ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — In a significant legal ruling, a Cook County jury has awarded $10.5 million to the husband of a kindergarten teacher from Arlington Heights who died tragically in a bicycle crash in 2022. The teacher, Sylwia Jarosz, was fatally struck by a dump truck while riding her bicycle to work.
The incident unfolded on the morning of Sept. 29, 2022, when Jarosz, aged 45, was navigating her bicycle along northbound Wilke Road. She was stopped at a red light at the intersection with Lake Cook Road when a catastrophic chain of events led to her untimely death. According to court documents, an SUV making a left turn collided with a dump truck, owned by AJC Concrete Construction, which then veered off the road, striking Jarosz.
Jarosz was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Her husband filed a lawsuit against the parties involved on March 24, 2023, leading to a trial that focused solely on the damages owed due to the admitted liability by the defendants.
The couple, who had been married for nearly 20 years, moved to the U.S. from Poland in 2005, building a life together in Arlington Heights. Jarosz was a beloved figure at Long Grove Country School, where she taught kindergarten. The loss was profoundly felt by her husband, Krzystof, who pursued the lawsuit to highlight the preventable nature of the tragedy and the deep impact of his wife’s death on their lives.
The legal team representing Krzystof Jarosz consisted of attorneys Lance Northcutt, Jennifer Ashley, and Emily Art from the law firm Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard. They argued that the accident not only robbed Krzystof of his partner but also inflicted severe emotional and psychological pain. On March 13, the jury recognized these extensive personal losses and awarded compensation for grief, sorrow, mental suffering, and the loss of spousal benefits and services.
Attorney Lance Northcutt emphasized that the decision to go to trial was driven by Krzystof’s desire to honor his wife’s memory and to publicly affirm the preventable nature of her death. This tragic incident has highlighted issues surrounding road safety and the responsibilities of drivers and construction companies in maintaining public safety.
The verdict serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of negligence and recklessness on the road, sparking discussions about traffic safety and the need for stringent enforcement of traffic laws to protect vulnerable road users like cyclists.
This resolution brings a significant chapter to a close for Krzystof Jarosz, who has experienced an immense personal loss, but it also underscores the ongoing concerns about road safety and the measures necessary to prevent such tragedies in the future.
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