A Minooka woman left paralyzed after a violent rollover crash on northbound Interstate 55 near Renwick Road has secured a $60 million settlement, her attorneys say. The agreement, reached this week just before a Cook County trial was set to begin, is intended to cover long-term medical care, home modifications, and attendant services for 31-year-old Sarah Grasser, who now relies on a wheelchair after suffering severe spinal trauma that took away feeling in her legs.
The case on behalf of Grasser was resolved on Monday, right on the eve of trial in Cook County, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Attorneys told the station that a large pothole sitting in an active construction lane triggered a chain-reaction crash that ended with Grasser's car rolling over into a ditch.
In a detailed release, Clifford Law Offices said the August 30, 2022, crash started when another driver swerved to avoid a two-lane-wide pothole that was several inches deep. That maneuver, the firm said, sent the vehicle into Grasser's car and caused it to roll into a roadside ditch. "This incident was preventable," Clifford partner Bradley Cosgrove said, arguing that road crews milled too deeply into the pavement, then reopened the lanes without proper repairs, warnings, or reduced speed limits.
The lawsuit targeted a long list of contractors and engineers tied to the work zone, including K-Five Construction Corp., D. Construction, Gallagher Asphalt Corporation, R.M. Chin and Associates, AECOM and several traffic-control subcontractors, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Attorneys alleged the companies failed to properly inspect and maintain the construction area and did not meet Illinois Department of Transportation safety standards.
Settlement terms and next steps
Clifford Law Offices said the $60 million result, obtained April 13, 2026, will fund Grasser's decades-long medical care, rehabilitation, home modifications, and day-to-day assistance. The firm identified the case as Grasser v. K-Five Construction Corp., No. 2023 L 0277, and said there are no further court dates scheduled now that the parties have reached an agreement.
Work-zone safety questions
The high-dollar settlement has renewed scrutiny of how active paving and milling zones are inspected, marked and reopened to traffic, especially on high-speed corridors like I-55. Guidance on work-zone safety and temporary traffic control spells out what contractors are required to do to protect drivers, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Local implications
For anyone who regularly battles I-55 construction, Grasser's case is a stark reminder of what can happen when lanes are put back into service before repairs are fully finished and clearly marked. Her lawyers acknowledge the settlement cannot undo the damage, but say it will give her the resources she needs to adapt daily life to a wheelchair and long-term medical needs.
Attorneys say the outcome highlights the human cost when construction-zone safeguards break down and could prompt closer scrutiny of contractor procedures on busy state highways. For now, Grasser and her family will look to the settlement to cover the care, equipment and home changes that, her legal team says, she will need for the rest of her life.
