Illinois Appeal Court Grants Widow Right to New Trial for Husband’s Death in a Work Zone

A legal case summary. On April 15, 1986 an Illinois Court of Appeal reversed a lower court’s judgment and allowed a widow the right to a new trial. She had brought a suit of negligence for the death of her husband who was a construction worker in a work zone when he was struck by a drunk driver. Celeste DiBenedetto brought wrongful death action against the County of DuPage, Ronald Dold, County Superintendent of Highways, and Anthony Grzemski, resident engineer of the construction project, for the death of her husband, Guerino DiBenedetto. She alleged that the defendants were negligent by failing to adequately supervise and control traffic at the construction site.