A woman's family is suing the driver of the car in which she was a passenger, alleging he caused the accident that led to her death.
Ignacio Beruben, as administrator of the estate of Claudia Beruben, filed a lawsuit July 14 in Cook County Circuit Court against Rafael Rodriguez, alleging negligence and carelessness.
According to the complaint, on Jan. 19, Claudia Beruben was a passenger in a vehicle driven by the defendant south on Lake Shore Drive. At the 2200 block, the suit states, Rodriguez drove off of the road, hit a tree and the vehicle flipped over, ending up west of the road on the ice of a pond.
The suit alleges Rodriguez was driving without adequate brakes, under the influence of drugs or alcohol and at an unreasonable speed. The complaint also alleges he failed to observe the curve in the road, decrease his speed and stop in time to avoid a collision.
The accident caused Claudia Beruben to suffer injuries that led to her death, the lawsuit states.
Ignacio Beruben seeks damages in excess of the court's jurisdictional limit, plus costs. He is represented by attorneys Telly C. Nakos and Jeffrey S. Jordan of O'Connor & Nakos in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court case number 2015L007126.