million jury verdict obtained by Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard has been ranked the 1st overall verdict in ALM’s Top 10 Verdicts in Illinois in 2022. The list is comprised of various case types that were tried either in state or federal courts of Illinois. The verdict was also ranked the 10th overall verdict in the United States for 2022.
Attorneys Patrick A. Salvi II, Lance D. Northcutt, and Jennifer M. Cascio obtained the $363,000,000 jury verdict in Cook County in September of 2022 on behalf of a Willowbrook woman who was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer after living about one-third of a mile from medical device sterilization plant Sterigenics for more than three decades.
Federal officials began investigating Sterigenics in 2018 after the community surrounding the Willowbrook plant was identified on a national map of health hazards from breathing toxic chemicals. Data reported by the company to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showed the Willowbrook census tract was in the 99.9th percentile for cancer risk in the country.
Plaintiff Sue Kamuda, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, was the first plaintiff to see trial. She is currently in remission.
During the trial, which opened on August 18, 2022, Mrs. Kamuda’s attorneys argued Sterigenics knew the risks of using ethylene oxide (EtO) to sterilize medical equipment yet continued to utilize “excessive and unnecessary” amounts of the colorless, odorless carcinogen for decades without warning the community. Plaintiff’s attorneys also utilized company emails and other documents to demonstrate that Sterigenics executives and former parent company Griffith Foods knew since the early 1980s that EtO exposure posed significant health risks to humans, but the company pushed back on studies and regulatory efforts to maintain profitability.
After a more than 1-month trial, a Cook County jury returned their verdict on September 19, awarding Mrs. Kamuda a total of $363 million – including $38 million in compensatory damages and $325 million in punitive damages.
Please click here to read more about the case.
Two other cases tried by Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard attorneys were ranked in the Top Verdicts in Illinois – A $3.73 million verdict for a pedestrian injured in a crash was ranked the 20th highest verdict in Illinois. Lief v. Cole, et al. was tried by attorneys Patrick A. Salvi II, Heidi L. Wickstrom, and Michael J. Schostok of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard. A $1.8 million verdict on behalf of a woman who was sexually assaulted by a hotel security guard was ranked the 28th top case. Gress v. Lakhani Hospitality Inc., et al. was tried by attorneys Tara R. Devine and Jaclyn J. Kurth of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard.
To view the full list of Top Illinois Verdicts and Settlements, please click here.
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