February
9, 2004
LLOYD
& CAVANAGH FILES MULTIPLE LAWSUITS ARISING OUT OF FEB.
3RD DEADLY I-57 CRASH WHERE SEMI-TRACTOR TRAILER CROSSED
MEDIAN STRIKING VAN IN ASHKUM, ILLINOIS
Timothy
J. Cavanagh has filed three lawsuits arising out of a deadly
crash between a semi-tractor trailer and a van. On February
3, 2004 at approximately 5 a.m., three friends, Kori McKenzie
(age 32), Gene L. Powell (age 27) and Joey Worthon (age
31) were in a van heading northbound on I-57 in Ashkum,
Illinois. Near mile post 290, a semi-tractor trailer heading
southbound on I-57 crossed the median into the northbound
lanes striking the van. Gene L. Powell and Joey Worthon
were killed in the collision. Kori McKenzie is in the Intensive
Care Unit of Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood,
IL.
The
truck was driven by Kelso Escoto, an employee of South End
Cartage Corp. The Illinois State Police have reportedly
charged Kelso Escoto with reckless driving and driving without
a license. South End Cartage Corp. has offices at 4222 S.
Knox Ave., Chicago, IL.
The
lawsuits, filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, name
South End Cartage Corp. and Kelso Escoto as defendants.
The complaints allege that Kelso and South End were negligent
in the operation of the semi tractor-trailer. The cases
are entitled Kori McKenzie v. South End Cartage Corp. and
Kelso Escoto, Case No. 04 L 1404; Johnnie Worthon, Special
Administrator of the Estate of Joey Worthon v. South End
Cartage Corp. and Kelso Escoto, Case No. 04 L 1462; and
Sheila J. Powell, Special Administrator of the Estate of
Gene L. Powell v. South End Cartage Corp. and Kelso Escoto,
Case No.04 L 1534. In the coming weeks, Mr. Cavanagh will
file a Motion to Consolidate the three lawsuits for discovery
and trial.
On
February 6, 2004, Mr. Cavanagh filed an Emergency Motion
for a Protective Order requesting that the vehicles and
all pertinent evidence be preserved. Judge Michael Hogan
granted Plaintiff’s Motion and ordered that the two
vehicles and other evidence not be destroyed.
Lloyd
& Cavanagh has successfully prosecuted numerous cases
arising from semi-tractor trailer crashes. Mr. Cavanagh
represents two persons injured in the horrific crash on
I-90 on October 1, 2003 when a semi struck a van full of
passengers from International Women’s Associates. In
addition, Mr. Cavanagh has obtained several recent significant
multi-million dollar results for passengers injured in vehicle
collisions. In 2002, Mr. Cavanagh obtained a verdict of
$21.3 million for two passengers of a SUV injured in a collision
with a freight train. In 2003, Mr. Cavanagh obtained a $4.5
million settlement for the passenger of a van killed in
a collision with a semi-tractor trailer.
