Personal Injury Lawyer

The Law Offices of Douglas Rallo, P.C., in Libertyville announces the $100,000 settlement of a personal injury lawsuit it filed for a five-time national karate champion. “After work, my client and a co-worker went to the co-worker’s home to socialize. The co-worker asked my client to teach him a karate technique. While explaining and teaching the move in slow motion, without any touching or threatening maneuvers, the co-worker suddenly grabbed the instructor’s arm, spun him around and fell on top of him on the ground”, said Rallo. The instructor injured his right knee and had surgery to repair a torn cruciate ligament. “This case was interesting because normally a person can sue another for personal injuries when the wrongful party is negligent; but where a person is involved in a “contact sport“, proving negligence is not enough. In cases involving “contact sports“, you have to prove that the other party committed ‘willful and wanton misconduct’, which is tantamount to recklessness.

Here, the defense contended that the karate demonstration was a contact sport and that there was no liability because the co-worker’s actions were not reckless. I countered with the argument that what took place was not a karate fight or contact sport activity; just a slow motion teaching demonstration and that the co-worker’s conduct was negligent. I also pointed out that even if it was a contact sport activity, his sudden and unjustified actions were reckless”, said Rallo.

The homeowners’ insurance company paid $100,000 to settle a few days before jury selection was set to begin.