In the second episode of this three-part series, Tierney’s lawyers at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard prepare for trial and build their case against the city of Chicago. As settlement negotiations continue, it becomes clear that Tierney’s legal team and the lawyers for the city of Chicago were not seeing eye to eye in terms of how much Tierney should be compensated for her injury. While the city does eventually admit their negligence caused Tierney’s injury, her attorneys feel their settlement offers would not adequately provide Tierney with the funds needed to seek treatment for the rest of her life. They ultimately decide to take the case to trial two years after her injury.
Listen in to hear how Tierney’s attorneys demonstrated her everyday struggles to the jury over a 2-week trial and how Tierney overcame pain and fear to share her emotional story with the courtroom. But when both sides rest their case, will the team have done enough to convince the jurors to award her a record-breaking verdict?
You Will Meet:
⚖️ Tierney Darden, Plaintiff
- A young woman who was on her way home from a family trip when she was paralyzed at O’Hare Airport
- “I don’t think they ever fully understood what you need to put in to live this kind of life and everything that gets taken from you and your livelihood.”
⚖️ Trudy Darden
- Tierney’s mother, who was with her at the time of her injury
- “They are coming from a different viewpoint and sometimes that piece of it wasn’t very pleasant.”
⚖️ David Darden
- Tierney’s father, who was on his way to pick up his family when the incident occurred
- “I’m upset that they didn’t keep proper records, so they were not able to maintain them properly. I’m upset that there were that many of them that were in such disrepair that went unnoticed until this incident occurred.”
⚖️ Patrick A. Salvi Sr., Partner at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard
- Lead attorney representing Tierney in her case against the city of Chicago
- “We were extremely well prepared. No stone was unturned. And just because you have an admission of liability doesn’t mean it’s a cakewalk. In fact, oftentimes it’s more challenging. You don’t have the benefit of being able to present ‘the how,’ unfortunately.”
⚖️ Patrick A. Salvi II, Partner at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard
- Attorney representing Tierney in her case against the city of Chicago
- “Harm really ought to be expensive when somebody does something wrong and that leads to harm in another human being… It’s not about sympathy, it’s what’s the amount of money that compensates for pain and suffering and loss of a normal life.”
⚖️ Tara R. Devine, Partner at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard
- Attorney representing Tierney in her case against the city of Chicago
- “I still remember sitting in a conference room right off the courtroom hours before we start picking a jury and serious negotiations going on and serious money being offered, but still knowing it wasn’t enough.
⚖️ Eirene N. Salvi, Associate Attorney at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard
- Attorney representing Tierney in her case against the city of Chicago
- “I thought, wow, she’s incredible. And I think that this is going to be really big.”
