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Chicago Injury Lawyer Scott Wolfman & Associates - Law Firm

Man Dies From Car Accident

An $850,000 settlement has been reached on behalf of the family of an elderly and ill Chicago man who died from a brain hemorrhage two days after a seemingly harmless car accident.

The mediation settlement reached Monday was complicated by the fact that the victim, 76-year-old Andrew Affrunti, suffered from lymphoma and severe heart disease, which defense lawyers contended reduced his life expectancy to perhaps fewer than two years.

Scott B. Wolfman, who along with Steven J. Morton represented Affrunti's family, said the life expectancy issues were significant in the mediation, as was the debate over whether the minor accident on Sept. 3, 2003, when Karolina Haderspeck turned her car and collided with Affrunti's vehicle, actually caused the hemorrhage. Affrunti's head was jostled, but did not hit anything during the accident, Wolfman said.

No injuries were reported at the accident scene, Wolfman said. But the following day, after suffering from headaches and confusion, Affrunti was admitted to Loyola University Medical Center where he was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage. He died on Sept. 5.

The case, mediated by Donald P. O'Connell, was on Cook County Circuit Court Judge Diane J. Larsen's docket. Donna Marie Affrunti v. Karolina Haderspeck, No. 04 L 6060.

John E. Norton of Norton, Mancini, Weiler & DeAno P.C. represented Haderspeck and Allstate Insurance Co. He said Affrunti was on blood-thinning medication that made him susceptible to bleeding and his heart was functioning at about 15 percent of the normal range.

Norton said the settlement was a compromise, in part to protect Haderspeck against the possibility of damages in excess of her policy limit. Haderspeck had pleaded guilty to failing to yield on a left turn, he
In Circuit Court

An $850,000 settlement has been reached on behalf of the family of an elderly and ill Chicago man who died from a brain hemorrhage two days after a seemingly harmless car accident.

The mediation settlement reached Monday was complicated by the fact that the victim, 76-year-old Andrew Affrunti, suffered from lymphoma and severe heart disease, which defense lawyers contended reduced his life expectancy to perhaps fewer than two years.

Scott B. Wolfman, who along with Steven J. Morton represented Affrunti's family, said the life expectancy issues were significant in the mediation, as was the debate over whether the minor accident on Sept. 3, 2003, when Karolina Haderspeck turned her car and collided with Affrunti's vehicle, actually caused the hemorrhage. Affrunti's head was jostled, but did not hit anything during the accident, Wolfman said.

No injuries were reported at the accident scene, Wolfman said. But the following day, after suffering from headaches and confusion, Affrunti was admitted to Loyola University Medical Center where he was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage. He died on Sept. 5.

The case, mediated by Donald P. O'Connell, was on Cook County Circuit Court Judge Diane J. Larsen's docket. Donna Marie Affrunti v. Karolina Haderspeck, No. 04 L 6060.

John E. Norton of Norton, Mancini, Weiler & DeAno P.C. represented Haderspeck and Allstate Insurance Co. He said Affrunti was on blood-thinning medication that made him susceptible to bleeding and his heart was functioning at about 15 percent of the normal range.

Norton said the settlement was a compromise, in part to protect Haderspeck against the possibility of damages in excess of her policy limit. Haderspeck had pleaded guilty to failing to yield on a left turn, he