Naperville man sued in crash that left woman paralyzed
Attorneys for Kelsey Ibach, the 25-year-old Arlington Heights native paralyzed last month when a car she was in plummeted from a bridge into a rail yard, filed suit Wednesday against the driver.
The suit accuses Philip J. Cho, 28, of Naperville of negligence and asks for a minimum of $50,000 in damages.
Ibach and friends Brad Schaum and Brittney Zingsheim intended to take a cab home from a bar in Chicago's River North neighborhood Sept. 13 when Cho, an acquaintance, drove up and offered them a ride, which they accepted, said Ted McNabola, Ibach's attorney.
“On that fateful night, Kelsey put her trust in Mr. Cho, and he betrayed that trust,” McNabola said.
“He drove in a shockingly reckless manner at a high rate of speed eastbound on Erie Street,” McNabola said. The car failed to make a turn, drove through a fence and fell to the rail yard below, where it landed on its roof, McNabola said.
Authorities say Cho left the scene even though his passengers were injured. A week later, he turned himself in and was charged with failure to report an accident, a felony, and several misdemeanors, including failure to reduce speed, authorities said. He is free on $200,000 bail.
Also named in the lawsuit are Pure Sole Entertainment, the event planning and promotion company where Cho works; Chicago nightclub The Mid and bar and restaurant Hubbard Inn, both of which are accused in the lawsuit of selling alcohol to Cho.
Cho has not been charged with DUI, McNabola said.
Calls to Cho's attorney were not returned.
Zingsheim, who suffered a fractured skull and spine, and Schaum, who suffered a severed thumb, are recovering, said McNabola, whose firm also represents them.
Ibach continues to recover and her spirits remain high, but her father says she is far from her long-term goal of regaining her ability to walk.
“She's undergoing therapy every single day. She's making progress every day,” Bob Ibach said.
The family hopes she will regain feeling in her legs, Ibach said. In the meantime Kelsey is using a wheelchair and learning how to dress herself and get in and out of cars.
“It's a whole different lifestyle. And she has to adapt to that for the time being,” Bob Ibach said.
He also expressed his gratitude for the outpouring of support for his daughter at www.gofundme.com/KelseyIbach. In the last 21 days, 387 people donated $34,150, according to Ibach. The money will help with Kelsey's medical costs not covered by insurance, he said.