$3 Million Verdict in Death of Evans Scholar

A Cook County jury returned a verdict today (Tues., Nov. 23) for $3 million in the death of Brian White, a 20-year-old Northern Illinois University student who was killed at the Evans Scholars House four years ago.

Jeff Kroll, partner at Clifford Law Offices, and J. Ryan Potts, associate, tried the case on behalf of the family of the student from Oak Lawn, Illinois.  The seven-man-five-woman jury deliberated four hours before returning the first verdict in Illinois against the Evans Scholars Foundation. 

The incident involved a fellow Evans Scholar who threw a cinder block off the balcony of the Evans Scholars House at the University.  Louis Carfagnini of Elmwood Park pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the student’s death.  The civil jury today found him 80 percent at fault and the Evans Scholars Foundation was found 20 percent at fault.

“The case was very difficult because it involved the death of a friend and fellow student,” Kroll said following the verdict.  “It never would have happened had the Evans Scholars Foundation been more vigilant in its monitoring the activities of its students and training of its paid advisors.”

The verdict is believed to be the first in Illinois against the Evans Scholars Foundation based in suburban Golf.  The case was tried before Judge Cheryl Starks in the Cook County Circuit Court at the Daley Center.