ROCKFORD, Ill. (October 2, 2025) In a landmark decision, a Winnebago County jury has awarded $15.2 million in what appears to be the largest individual wrongful death verdict in the County’s history. The award was part of a total $67 million verdict across three plaintiffs, the highest combined jury award in Winnebago County.
The individual verdict was awarded Tuesday to the estate of Ruthie Fairchild who was a 71-year-old woman killed in a multi-vehicle crash in Stockton, Illinois that also resulted in the death of a second person and seriously injured a third person in a separate vehicle.
Ms. Fairchild was a pillar of the Rockford community. She was the Outreach Director at Zion Lutheran Church, was instrumental in the creation of Patriots Gateway Community Center and brought the Lead Like Jesus program to the local jail, which changed many lives.
On May 20, 2018, Ms. Fairchild was a passenger in a car driven by Defendant Mary Norman driving westbound on US Route 20, a 2-lane highway. A Freightliner tractor with an attached utility tractor-trailer owned by defendant Panera Bread and operated by defendant driver Eluid Valencia was driving eastbound. The vehicles were involved in a collision near the centerline of Route 20. The impact forced her vehicle into the eastbound lane, where it struck a third vehicle head-on, causing it to catch fire. Ms. Fairchild was severely injured and succumbed to her injuries a few days after the crash.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs claimed Mr. Valencia should have known the semi-truck he was driving was susceptible to “off tracking” when driving along a curved road and should have taken precautionary measures to avoid this. Additionally, Mr. Valencia’s employer, Panera Bread, did not adequately train or retrain Mr. Valencia to operate a vehicle like the one he was driving on the day of the fatal crash. Plaintiff’s attorneys also alleged Ms. Norman was liable for the crash as well, in that she was driving too close to the center line of Route 20.
A lawsuit was filed in 2018 (Case No.: 18 L 000198), and the case proceeded to trial in September of 2025 in Winnebago Circuit Court before the Honorable Lisa R. Fabiano.
On September 30, 2025, a jury awarded the estate of Ms. Fairchild $15.2 million.
“This case was about more than just a verdict, it was about accountability” Ms. Fairchild’s attorney Arthur G. Kielty said. “Ms. Fairchild, a proud member of our community, was taken far too soon in a preventable tragedy and the loss to the family and to all who knew her can never truly be measured. While nothing can bring her back, the jury’s decision delivered justice and affirmed that her life mattered. This verdict sends a clear message that safety on our roads is not optional, and our community will stand up when that trust is broken.”
The Estate of Ruthie Fairchild was also represented at trial by attorney Arabella L. Gigliotti of Reno & Zahm LLP.
For more information, please contact attorney Arthur G. Kielty at (815) 987-4050.