President and founder of an established Chicago personal injury law firm, having achieved numerous recoveries for his clients over a period of many years.
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
• $6.5 million dollar settlement on behalf of a child with cerebral palsy caused by medical malpractice.
• $8.9 million dollar verdict in the United States Court of Federal Claims in a vaccine injury case on behalf of a child who suffered profound neurological injury and hearing loss after a DPT shot.
• $1.0 million dollar settlement on behalf of a construction worker who fell approximately thirty feet while working, sustaining bilateral leg fractures.
• $750,000.00 dollar settlement for the wrongful death of a patient following a gastric-bypass surgery.
• $650,000.00 dollar settlement for the wrongful death of a patient for mis-diagnosed hyponatremia.
• $900,000.00 dollar settlement for the wrongful death of a newborn baby.
• $300,000.00 dollar settlement for a baby who sustained Erb's Palsy during delivery.
• $1.5 million dollar settlement in a medical malpractice case for the wrongful death of a patient following a kidney biopsy.
• $795,000.00 dollar settlement for the wrongful death of a stillborn baby.
• $500,000.00 dollar settlement for a child who sustained Erb's Palsy during delivery.
• $1.0 million dollar settlement in a train accident case.
• $200,000.00 dollar settlement for a resident who fell at a nursing home and sustained a fractured pelvis necessitating surgery.
• $495,000.00 dollar settlement for a slip and fall case involving serious arm and wrist injuries.
• $250,000.00 dollar settlement for a bicycle rider struck by a car.
• $150,000.00 dollar settlement for a resident who fell at a nursing home, causing a leg fracture.
• $500,000.00 dollar settlement for the wrongful death of a pedestrian in a railroad accident case.
• $162,500.00 dollar settlement for the wrongful death of a resident of a nursing home.
• $100,000.00 dollar settlement for a pedestrian in a slip and fall case.
• $1.0 million dollar settlement in an Erb's Palsy case.
• $400,000.00 dollar settlement for a fall in a hospital resulting in cervical/spinal injuries.
• $400,000.00 dollar settlement for a rear-end car crash resulting in complex regional pain syndrome.
• $275,000.00 dollar settlement for shoulder injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
• $160,000.00 dollar settlement for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident with an eighteen-wheel tractor-trailer.
• $2.0 million dollar settlement for a family in a wrongful death/personal injury case involving a tractor-trailer/minivan accident.
• Authored article cited by Chief Justice Miller of the Illinois Supreme Court in his concurring opinion in Seef vs. Sutkus, 145 Ill.2d 336 (Sup.Ct.Ill. 1991). Article was also cited by the Illinois Appellate Court in Smith vs. Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, 203 Ill.App.3d 465 (1st Dist. 1990).
• Firm successful before the Illinois Supreme Court in a wrongful death case involving a foster child who died while in foster care. Nichol vs. Stass, 192 Ill.2d 233 (Sup.Ct.Ill.2000).
• Obtained numerous other recoveries for clients in a wide variety of personal injury, workmen’s compensation, auto accident, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases.
PUBLICATIONS
• "The Definition of a Product for the Purposes of Section 402A," 1983 Ins. Counsel J. 344 (1983);
• "Parental Recovery for Loss of Society of the Unborn: The Plaintiff s Perspective," 77111. Bar. J. 538 (1989);
• "Elements of Damage Frequently Overlooked By Plaintiff Attorneys," I Ins, Settlements J. 15 (Spring 1990);
• "Hedonic Damages: Proving the Loss of Enjoyment of Life," 2 Ins. Settlements J. 36 (Winter, 1990);
• Note, 30 DePaul Law Review 499 (1981);
BOOKS
• Wills, Trusts, and Estates (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988)
SPEAKER
• "Foster Parent Liability," Sunrise Seminar, ATLA Annual Convention (2007);
• "Discovery" for Civil Practice Update and Review Seminar, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1990;
• "Automobile Product Liability Cases" for Anatomy of an Automobile Accident Lawsuit Seminar, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1990;
• "Statistical Evidence" for Trial Evidence and Hearsay Seminar, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1991;
• "Handling Economic Evidence at Trial: How to Use an Economist to Establish the Present Cash Value of Future Wage Loss and Future Medical Expenses" for Central Illinois Shotgun Seminar, Illinois Trial Lawyer's Association, 1995
REPORTED CASES
• Nicholv. Stass, 192 Ill.2d 233, 735 N.E.2d 582 (I11.Sup.Ct. August 10, 2000)(foster parents not entitled to sovereign immunity in wrongful death action)
• Matos ex rel. v. O'Sullivan, 335 F. 3d 553 (7th Cir. 2003)(wrongful death)
• Stapleton ex rel. Clark vs. Moore, 403 III.App.3d 147, 932 N.E.2d 487, 403 III.App.3d 147 (1st Dist. 2010)(Erb's Palsy)
• American Freedom Ins. Co. v. Uriostegui, 366 Ill.App.3d 1000, 853 NE 2d 47, (1st Dist. 2006)(wrongful death)
• Gomez v. Arkema, Inc., No. 09 C 5353, (United States District Court, N.D. Illinois, Eastern Division, March 12, 2014)(product liability)
AWARDS
• United States Law Week Award, 1982
• American Jurisprudence Award, Conflict of Laws, 1981
CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
• Ultimate Course in Trial Advocacy, Harvard Law School, 2004
• Trial Technique Institute, Lawyers Post Graduate Clinics, 1984
CONTINUING ONLINE EDUCATION
• Think Again: How to Reason and Argue Duke University, by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong & Ram Neta (January-May, 2014)(Statement of Accomplishment with Distinction obtained on June 12, 2014)(Coursera)
• AnatomyX: Musculoskeletal Cases Harvard Medical School, by Dr. Trudy Van Houten (September-December, 2014)(Certificate of Achievement obtained on December 4, 2014)(EdX)
• Specialization, Writing Seminar, 5-Courses, Wesleyan University, by Professors Salvatore Scibona, Amy Bloom, Brando Skyhorse & Amity Gaige (March-September, 2016)(Certificates of Achievement obtained on September 28, 2016)(Coursera)
LISTINGS
• Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers (1985-Present)
• Illinois Super Lawyers (2005-20I2)
• Illinois Leading Lawyers (2010-2011)
MEMBERSHIPS
• American Association of Justice (Sustaining Member, 1983-Present)
- (Motor Vehicle Section, 2013-Present)
- (Trucking Litigation Group, 2014-Present)
- (Professional Negligence Section, 2016-Present)
• Chicago Bar Association (1982-2010)
• Illinois State Bar Association (1982-2011)
• American Bar Association (1982-2011)
• Illinois Trial Lawyer's Association (1982-2011)(Board of Managers, 1991-2011)