$45 Million Settlement for Teen Catastrophically Brain-Injured in Chicago Police-Chase Crash

On April 10, 2021, 15-year-old Nathen Jones, an eighth grader, climbed into the back seat of a 2002 Volkswagen after playing video games at a friend's house in Chicago's West Town. A police officer tried to pull the car over for a minor traffic violation near Wood and Huron. The driver did not stop.

What followed was a pursuit that Chicago Police Department policy was supposed to prevent. CPD rules bar officers from chasing a vehicle over a simple traffic violation. The Volkswagen ran through several intersections at roughly 70 mph before it slammed into a Toyota at Grand and Damen avenues.

Five people were in the Volkswagen. Nathen, a backseat passenger, was hurt the worst. He suffered a skull fracture, multiple brain bleeds, and a massive traumatic brain injury that killed brain tissue. He came out of it unable to walk, speak, or feed himself, and he now needs around-the-clock care for the rest of his life.

Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard brought the case against the city, with attorney Lance D. Northcutt representing the family. The firm's argument turned on the pursuit policy: officers were not permitted to chase a car over a traffic infraction, and the decision to do so anyway set the deadly crash in motion. "The proposed settlement is a reflection of the catastrophic injuries sustained by this young man," Northcutt said.

The case resolved through a negotiated settlement rather than a trial. On March 18, 2024, the City Council's Finance Committee approved a $45 million payment, and the full Council signed off two days later. Chicago taxpayers cover roughly $20 million of it, and the city's catastrophic insurance policy covers the rest.

City officials and reporters described the figure as the largest the city has ever paid out for a crash arising from a police chase. The money is structured to fund Nathen's medical care across a normal life expectancy.