Jury awards $10.5M to husband of Arlington Heights teacher killed in 2022 bicycle crash
Jury awards $10.5M to husband of Arlington Heights teacher killed in 2022 bicycle crash
A Cook County jury awarded $10.5 million to the husband of an Arlington Heights kindergarten teacher killed in a 2022 bicycle crash involving a dump truck.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - A Cook County jury awarded $10.5 million to the husband of an Arlington Heights kindergarten teacher killed in a 2022 bicycle crash involving a dump truck.
Jury awards $10.5M to husband of Arlington Heights teacher killed in 2022 bicycle crash (FOX 32 )
$10.5 Million Verdict in Fatal Bicycle Crash in Arlington Heights
What we know:
The incident occurred around 7:20 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2022, when Sylwia Jarosz, 45, was riding her bicycle to work on northbound Wilke Road, near the intersection of Lake Cook Road.
Jarosz stopped at a red light on the southwest corner of the intersection on the sidewalk and pressed the button for the walk signal. That’s when an SUV traveling westbound started to turn left from Lake Cook onto Wilke.
At the same time, the driver of a truck owned by AJC Concrete Construction, according to prosecutors, did not stop before entering the intersection and at an excessive speed collided with the SUV, causing the truck to veer off the road and strike Jarosz.
She was taken to a nearby hospital but later died from her injuries.
Her husband filed a lawsuit on March 24, 2023. Prosecutors said the defendants admitted liability just before trial. A damages-only trial began March 11.
"They had emigrated here from Poland. They were husband and wife for 20 years, and within a month and a half celebrating their 20th anniversary, this tragedy happened, and it was preventable and it shouldn't have," said attorney Lance Northcutt with Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, of Sylwia and her husband.
On March 13, 2025, a Cook County jury awarded $10.5 million to Jarosz's family for her husband's "past and future loss of society, grief, sorrow, mental suffering, and loss of spousal benefits and services," according to the Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard law firm.
"In deciding to go to trial, he really wanted his truth spoken on behalf of his wife, and that was very important," said Northcutt. "For him, it was the point being made that what happened to Sylwia was a preventable tragedy and her life and her loss of life was a profound, profound loss."
What they're saying:
"Sylwia was a beloved kindergarten teacher at Long Grove Country School and the cherished wife of her husband, Krzystof. Krzystof and Sylwia were college sweethearts in Poland and moved to the U.S. together in 2005. Krzystof has suffered an unimaginable loss, and every aspect of his life has changed since losing his best friend," Plaintiff’s attorney Lance D. Northcutt said. "It was not easy for Kryzystof to relive the worst moments of his life, but we are thankful to the jury for listening to his story and recognizing his grief."
More Details:
Sylwia's husband was represented by Lance Northcutt, Jennifer Ashley and Emily Art of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C.
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