Mayfield v. City of Springfield

A tragic auto collision in Springfield, Illinois, on July 2,1978, resulted in two lawsuits filed on behalf of different plaintiffs against the same defendant. A Sangamon County Circuit Court jury concluded that the defendant was not negligent under the circumstances and denied recovery to both plaintiffs following a consolidated trial. Both plaintiffs appealed the verdict of the jury, and because of the near identity of the issues raised by the briefs of the parties, we determine the outcome of both appeals with this consolidated opinion. A factual background follows.

On July 2, 1978, just…