A 53-year-old woman fell on stairs leading to her church that had been rebuilt a few days earlier. However, the stairs were excessively steep and lacked a handrail, in violation of a Cook County ordinance. As a result of her fall, the woman sustained multiple leg fractures, which required several surgeries, and she is now required to use a walker.

Although the woman was initially reluctant to file suit against her church, Edmund Scanlan was able to convince her that a lawsuit was in her best interest. According to Scanlan, “I could appreciate the fact that my client did not want to file a lawsuit against a church which she had been a member of for many years. However, when I explained to her that she would most likely never be able to work again, that her medical bills would be huge, and that any recovery she received would be covered by the church’s insurance company, it made her realize that a lawsuit was the best answer for her and her family. The woman was particularly pleased that I was able to settle the case without a messy and bitter trial.” Ultimately, the case settled for $675,000.