Stephenson County has reached a $3 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit over a wrongful death that was caused, at least in part, by a fallen stop sign.
Woman Pregnant at Time of Accident
On May 20, 2013, 32-year-old language arts teacher Sarah Kamp was driving through the intersection of Montague Road and Rock City Road just south of the northern Illinois village of German Valley in Stephenson County. Kamp was reportedly on her way to a prenatal check.
Traffic at Montague Road normally comes to a stop before entering that intersection, but no stop sign was visible when Kamp, who was unfamiliar with the area, drove through. According to police, the stop sign guarding Montague Road had fallen down after sustaining weather damage. When Kamp headed into the newly unguarded intersection, she was struck and killed by another vehicle.
911 Center Had Notice of Fallen Stop Sign
Kamp’s family sued Stephenson County for wrongful death. Their attorney argued that the county’s negligence led to her death, noting that a motorist had called 911 more than an hour before the fatal accident to alert the county about the fallen stop sign on Montague Road.
The 911 operator reportedly assured the motorist that somebody would be sent to Montague Road shortly to repair the fallen stop sign but subsequently took another call and forgot to dispatch a worker to do so. Had the operator addressed the fallen stop sign in a timely manner, the lawsuit alleged, the intersection may not have been unguarded when Kamp approached it – and her death may have been prevented.
The Stephenson County State’s Attorney agreed to settle the family’s wrongful death lawsuit for $3 million. The suit had originally also included the 911 center as a co-defendant, but a judge ruled that the center could not be held liable under Illinois’ Tort Immunity Act.
Illinois Wrongful Death Attorneys
Whether from poorly maintained signage, medical malpractice, or driver negligence, when someone is killed because of the misconduct of others, the families and heirs of the deceased may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit against those who may have been responsible for that person’s death.
With more than $2 billion successfully recovered for our clients, the Illinois wrongful death attorneys at GWC Injury Lawyers can provide the experience and the determination that you need to help you fight for the justice that you deserve.
If your loved one has been killed because of someone else’s negligence, please contact Illinois’ largest Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation law firm for a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our wrongful death attorneys. Call GWC at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with one of our representatives at any time.
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