Jurisdiction Intelligence Report

Wrongful Death Case Values in Illinois (2026)

Data-driven verdict and settlement analysis for Wrongful Death cases in Illinois. Median outcome: $13.8M across 5 tracked cases.

Verdicts Tracked
5
Median Outcome
$13.8M
Mean Outcome
$26.0M
Range
$10.5M–$79.8M

Verdict Distribution

RangeCasesPercent
$5M+5100%

Key Valuation Factors

Decedent's age, income, and life expectancy (economic damages foundation)Defendant type and perceived culpability (municipality vs. private entity)Strength of negligence evidence and comparative fault allocationNon-economic damages: grief, loss of society, and surviving dependentsIllinois plaintiff-favorable jury pool and absence of non-economic damage caps

Key Trends & Insights

Wrongful Death verdicts and settlements in Illinois demonstrate substantial variability, with outcomes ranging from $10.5M to $79.8M and a mean of $26.0M significantly exceeding the $13.8M median, indicating that high-value outlier cases — such as the $79.8M Estate of Spicer verdict against the City of Chicago — are skewing the average upward. Illinois's plaintiff-favorable jury environment, combined with the absence of a general non-economic damages cap, supports robust awards across diverse defendant types including municipalities, construction contractors, delivery companies, and nursing facilities. The concentration of recent cases in 2024-2025 across multiple industries suggests active litigation activity in this practice area, with even lower-range outcomes like the $10.5M Jarosz construction case reflecting meaningful baseline exposure for defendants.

Notable Cases

Krzysztof Jarosz v. AJD Construction (and Nicolas Moreno) (as described) $10.5M
2025 · Expert Institute

Expert Institute reports a Cook County jury awarded $10.5 million for the death of cyclist Sylwia Jarosz after being struck by a dump truck driven by an unlicensed driver, with allegations of negligent hiring and safety violations by the employer. The article states liability was admitted before tri

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Estate of Spicer v. City of Chicago, et al. $79.8M
2024 · TopVerdict.com

A wrongful-death/government-negligence case involving a vehicle collision and police/emergency-vehicle related tags, listed by TopVerdict among the top U.S. personal injury verdicts of 2024. The TopVerdict listing omits the court.

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Schauer v. MK Deliveries Inc., et al. $13.8M
2024 · TopVerdict.com

TopVerdict lists this as a 2024 wrongful death verdict arising from a truck/motor vehicle crash, including impaired driving categorization. The entry indicates survival action and fatal bodily injury.

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Schauer v. MK Deliveries Inc. $13.8M
2024 · TopVerdict.com Top 100 Wrongful Death Verdicts 2024

Family received $13.8M verdict after decedent was killed in a collision with a delivery truck involving impaired driving. Case was tried in Cook County, Illinois. Attorney James P. Lynch of Taxman, Pollock, Murray & Bekkerman obtained the verdict.

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Adams Family v. Lakeview Rehabilitation and Nursing Center LLC $12.2M
2024 · Fox 32 Chicago / Levin & Perconti

Family of 79-year-old Shirley Adams received $12.2M verdict -- the largest nursing home verdict in Illinois history -- after she died from complications of infected pressure wounds at Lakeview Rehabilitation. Jury found the facility understaffed and poorly supervised. Adams entered the facility in J

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