CHICAGO — Cavanagh Sorich Law Group filed a negligence suit against Lyft and the City of Chicago after a crash on Lower Wacker Drive left a woman seriously injured.
Jaclyn McKee was a passenger in a Lyft on Dec. 13, 2018, when the car attempted to make a left turn from Michigan Avenue onto Lower Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago, the lawsuit alleges. An oncoming Mack Truck being driven for a recycling company slammed into the Lyft.
As a result, McKee was hospitalized for a week with serious injuries.
“This case emphasizes the dangers of using ride-share services,” attorney Timothy Cavanagh said. “Drivers aren’t subject to the same regulations as taxi companies and could be underinsured and unqualified. In this case, the Lyft driver’s recklessness left a woman seriously injured.”
The lawsuit, which was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, names as defendants Lyft, Inc.; Lyft driver Edgar Montesdeoca; Hertz Vehicles LLC, which owns the 2013 Volkswagen Passat that Montesdeoca was driving at the time of the crash; recycling truck driver David Miller; Independent Recycling Services, Inc., which owns the truck Miller was driving; and the City of Chicago.
The lawsuit alleges the defendants were negligent in one or more of the following aspects:
- Failed to maintain proper control over vehicle to avoid colliding with another vehicle;
- Failed to reduce speed to avoid colliding with another vehicle(s) on the roadway in violation of 625 ILCS 5/11-601(a);
- Proceeded at a speed which was greater than reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions and the use of the highway, or which endangered the safety of persons or property in violation of 625 ILCS 5/11-601(a); and
- Failed to keep and maintain a proper lookout.
The suit was filed on behalf of McKee and her husband, James Sakhleh.
The Hon. Judge Melissa A. Durkin of the Cook County Circuit Court will preside in the case of Jaclyn McKee and James Sakhleh vs. Lyft, Inc., Edgar Montesdeoca, Hertz Vehicles LLC, David Miller, Independent Recycling Services, Inc., and the City of Chicago, Case No. 2018 L 013491.