$6.8 Million Settlement Approved Against PACE

Today, Circuit Judge James Varga approved a $6.2 million dollar settlement on behalf of Maryalice Worley, 69, and Marvin Worley, 71, of Oak Park, for injuries suffered by Mrs. Worley on Good Friday, April 2, 1999. On that date Mrs. Worley was walking eastbound on the north side of Lake Street at the intersection of Marion Street. As she crossed the street a Pace bus driven by Edward Banks of Oak Park, was making an unscheduled left turn to go north along Marion. Eyewitnesses saw Maryalice walk into the side of the bus as she was not looking easterly but was watching an Oak Park employee emptying a garbage can just to the north of her.

The driver claims he had a green arrow. None of the eyewitnesses would support the driver.

"The Pace driver failed to execute one of the basic driving maneuvers, a left turn," said Francis Patrick Murphy of Corboy & Demetrio, "he cut the corner of the crosswalk and in doing so struck Maryalice, who was only 3 or 4 steps off the curb."

As a result of the collision with the bus, Maryalice fell to the street striking her head on the pavement. She suffered profound brain damage and is now confined to a nursing home where her husband visits her 2 to 4 times daily.

"The Worleys were living the American Dream when they woke on that Good Friday," Murphy commented, "by the end of the night the American Dream was crushed and the Worleys started living a horrific nightmare."