Todd Schafer: Jury awards $8 million to 2 injured children in Valparaiso crash

Jury awards $8 million to 2 injured children in Valparaiso crash

Posted 2026-06-10, The Indiana Times

Jury awards $8M to 2 children injured in Valparaiso crash

ALPARAISO — A Porter County jury awarded $8 million Tuesday night to two injured as children in a crash 10 years ago along the local stretch of U.S. 30 involving a hospital courier, according to attorneys involved.

It was argued during the civil trial before Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer that a driver for Central DuPage Hospital was westbound on U.S. 30 when he struck a Jeep that was traveling eastbound and turning left onto Lynwood Avenue, according to the lawyers bringing the suit, Timothy Schafer II, Todd Schafer and Timothy S. Schafer.

"The girls were passengers in the Jeep, which flipped twice before coming to rest on its left side," the attorneys said.

The hospital courier driver reportedly claimed he was traveling 45 mph, the posted speed limit.

"However, data downloaded from his vehicle’s black box showed he was traveling 72.1 mph," according to the attorneys.

The plaintiff's attorneys said evidence was presented during the trial that showed had the driver been obeying the speed limit, the crash would not have occurred, and the Jeep would have safely cleared the intersection while completing its left-hand turn.

A 9-year-old girl was reportedly thrown from the Jeep and taken to a trauma center for treatment of a traumatic brain injury. She was awarded $7 million, the attorneys said.

The girl's 10-year-old cousin sustained a disfiguring scar on her face, a broken left hand and lacerations to her hand that required sutures, it was reported. The jury reportedly awarded her $1 million.

The plaintiff's attorneys argued the hospital must be held accountable for its actions.

The crash also ended up in a 41-year-old woman being sentenced to 10 years behind bars for drunken driving and her role in causing the crash, according to accounts from the time.