Brian LaCien, of Smith LaCien LLP, obtained a verdict for the amount of $600,000 against the City of Chicago after a reduction of 17.5% contributory negligence for a retired police officer, currently age 73, who was caused to fall because of a broken sidewalk.
The case was heard in front of the Honorable Bridget J. Hughes, Cook County Law Division, Circuit Court of Cook County, and the verdict was reached on October 24, 2024, after 75 minutes of deliberations. The evidence demonstrated that the sidewalk was broken for at least 12 years. Because the broken sidewalk was in front…
Continue Reading Retired Chicago Patrolman Obtains $600,000 Verdict Against City In Sidewalk Defect Fall

We all hope that we or our loved ones never have to experience the trauma of a car accident—especially one with painful or debilitating injuries. Sadly, statistics show that car accidents are an unfortunate fact of life, with 1,664,598 crashes with injuries in 2022, the most recent fully analyzed data year. Car accidents are the second leading cause of accidental death in the United States, including in Chicago.
Car accident injuries range from mild injuries causing a single emergency room bill and a few days of lost pay, to catastrophic injuries with life-altering impacts on the injury victim’s ability…
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In the wake of Toyota’s sudden acceleration scandal, automobile safety is once again a hot-button issue. After internal documents showed Toyota knew about potential defects, hid them from regulators, and even bragged about saving money from limiting its recalls, Toyota received the largest fine ever levied against an auto manufacturer.
After 50 deaths and 8.5 million recalled cars, this saga is yet another example of regulation as an incomplete safeguard and manufacturers that put profits over safety. Unfortunately, this scenario has been repeating itself for decades.
Several car manufacturers, including GM and Ford, designed defective gas tank placement, which resulted…
Continue Reading What Would CARS Be Like Without the Civil Justice System?

At least seven lawsuits have been filed against Boar’s Head since the meat company recalled its cold cuts products after a listeria outbreak killed nine people, according to a report on CBS MoneyWatch.
In addition, 58 consumers were sickened in 18 states – including Illinois – by spoiled meat originating from the company’s tainted Virginia plant, which had reports of mold, mildew and insects. The company recalled millions of pounds of deli meats after people started getting sick.
In addition, nine states have reported an outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to eggs produced at Milo’s Poultry Farm or Tony’s Fresh…
Continue Reading Outbreaks of Foodborne Illnesses Lead to Illness, Death

Tailgating – a term that is often used to describe drivers who are following too closely – is one of the leading causes of auto accidents in the U.S. More than one-third of all car crashes are the result of tailgating, with 75% of them occurring on highways and tollways.
Learning how to avoid tailgating and maneuver safely is a defensive driving technique that all drivers should learn and adhere to, yet often fail to do so. Speak to a Chicago car accident attorney to learn more!
Causes of Tailgating Accidents
Failure to drive at a speed that allows you…
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CHICAGO, IL, August 15, 2024 — Smith LaCien LLP, located here, has announced that four lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. First published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become “universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence,” according to Best Lawyers CEO Phillip Greer.
The Smith LaCien lawyers and their respective Best Lawyers categories are as follows:
Todd A. Smith, a founding partner – Aviation Law, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs; Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
Brian …
Continue Reading Four Smith LaCien LLP Lawyers Recognized As Best Lawyers® Award Recipients

Smith LaCien LLP – Trial Lawyers represented a plaintiff in a lawsuit who suffered serious injuries when an improperly secured load of scrap metal placed in a long-haul tractor-trailer truck caused the trailer to overturn. The injuries he sustained prevented him from continuing to work as a truck driver. The case was settled in the Circuit Court of Cook County for $500,000.
During the trial, the plaintiff, a 56-year-old long-haul truck driver, alleged that the defendant – a big rig trucking company – should have made sure that the scrap metal was carefully secured to the wooden pallets and that…
Continue Reading Truck Accident Injury Lawsuit Settles for $500,000

Left-turning vehicles are a significant concern on Illinois roads because they contribute to a great number of traffic collisions. These accidents typically occur when a driver making a left turn is struck by an oncoming vehicle. Several factors contribute to making these turns so dangerous. Understanding them can help decrease the risks.
A primary factor is the difficulty in accurately judging the speed and distance of oncoming traffic. Drivers often miscalculate the time they have to complete their turn. Additionally, distractions and obstructed views at intersections can further impair a driver’s ability to make safe decisions. In Illinois, where urban…
Continue Reading Left-Turning Vehicles Often Lead to Traffic Collisions

A tragic fall from a scaffold at a construction site on Thursday left a 27-year-old ironworker dead and another worker in critical condition at a UChicago Medicine building. The accident happened when high winds knocked the workers from a scaffold to the ground, according to a Fire Department spokesman. The survivor was listed in critical condition at UChicago Medicine, a few steps from the site. OSHA is investigating.
Sadly, construction site accidents often result in serious injuries or wrongful death. OSHA said that 65% of construction accidents occur while workers are on scaffolds that were not erected or used properly.
Continue Reading The Dangers Of Construction Accident Falls

A federal lawsuit against L’Oreal, Revlon, Dark & Lovely and other companies alleges that the businesses that sell hair straightener products, knew, or should have known, that the use of the dangerous chemicals in the products would increase the risk of cancer. They marketed and sold them anyway without so much as a warning label.  
As of March 2024, there were 8,334 hair straightener lawsuits pending in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, in Chicago. With its background in class action lawsuits and product liability, Smith LaCien LLP was asked to serve as co-counsel on some of these…
Continue Reading Users of Hair Straighteners Who Got Cancer Seek Compensation

Large Malpractice Verdict Amounts Against Physicians Increase
 A surge in large medical malpractice awards targeting physicians and hospitals is part of new data released on February 2, 2024, by the global reinsurance company TransRe.
In 2023, a record number of 57 medical malpractice verdicts of $10 million or more were recorded in U.S. Of these, slightly over half reached $25 million or more. This surpasses the range of verdicts from $10 million or more from 2012 to 2022, which ranged from 34 in 2013 to 52 in 2022.
The statistics “blew away every record previously set among high medical malpractice…
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Illinois was one of 16 states that did not allow for the recovery of punitive damages in wrongful death cases – until now. Last year, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law HB 219, which amended the former law to allow punitive damages to be recoverable in wrongful death cases.
The new law makes Illinois the 35th state to allow the recovery of punitive damages in wrongful death actions. The legislation will significantly affect wrongful death cases statewide by enabling those who lost a loved one to receive financial help beyond the basic compensatory damages.
What Are Punitive Damages
Damages refer…
Continue Reading A Victory for Plaintiffs in Wrongful Death Lawsuits