Honors and Awards:

• Chosen one of the Top 5% of Illinois lawyers in the fields of Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Law, Leading Lawyers Network Advisory Board
• Elected as one of the Top 100 trial lawyers by the American Association for Justice
• "10.0 Superb" rating by www.avvo.com, highest possible rating
• Top 100 leading Consumer Lawyers, Leading Lawyers Network
• "AV Preeminent" rating by Martindale Hubbell, highest possible Peer Review rating for Legal Ability and Ethical Standards
• Elected as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury, Products Liability and Medical Malpractice Law
• Finalist - 1998 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (TLPJ)
• Medico-Legal Relations Committee, Chicago Bar Association (CBA), 1985 to 1989
• Top 10, Illinois Super Lawyers award, Chicago magazine, 2011
• President's Award, Illinois Trial Lawyers' Association, 2000

Bar/Professional Activity:

• Leading Lawyers Network Advisory Board
• Sustaining Member, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (TLPJ)
• Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Jury, Instructions in Civil Cases, 1999 to present
• Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), Amicus Curiae Committee, 2003-present
• Vice Chair, Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), 2003-Present
• Legislation Committee, Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), 2002 - Present
• Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), Tort Law Section Council, 1999- 2002
• Children's SSI Project Volunteer, Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), 1997-1999
• Amicus Curiae Committee, American Association for Justice (AAJ), 1997-present
• Chair, Chicago Bar Association (CBA), 1987-1988
• Chair, Chicago Bar Association (CBA), 1992-1993
• Tort Litigation Committee, Chicago Bar Association (CBA), 1989 to present
• Subcommittee re: Lawyers Referral Service, Chicago Bar Association (CBA), 1991 to present
• Fellow, International Society of Barristers, elected March 2008
• Ad Hoc Supreme Court Appeal Committee, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), 2005-Present
• Ad Hoc Supreme Court Appeal Committee, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), 1995 to 1998
• Medical Malpractice Committee, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), 1986 - Present
• Board of Managers, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), 1993 - 1995
• Chair, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), 1994-present
• Amicus Curiae Committee, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), 1989 - Present
• Senior Life Fellow, ABOTA Foundation
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), President Illinois Chapter, 1999-2000
• Chair, Amicus Curiae Committee, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA),  1999-2007
• Editorial Board, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), 2003 - Present
• National Board of Directors, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), 2001-2007
• Vice Chair, Legislation Committee, Illinois State Bar Association
• U.S. District Court - various Districts
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court
• State Bar of Illinois
• Member, ABOTA's National Board of Directors, 2001-2007
• President, Illinois Chapter of ABOTA, 1999-2000
• Illinois Trial Lawyers' Association, chair Amicus Curiae Committee. In this capacity, I prepare and organize friend of the court briefs filed in appellate courts throughout the state on issues of substance for injured people.
• IPI Civil jury instruction committee, appointed by Illinois Supreme Court.
• Chair, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), 1989
• State Captain, ATLA Exchange, American Association for Justice (AAJ), 1992
• Special Committee on Proposed Revisions to Illinois Supreme Court Rules, Chicago Bar Association (CBA), 1995
• Elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), 1997
• Invited Member, The American Trial Lawyers' Association, 2008
• Elected Fellow, International Society of Barristers, 2008

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Legal Committee, Village of Barrington Hills
• Equestrian Commission, Village of Barrington Hills
• Executive Committee, LaRabida Children’s Hospital, Chicago
• Board of Trustees, LaRabida Children’s Hospital, Chicago
• Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation
• Western Golf Association
• Evans Scholars
• Public Citizen
• Public Justice
• Greater Chicago Food Depository
• Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
• Erin's Handicapped Children's Fund
• Misericordia

Scholarly Lectures and Writings:

• Representing the Plaintiff: Soft Tissue Injuries and Closed-Head Trauma, Legal-Medical Seminars, Inc., 1987
• Crash Cases: A Hands-On Guide to Vehicle Collision Litigation, American Bar Association, 1988
• Product Liability, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1988
• Preparation and Trial of a Medical Negligence Case, Chicago Bar Association, Co-Moderator, 1988
• Jury Instructions in a Product Liability Case: A Plaintiff's Perspective, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1988
• Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act, Illinois Trial Lawyers Annual Convention, 1988
• Product Liability Practice: How to Obtain the Successful Result, Chicago Bar Association, 1988
• Investigation, Pleading and Discovery in Strict Product Liability Cases, Chicago Bar Association, Author and Speaker (reprinted in CBA Record, March 1989), 1988
• Preparation and Trial of Medical Negligence Cases, Medico-Legal Relations Committee of Chicago Bar Association, Moderator and Seminar Chair, 1989
• Plaintiff's Perspective on Medical Malpractice, Institute for Health Law, Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, 1989
• Malpractice Protection, Academy of Ambulatory Foot Surgery, 1989
• Successful Settlement Negotiations: Plaintiff's Attorney's Perspective, MMI Companies, Inc., Focused Training Workshop on Advanced Claims Management, 1989
• Proving Present Cash Value of Future Economic Damages, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1989
• Plaintiff's Perspective on Medical Malpractice Cases, Illinois Founders Trust Annual Meeting, 1989
• Negotiating and Settling Personal Injury Cases, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Settlement Conference Demonstration, 1990
• Explosion Cases: Preparation and Trial, Chicago Bar Association, 1990
• Developing the Damage Case for the Plaintiff, American Law Institute-American Bar Association, Kansas City, MO, 1990
• High Risk Cases in Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, Mock Trial, Trial Attorney, Participant, 1990  
• The Role of the Lawyer in Medical Advances: Protector or Obstructer, Conference, Chicago Neurosurgery Center, Keynote Address, 1990
• Trial Considerations of a Plaintiff's Lawyer in Premises Liability Cases, Chicago Bar Association, 1991
• High Risk Cases in Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, Mock Trial, Trial Attorney Participant, 1991
• Plaintiff's Perspective on the Kotecki Decision: Contribution Against Employers, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Chicago, September 1991
• Direct Exam of the Injured Plaintiff: Intersection Collision - Disc Injury, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Chicago, October 1991
• Trial Considerations of the Plaintiff's Lawyer in Premises Liability Cases, Chicago Bar Association, Chicago, February 1992
• Direct Examination of Plaintiff's Expert at Trial, Illinois Trial Lawyer's Association, Chicago, February 1992
• Recent Trends in Product Liability Law, Chicago Bar Association Chicago, March 1992
• Human Factors & Reconstruction, Illinois Trial Lawyer's Association, Annual Meeting, June 1992
• Closing Argument: Lead Exposure Mock Trial, Lead Poisoning Seminar, June 1992, sponsored by Oppenheimer, Wolff & Donnelly, June 1992
• Legal Malpractice - Update & Review, Illinois Trial Lawyer's Association, Chicago September 1992
• Legal Issues Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury, McHenry County Mental Health Board, in cooperation with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, November 1992
• Mock Deposition: Litigation Hits Home, Legal Aspects of Nursing Practice, presented by American Healthcare Institute, November 1992
• Cross Examination of Defendant's Medical Expert, Chicago Bar Association, March 1993
• Opening Statements, Mock Trial, American Board of Trial Advocates, Chicago, March 1993
• Medical Evidence, Chicago Bar Association, April 1993
• The Masters in Trial - Mock Trial, Chair, American Board of Trial Advocates, March 1994
• The Trial of Medical Negligence Cases, Chicago Bar Association, June 1994
• Product Liability Trials: Plaintiff's Perspective, Chicago Bar Association, February 1995
• Effective Depositions, Chicago Bar Association, May 1995
• Expert Witnesses and Medical Malpractice Cases, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, May 1995
• Obstetrical Nursing Negligence, Illinois Hospital Association, May 1995
• Civil Discovery Rule Changes, Chicago Bar Association, September, 1995 and November 1995
• Rule 215 Medical Examinations, Illinois State Bar Association, November 1995
• Legal Malpractice - Update & Review, Illinois Trial Lawyer's Association, Chicago September 1992
• Legal Issues Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury, McHenry County Mental Health Board, in cooperation with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, November 1992
• Mock Deposition: Litigation Hits Home, Legal Aspects of Nursing Practice, presented by American Healthcare Institute, November 1992
• Cross Examination of Defendant's Medical Expert, Chicago Bar Association, March 1993
• Opening Statements, Mock Trial, American Board of Trial Advocates, Chicago, March 1993
• Medical Evidence, Chicago Bar Association, April 1993
• The Masters in Trial - Mock Trial, Chair, American Board of Trial Advocates, March 1994
• The Trial of Medical Negligence Cases, Chicago Bar Association, June 1994
• Product Liability Trials: Plaintiff's Perspective, Chicago Bar Association, February 1995
• Effective Depositions, Chicago Bar Association, May 1995
• Expert Witnesses and Medical Malpractice Cases, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, May 1995
• Obstetrical Nursing Negligence, Illinois Hospital Association, May 1995
• Civil Discovery Rule Changes, Chicago Bar Association, September, 1995 and November 1995
• Rule 215 Medical Examinations, Illinois State Bar Association, November 1995
• Pre-Suit Investigation of Medical Malpractice Cases, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, December 1995
• Product Liability Litigation, Illinois Trial Lawyer's Association, January 1996
• Jury Selection, Chicago Bar Association's Summer Boot Camp for Aspiring Litigators, August 1996
• Winning the Battle of the Experts at Trial, Chicago Bar Association, November 1996
• Client Relations 101, Illinois State Bar Association's Bridging the Gap Program, December 1996
• Jury Selection in a Civil Case, Chicago Bar Association, September 1997
• Motions in Limine and Motions for Mistrial, Illinois Trial Lawyers' Association, October 1997
• Trial of a Premises Liability Case under House Bill 20, Northwest Suburban Bar Association, November 1997
• Recent Developments in Medical Negligence Law, Chicago Bar Association, Medico-Legal Relations Committee, December 1997
• Presenting the Plaintiff as a Witness in a Medical Negligence Case, Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association, December 1997
• Client Relations 101, Illinois State Bar Association's Bridging the Gap Program, December 1997
• Relations Between Lawyers and Treating Doctors, Chicago Bar Association, Tort Litigation Committee, November 1998
• Client Relations 101, Illinois State Bar Association's Bridging the Gap Program, December 1998
• Testimony re Proposed Changes to the F.R.C.P. before Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Judicial Conference of the United States, January 1999
• Pre-Suit Investigation- Ethical-Considerations, Illinois Trial Lawyers' Association's annual Product Liability Seminar, February 1999
• Starting Your Own Law Practice, Chicago Bar Association, June 1999
• The Last 90 Days before Trial, Chicago Bar Association, December 2000
• Res Ipsa Loquitor, presented to Illinois Trial Lawyers' Association's Medical Malpractice seminar, December 2000
• Res Ipsa Loquitor chapter in ITLA's Medical Malpractice Notebook, published December 2000
• "Texts Should Have Vital Role in Litigation," Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, October 19, 2001
• Masters in Trial presenter, ABOTA, Detroit, November 2001
• "Automobile Products Liability" in Winning Techniques from Voir Dire to Closing, ITLA, February 2002
• "Automotive Seat Design Liability: Discussion of Carrillo v. Ford Motor Co.," Attorney’s Information Exchange Group program, Washington D.C., April 2002
• "Common Defenses in Cerebral Palsy Cases," Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Atlanta, February 2003
• "Too Complex for a Jury?" Voir Dire, Spring 2003
• Trial presenter of Plaintiff’s Opening Statement at Advocacy Showcase, Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association, May 2003
• Masters in Trial presenter, ABOTA, New Orleans, December 2003
• "Jury Trials in Complex Cases Survive Iowa Fight," Voir Dire, Spring 2004
• "The Wall of Shame," presented at Bryce Downey, Chicago, August 2004
• "Medical Malpractice-Have They No Shame," Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Ass’n, September 2004
• "Medical Negligence," ITLA’s Annual Update and Review Seminar, Chicago, October, 2004
• "Enforcing Darling Liabilities," Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Journal, Winter 2005
• "Preserving the Jury Trial," Defense Research Institute, October 2005
• Masters in Trial presenter, American Board of Trial Advocates, Seattle, November 2005
• "Investigating and Proving Crashworthiness Cases," Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Midwinter Convention, February 2006
• "Products Liability: Update and Review," Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association, October 2006
• Masters in Trial presenter, American Board of Trial Advocate, Dallas, Texas, October 2007
• "Crashworthiness Cases, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Chicago, November 2007
• Update for Medical Negligence Notebook, "Res Ipsa Loquitor," for the Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association, November 2007
• "Direct Examination" and "Closing Argument" presentations at Chicago Bar Association program "Creative Insights for the Tort Trial Lawyer," March 2009
• "Settlement Approaches," Zurich Insurance Company presentation, January 2008
• "The Right to Submit Questions to Witnesses," CBA Record, May 2009.
• "Consumer Expectations and Risk-Utility in Products Liability," American Association for Justice Annual Convention, July 2009
• "Multi Party Cases: Who Belongs on the Verdict Form?" accepted for publication in ITLA Journal, Winter 2011
• "Product Liability Update and Review," Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Ass’n, October 2010
• "Use of Literature," Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association, January 2007
• "Opening Statements," Chicago Bar Association, February 2007
• "Product Liability: Evidence and Jury Instructions," Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association, February 2007
• "Automotive Seat Design Liability," Attorney's Information Exchange Group program, Chicago, April 2007
• Masters in Trial presenter, American Board of Trial Advocates, Oxford, Ms., April 2007
• Masters in Trial presenter, American Board of Trial Advocate, Dallas, Texas, October 2007
• "Crashworthiness Cases," Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Chicago, November 2007
• Creative Insights for the Tort Trial Lawyer, March 2009
• "Direct Examination" and "Closing Argument" presented at the Chicago Bar Association’s program

Verdicts and Settlements:

• Estate of B.C. v. Raj - $1,800,000 settlement to the surviving parents and half brother of a nineteen month old child who died at Lutheran General Hospital. Bryce had hydrocephalus, and was being treated with an external ventricular drain to reduce the amount of cerebrospinal fluid in his brain. The drain malfunctioned, and despite adverse neurological signs and symptoms over the course of 20 hours, it was not replaced by the attending neurosurgeon. As a result, he suffered cardio-respiratory arrest and died.
• T.F. v. Rockwell International - $750,000 settlement to a carpenter who received a 110 volt electrical shock and suffered hand injuries while using a router at work. The router had a short in the motor, and it injured Mr. Florio because the router was not properly grounded.
• Estate of D.D. v. Schneider National Carriers, Inc. - $1,012,000 settlement for the surviving children of a 74 year old woman run over and killed by a large tractor trailer exiting a Sears loading ramp in Park Forest, Illinois.
• D.N.K. v. LOC Construction Co. - Settled claims for personal injuries on behalf of a 37 year old man who was crushed under a concrete catch basin in a job site excavation for $2,630,000. The settlement was paid by two general contractors, one subcontractor, the landowner, an engineering firm, and the City of Crystal Lake. The settlement was a record recovery in McHenry County. The previous high settlement in the county was $850,000, and the previous high verdict was less than $500,000.
• A.N. v. Kim - $950,000 settlement for a woman who suffered painful pelvic nerve damage done by a gynecologist who did an unnecessary uterine suspension surgery that she never consented to his performing.
• Estate of V.H. v. Michael Reese Hospital - Settled claims for the wrongful death of a 35 year old single woman, survived by her minor daughter, for $3,800,000. Victoria had given birth to her daughter four days before her death, and succumbed to a pulmonary embolism while she was a patient in the postpartum unit. The hospital and the physicians failed to institute any prophylaxis against pulmonary embolism, despite Victoria being at high risk for the complication.
• M.H. v. Wishnick - Represented brain damaged child in suit against Holy Cross Hospital and the obstetrician who delivered. Case settled for $3,850,000.
• Stallings v. Fajardo - Represented an infant who suffered brain damage as the result of anesthesiology malpractice. The child was rendered comatose by the malpractice, and he survived on a ventilator for seven years. Case settled for $6,200,000, a record malpractice settlement in Illinois in 1985.
• Miller v. Shelby Manufacturing Company - Tried case on behalf of young worker who suffered a below knee amputation as the result of contacting an unguarded screw conveyor at work. The jury awarded $1,748,200 which was paid in full shortly after the verdict in 1986.
• Spano v. Georgie Boy Manufacturing Company - Represented a woman pedestrian who suffered a head injury when struck in the head by an extra wide mirror on a recreational vehicle. Case settled for $1,015,000.
• Gutierrez v. Lester Engineering - Represented a woman who lost three fingers and suffered other hand injuries in an industrial accident with a plastic injection molding machine. Case settled in 1987 for $1,045,000.
• Kirp v. Commonwealth Edison - Represented a young adult who suffered electrical injuries when the mast of a portable drill rig he was driving contacted an overhead power line. Case settled for $1,800,000.
• Schaffner v. Chicago & Northwestern Transportation Company - Tried case and handled appeal with Philip H. Corboy on behalf of a young man who suffered a closed head injury when the front wheel of his bicycle came off the fork as he was traversing the Central Avenue Crossing in Highland Park. The verdict of $8,235,000 was affirmed both by the Illinois Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court (1985-1989).
• DeYoung v. Alpha Construction - Tried case on behalf of the survivors of a 75-year-old woman who died in a gas explosion at her home caused by negligent trenching. The verdict of $3,600,000 for her wrongful death is an Illinois record for loss of society. The case was appealed and the full judgment amount was collected.
• Carroll v. Resurrection Hospital - Settled claim on behalf of the widow and children of Leonard Carroll who died as the result of medical malpractice. Case settled for $3,000,000.
• Becker v. Shiley Co. - Settled case on behalf of the survivors of a 36-year-old woman who died when her mechanical heart valve sustained a weld fracture and failed. Shiley insisted, and the client consented, to keeping the amount of the settlement private.
• Forbes v. Day - Represented injured worker who had his left hand amputated as a result of contacting the blades of an industrial mixer. Case settled for $1,000,000.
• Giese v. Akzo Chemie America - Settled claim of a 38-year-old pipefitter who suffered an inhalation injury on the job. He was directed to enter a mixing vessel used at a chemical plant in McCook to do repair work that had a small puddle of dimethyl sulfate in it. The one minute exposure to its vapor caused permanent lung damage. The case settled for $840,000.
• Richardson v. Chrysler Corp. - Settled claim on behalf of a 28 year old paraplegic who was hurt when his Jeep CJ7 rolled over and he was ejected. The amount of the settlement is confidential.
• Tylenol Poisoning Cases - Acted as co-lead counsel for the seven death cases pending against McNeil Consumer Product Co. Cases settled for a confidential amount.
• Estate of Muchman v. Northwestern Memorial Hospital - Represented the estate of an 85 year old man who died while a patient in Northwestern's Cardiac Care Unit. A cardiologist injected an air embolism during a cardiac catheterization procedure, causing a cardiac arrest and the patient's death. The suit settled for $468,000; the parties settling included the physician, the hospital, the manufacturer of an injector machine during the procedure, as well as the agency which employed the technician who assisted the physician during the procedure.
• Estate of Kosic v. Vedantham- $700,000 settlement for the parents of a thirty two week old fetus who was stillborn after a placental abruption. Two days before the stillbirth, the mother had an ultrasound study performed at Palos Community Hospital by the defendant radiologist. Despite his seeing serious abnormalities on the film, he did not communicate the results to the attending obstetrician. Had he done so, the mother would have been hospitalized, and the stillbirth would likely have been avoided.
• Estate of Vitraelli v. Multack - $800,000 settlement to the parents of a stillborn boy who suffered from intrauterine growth retardation which was not diagnosed before his death by the obstetrician managing the prenatal care. Ultrasound evidence indicated a substantial possibility of growth retardation which was never followed up by the obstetrician. Had the diagnosis been reached, an induced or cesarean delivery would have prevented the stillbirth. The amount paid is the highest in Illinois for an Illinois stillbirth settlement.
• Baron v. Stein, et al.- $113,800 verdict on behalf of a woman and her husband after a four week trial against three doctors who failed to diagnose that she had HIV. The physicians considered it most likely that she had lupus, and never considered HIV as a possible diagnosis, in light of the fact that she is a married mother of two children and had "no apparent risk factors" for HIV.
• Nettles v. Levy Security - $400,000 jury verdict for a registered nurse who was attacked and beaten by a psychiatric patient at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The suit was successfully prosecuted against the security service whose workers did not timely respond to the emergency call for help.
• Robinson v. Jacqueline's Transportation - $500,000 settlement for a disabled minor who was sexually assaulted by a school bus driver. The suit was premised on the bus company's failure to provide supervision of the driver, and on the bus attendant's abandonment of her job on the day of the occurrence.
• Estate of Stutz v. Winslow - $1,100,000 settlement to the family of a 62 year old husband and father of four who died as a result of congestive heart failure which was not properly treated by his cardiologist. The patient had had four prior open heart surgeries for valve problems, and would have required a fifth surgery had the defendant physician properly diagnosed his condition.
• Estate of Schuller v. General Motors Corp.- confidential settlement to the surviving adult children of a woman who died in a rollover collision. Claimed defects were in the door mounted seat belt system, and the automatic door locking system of the Pontiac Grand Am.
• Estate of Gieser v. Walgreen Co.- $541,172 net jury award to the heirs of an 83 year old woman who tripped and fell on a rippled floor mat at the Walgreen’s store in Melrose Park. She broke her leg, and died in the hospital due to a fatty embolus.
• Elseth v. Flaster - $1,050,000 settlement for a 64 year old man whose prostate cancer was not timely diagnosed; his urologist never offered him a PSA test. By the time another doctor did the test, his cancer metastasized.
• K.H., a minor v. Hospital - $1,000,000 settlement for an eleven year old boy who suffered damage due to a cardiac arrest 9 days after open heart surgery.
• Estate of Love v. Trinity Hospital - $2,750,000 settlement plus $1,000,000 consent judgment for the benefit of the surviving spouse and children of a 35-year-old woman who died due to the failure to treat acute pelvic inflammatory disease.
• R.M., a minor v. Children's Memorial Hospital - $3,000,000 settlement for an adolescent boy who sustained a brain injury due to an overdose of Phenobarbital given to him when he was a newborn.
• K.M. v. Hobbs - Settled and tried claims of a 7-year-old with cerebral palsy caused by hospital and physician negligence for $4,472,000.
• R.S. v. United Engineering Co. - $4,650,000 settlement to the family of a thirty eight year old husband and father of two who suffered third degree burns and later died as the result of an explosion at a steel making furnace in Peoria, Illinois. The defendant designed and manufactured water-cooled panels used in the roof of the furnace that leaked, causing the explosion.
• Salgado v. Norwegian American Hospital - Represented a brain damaged infant in a suit against the delivering obstetrician and hospital. Case settled for $4,950,000.
• C.S., a minor v. Michael Reese Hospital - Settled claims of a mother and her brain damaged child for $5,750,000. Child suffered cerebral palsy as the result of medical negligence during the two hours immediately before the delivery. As part of the settlement, an annuity to pay lifelong benefits to the child was established.
• K.B. v. Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd. - Settled claims on behalf of 33 year old incomplete quadriplegic for $6,175,000. Keith was injured when a plank on a scaffold snapped, causing him to fall 20' to a cement balcony. Weyerhaeuser Canada negligently graded the board, and Edward Hines Lumber Company negligently sold it to the plaintiff's employer for use as a scaffold plank.
• J.H., a minor v. University of Chicago Hospitals- $7,250,000 settlement for a seven year old brain damaged girl. She suffered an anoxic arrest in the emergency room after 7 hours of medical care that did not properly treat her sickle cell crisis.
• Confidential settlement: We settled a claim for the estate of a 27 year old woman who committed suicide two days after she was discharged from a Chicago area hospital. The family has instructed us to keep the details of the settlement private.
• Estate of D. .M. v. Michael Reese One Day Surgery Center - substantial settlement of wrongful death claim of 36-year-old gentlemen who had a hernia surgery at this outpatient center. He arrested during the procedure, suffered massive brain damage and died 3 weeks later. His widow wishes to keep the amount of the settlement private.
• N.K., a minor v. NWMH - $7,000,000 settlement for damages sustained by a girl during her delivery. She suffers from cerebral palsy, and lives at home with her parents.
• J.F., a minor v. Loyola University Physicians' Group - $7,900,000 settlement for a child with cerebral palsy due to a physician’s neglect in delaying delivery. The case was settled within six months of filing, greatly reducing lawyers’ expenses and fees.
• R.B.T., a minor v. Unnamed Manufacturer - $9,000,000 settlement for an 8 year-old boy who suffered brain injuries due to a negligently designed garage door opener. The door descended as the boy was exiting the garage and the door pinned the boy under it. He suffered respiratory and cardiac arrest due to the event.
• H.P. v. Hermann - $9,350,000 settlement for a 42 year-old man who suffered a brain injury during surgery to remove a brain tumor (meningioma).
• Union Oil Fire Litigation - Acted as lead counsel on behalf of plaintiffs who were injured or died in the Romeoville explosion and fire. All cases settled for an aggregate of $29,900,000. The six clients represented by BRP settled their claims for a total of $12,700,000 and worker's compensation lien waivers valued at approximately $1,000,000.
• R.H. v. Central Telephone Company of Illinois – Co-tried case on behalf of a 48-year old incomplete quadriplegic who suffered his injuries as a result of contacting a bare 7200 volt electrical wire suspended above a roof where he was working. The jury awarded $16,000,000, but reduced the award by 40% contributory negligence, resulting in a total judgment of $9,623,000. The case was subsequently settled for $10.2 million, which included interest on the judgment and $500,000 to Mrs. Hauck for loss of consortium.
• S.D., a minor v. Advocate Christ Hospital and Medical Center - $9,900,000 settlement for a 7 year old boy who suffered brain injuries when he arrested due to post surgical neglect.
• A.O. v. Edgewater Medical Center - $9,346,663 jury verdict for the estate of a 42 year-old man who died because of an unnecessary cardiac catheterization performed negligently. The jury’s award included $8,350,000 for loss of society.
• J.G. v. TTI, Inc. - $9,362,580 jury verdict for the estate of a 48 year-old man who was killed when a truck’s trailer backed into him, pinching his legs and causing fatal hemorrhages. The jury’s verdict included $8,800,000 in non-economic losses.
• D.B. v. Advocate Medical Group S.C. - $10,500,000 jury verdict for a 72 year-old woman who suffered an above knee amputation of her leg due to a failure of the emergency room doctor to diagnose bacterial cellulitis. The jury award included $10,000,000 for non-economic losses.
• K.B. v. Kim - $30,000,000 jury verdict for a six year-old girl who suffered cerebral palsy due to a delayed emergency cesarean section delivery.
• L.C. v. Ford Motor Co. - $14,500,000 jury verdict for a woman paralyzed below the chest and her husband due to the unsafe design of the driver's seat of a 1991 Ford Explorer, which broke when she was rear ended in Hammond, Ind. This is the highest verdict for paraplegia in the State of Illinois, according to the Jury Verdict Reporter. The 1st District Appellate Court affirmed the judgment, and the full amount of the judgment and interest was paid.
• J. M. v. Ford Motor Co. - $27,000,000 jury verdict for the estate of a 46 year-old man who died because the driver’s seat of his vehicle failed in a rear impact, causing him to suffer fatal head injuries. The jury's award included $25,000,000 for loss of society suffered by his wife and two children, an Illinois record. This verdict was named one of the Top 100 Verdicts in America in 2005 by Verdict Search, a national publication. The case was ultimately settled.

Representative Clients:

• Jablonski v. Ford Motors
• LeBron v. Gottleib
• Studt v. Sherman Hosp.
• Mount v. HCA Corp.
• Ready v. United/Gorecki
• Calles v. Scripto-Tokai
• Blue v. Environmental
• York v. Rush
• Melena v. Anheuser-Busch
• Mele v. Howmedica Inc.
• Clayton v. County of Cook
• Rieff v. Evans
• Hagen v. LeDuc
• People v. Philip Morris et al.
• Hills v. Bridgeview et al.
• Lafever v. Kemlite Company
• Movitz v. First Nat’l Bank
• People v. City of Chicago
• Beavers v. Consolidated
• Herzog v. Lexington T’ship
• Gill v. Foster
• Dominguez v. St. Johns
• Roach v. Springfield Clinic
• Thompson v. County of Cook
• Jones v. O'Young
• Boatman's v. Martin
• Kotecki v. Cyclops
• Wakeford v. Rodehouse
• Schultz v. Gotlund
• Schaffner v. C & NW Transp. Co, 129 Ill.2d 1 (1989)
• DeYoung v. Alpha Construction Co., 186 Ill.App.3d 758 (1989)
• Gracia v. Volvo N.V., 112 F.3d 291 (7th Cir. 1997), cert. den. 522 U.S. 1050 (1998)
• Burger v. Lutheran General Hospital, 198 Ill.2d 21 (2001)
• In re U.S., 398 F. 3d. 615 (7th Cir. 2005)
• Gann v. TTI, Inc., 491 F.Supp.2d 771 (2007); 508 F.Supp.2d 654 (2007) and 522 F.Supp.2d 1021 (2007)
• Schaffner v. Chicago & North Western Transp. Co., 129 Ill.2d 1 (1989)
• DeYoung v. Alpha Const. Co., 186 Ill.App.3d 758 (1st Dist. 1989)
• Carrillo v. Ford Motor Co., 325 Ill.App.3d 955 (1st Dist. 2001)
• Bryant v. LaGrange Memorial Hosp., 345 Ill.App.3d 565 (1st Dist. 2003)
• Rennert v. Great Dane Ltd. Partnership, 543 F.3d 914 (7th Cir. 2008)
• Mikolajczyk v. Ford Motor Company, 231 Ill.2d 516 (2008)
• Mikolajczyk v. Ford Motor Company, 374 Ill.App.3d 646 (1st Dist. 2007)

Educational Background:

• Dartmouth College, A.B. degree, History major, 1976