An Illinois appeals court has ruled that the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) must pay nearly $3 million in damages to a woman who was later convicted of murdering and dismembering her landlord, in a controversial civil case that has drawn significant attention.
Court Upholds Damages Despite Murder Conviction
The Illinois Appellate Court has upheld a jury verdict awarding $2.8 million to Sandra Kolalou, also known as Sandra White, for injuries she sustained in a 2018 bus accident. This decision came despite her subsequent conviction in April 2024 for the first-degree murder of her 69-year-old landlord, Frances Walker.
The court firmly rejected arguments from the CTA that White's murder conviction and current incarceration should prevent or reduce the financial award. Judges ruled that her criminal charges, which related to an event in October 2022, were not relevant to determining compensation for injuries suffered years earlier in March 2018.
Details of the Civil Case and Criminal Trial
The civil case stemmed from an incident on 1 March 2018, when Kolalou was struck by a CTA bus driven by Tyrone Bynum while she was walking in a Chicago crosswalk. She filed a lawsuit in February 2019, citing orthopedic and neurological injuries, including chronic back and leg pain.
Bynum and the CTA later admitted negligence, leaving a jury to decide the level of damages. A Cook County jury initially awarded White $3 million in February 2023. After the CTA contested this, a second jury slightly reduced the sum to $2.8 million in a later trial, specifying $400,000 for future medical care and $500,000 for future loss of a normal life.
This civil litigation proceeded alongside a separate and gruesome criminal case. In April 2024, a Cook County jury convicted White of first-degree murder and concealing a homicidal death. Prosecutors stated she killed Frances Walker in October 2022 after being served an eviction notice. Walker's severed remains were discovered in a freezer at a Northwest Side Chicago home.
Legal Precedent and Final Ruling
The CTA pursued multiple appeals, arguing that the civil case should not have progressed while White's murder prosecution was pending and that her life sentence made future medical treatment speculative. The appellate court dismissed these claims.
The court's ruling establishes that liability for a civil injury is separate from a plaintiff's later criminal conduct. The CTA's legal responsibility for the negligent operation of its bus in 2018 remained unchanged by White's unrelated actions in 2022. The final award of $2.8 million stands, to be paid by the Chicago Transit Authority.
