Chicago Police Misconduct & Wrongful Death Attorney

Civil Rights Cases for Families Who Lost Someone to Police Violence or In-Custody Death

Losing a loved one to a police shooting, a reckless pursuit, or medical neglect in a jail or prison is devastating. What makes it harder is not knowing the full truth and having no way to force accountability. I’m Bill Foutris, and for 19 years I’ve represented Chicago families in exactly these situations, taking civil rights cases in federal and state court that other lawyers walked away from, including cases where the only witnesses were the officers themselves.

My firm has been covered by CNN, BBC, ABC News, NBC, the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. But what matters to families is simpler: I’ve helped the vast majority of my clients reach a successful outcome, and I’m not afraid to take a case to trial when an insurer or municipality makes an unfair offer.

Filing a wrongful death civil rights lawsuit can accomplish three things a criminal proceeding may not: it can help uncover what really happened, it can seek financial compensation for your family, and it can pursue accountability against the responsible officer and agency in court.

If you’ve lost a family member to police violence or an in-custody death, call (312) 212-1200 to schedule a free consultation.

Wrongful Death Case Results

Below are results I’ve obtained for families in wrongful death civil rights cases. These outcomes span police shootings, failure-to-protect deaths, and deaths caused by denial of medical care in jail and prison custody.

• Larkin v. Wexford Health Sources: $3,000,000 verdict for the family of a man who died in Illinois Department of Corrections custody due to failure to provide necessary medical care.
• Taylor v. Chicago: $3,000,000 verdict for the family of a woman killed because Chicago police failed to protect her.
• Jones v. Macoupin County Sheriff: $2,000,000 settlement for the family of a man unjustifiably shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy.
• Dozier v. Cook County Sheriff: $2,000,000 settlement for the family of a man who died in Cook County Jail due to failure to provide necessary medical care.
• Williams v. Village of Dolton: $1,854,665 settlement for the family of a man who died in Dolton Jail due to failure to provide necessary medical care.
• Elrod v. Chicago: $1,350,000 verdict for the family of a man shot and killed by Chicago police.
• Williams v. Chicago: $1,000,000 settlement for the family of a man unjustifiably shot and killed by a Chicago police officer.

I’m currently representing families in active wrongful death shooting cases, including Burruss v. City of Blue Island and Evans v. Village of North Riverside. Past results don’t guarantee a similar outcome in your case.

Types of Deaths That Support a Wrongful Death Civil Rights Claim

Not every police-related death involves the same legal theory, and I handle a range of circumstances that each require a different approach.

Excessive Force Deaths

Many deaths caused by police result from excessive force during an apprehension or detention. These include unjustified shootings, improper use of chokeholds, and taser abuse in situations where lethal or dangerous force wasn’t warranted. Some involve an officer acting with intent to kill or inflict serious injury; others reflect reckless disregard for life. Under excessive force doctrine and 42 U.S.C. Section 1983, officers can be held civilly liable even when no criminal charges are filed, because civil cases carry a lower burden of proof than criminal proceedings.

Reckless Police Pursuit Deaths

When an officer initiates or continues a vehicle pursuit recklessly and someone is killed as a result, that death may support a civil rights claim. These cases require showing that the officer’s conduct went beyond negligence and rose to the level of deliberate indifference or reckless disregard for the safety of others.

Denial of Medical Care in Jail or Prison

If your loved one died in custody because jail or prison officials recklessly ignored a serious medical need, that death may give rise to a wrongful death civil rights claim entirely separate from any excessive force theory. My results in Larkin, Dozier, and Williams show that these cases have led to substantial recoveries, even against large county jails and state correctional systems.

Failure to Intervene & Supervisor Liability

Officers who were present but failed to stop a fellow officer from using unlawful force can be named in a wrongful death claim. Supervisors who knew about an officer’s history of violent behavior and did nothing may also bear liability under a Monell municipal liability theory, which can hold agencies and municipalities responsible for patterns of unconstitutional conduct.

Who Can Be Sued & How to Get Started

A wrongful death civil rights claim can name the officer who caused the death, officers present who failed to intervene, supervisors aware of the officer’s violent history, and the municipality or agency itself under Monell. Civil cases proceed independently of any criminal investigation and can be filed whether or not the officer faces criminal charges.

Families should act without delay. Wrongful death civil rights claims in Illinois are subject to filing deadlines that vary by claim type, and missing those deadlines can eliminate the right to sue entirely. I offer a free consultation to evaluate whether your family has grounds to file and to explain what the process looks like.

You also have rights to compensation that extend beyond what any initial settlement offer may reflect. When a municipality or insurer tries to settle a serious case for less than it’s worth, I’m ready to go to trial.

Contact a Chicago Wrongful Death Attorney for a consultation about your rights and to determine whether you have grounds to file a lawsuit.