Smith LaCien LLP

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Before a patient can receive crucial treatment for an illness or injury, the medical provider must first make a prompt, accurate diagnosis of the patient’s condition. Sadly, a study of critically ill patients from medical facilities across the country revealed that nearly 25% of respondents experienced a delay in the diagnosis of their illness. Three-quarters of patients in the study suffered harm from the delayed diagnosis, including death in one out of 15 patients.

When doctors fail to order appropriate tests, miss key indicators, or make an initial misdiagnosis, delays in reaching a correct diagnosis result in missed opportunities for…
Continue Reading How Delayed Diagnosis Can Affect Your Outcome

When we consider medical care, we think of procedures, bandages, medical tools, and injections. A less obvious but tremendously important aspect of patient care is medical record-keeping.

While record-keeping occurs behind the scenes, it’s crucial to ensure safe and effective patient care. A medical record error, oversight, or omission can result in significant harm to a patient, including injury, worsening of a medical condition, catastrophic harm or even death. In the event a medical record has caused you harm, reach out to our medical malpractice attorneys in Chicago.

What Types of Medical Record Mistakes Lead to Serious Injuries?

A…
Continue Reading How Medical Record Errors Can Lead to Serious Patient Harm

CHICAGO – Smith LaCien LLP, a personal injury law firm, has once again been ranked by Best Lawyers in America® as a Best Law Firm® in 2026.

Smith LaCien was recognized regionally as a Tier 1 firm in Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs; Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs; Aviation – Plaintiffs, Mass Tort Litigation/ Class Actions, and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs, and nationally, as a Tier 1 in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions.

Firms included on the “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. A tier 1 ranking demonstrates…
Continue Reading Smith LaCien Ranked a 2026 Best Law Firm

Illinois is one of only 22 states that require uninsured motorist coverage (UM) as part of the standard minimum auto insurance package carried by all licensed drivers. This coverage offers many benefits that protect drivers after an accident in fault-based insurance states, such as Illinois.

The state’s modified comparative negligence system under Illinois 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 compels car accident victims who seek compensation for their property and personal injury damages to file a claim against the responsible party as long as they are more than 51% responsible for the accident, but what if the at-fault party lacks insurance?

That’s where…
Continue Reading Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Required In Illinois?

Smith LaCien – Trial Lawyers LLP has been recognized in Jury Verdict Reporter’s annual Settlements Report as one of the Top 5 plaintiff’s injury law firms in 2025 with settlements of $96.5 million. Its largest settlement was for $30.5 million, awarded to the family of a construction worker who died from injuries sustained on the job.

Founded by Todd A. Smith and Brian LaCien, the firm has a proven track record of exceptional results for clients, with more than $3.5 billion in verdicts and settlements and over 100 cases with results of at least $5 million.

“Justice is at…
Continue Reading Smith LaCien Named a Top 5 Illinois Law Firm

A car accident is a frightening and traumatic experience, especially when it causes injuries as well as property damage to a vehicle. Once a car accident victim has recovered from their injuries, they usually want to put the accident behind them as soon as possible and move forward.

Unfortunately, car accidents have legal consequences as well as physical and emotional ones, and these may cause additional, ongoing distress. One repercussion is having an accident on your driving record, but how long does this consequence last?

An Illinois Car Accident Remains on Record For 3-5 Years

An accident stays on a…
Continue Reading How Long Does an Accident Stay on Your Record In Illinois?

CHICAGO, October 30, 2025 – Todd A. Smith, founding partner of Smith LaCien LLP, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Jury Verdict Reporter and Law Bulletin Media at the organization’s annual awards ceremony and reception at the RPM Events space here on October 29. Law Bulletin Media, a Chicagoland publication, has documented jury verdicts for decades.

The award recognizes the recipient’s sustained and outstanding contributions to a particular field throughout their career. It is the highest honor a professional organization or institution can bestow, recognizing longevity, significant impact, and a consistent track record of excellence that has inspired others…
Continue Reading Smith LaCien Founding Partner Todd A. Smith Receives JVR Lifetime Achievement Award

Sepsis was once known as “blood poisoning,” believed to be the result of infection spreading to the bloodstream and causing organ failure. Now, medical professionals have a better understanding of the body’s dynamics and the cause and stages of sepsis.

Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency. 

According to the CDC, about 1.7 million people develop sepsis each year in the U.S., and about 350,000 people die from the final stage of sepsis. When medical providers in hospitals and nursing home caregivers fail to accurately diagnose and promptly and aggressively treat sepsis in its earliest stages, it is medical malpractice…
Continue Reading What Are the Three Stages of Sepsis?

Federal regulators have initiated yet another investigation into Tesla’s self-driving technology, prompted by a series of disturbing incidents in which vehicles have run red lights, driven against traffic, and crashed into others, resulting in injuries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is examining 58 incidents involving Tesla cars that reportedly violated traffic safety laws while using the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode. These incidents have led to over a dozen crashes, fires, and nearly 20 serious injuries.
Tesla’s Ambitious Future Plans
Elon Musk has ambitious plans for the future, vowing to deploy hundreds of thousands of driverless…
Continue Reading The Growing Concerns Over Tesla’s Safety Record

Illinois roads are filled with motorists traveling toward innumerable destinations, requiring roadways to intersect at locations where drivers are compelled to move forward or make turns to the right or left. These intersections may be guided or unguided. Traffic signal lights control guided intersections, while unguided intersections require drivers to follow the directions of road signs and rely on their knowledge of the state’s right-of-way laws for unguided intersections.

Following right-of-way laws in Illinois is a crucial aspect of driving, not only to avoid traffic citations but also to prevent serious intersection accidents and liability for property damage, medical expenses,…
Continue Reading Right-of-Way Laws In Illinois

A serious injury is more than just painful and traumatic; some injuries also cause temporary or permanent disability, resulting in a pile of medical bills and out-of-pocket costs. At the same time, the injury also prevents a return to work, either temporarily or permanently, depending on the severity of the injury. Fortunately, a successful personal injury claim brings more than financial compensation for medical expenses, but also for an injury victim’s lost earnings. But, how does a Chicago personal injury lawyer calculate lost wages?

Determining Total Lost Earnings in a Personal Injury Claim

After a relatively minor, fully recoverable injury,…
Continue Reading How Are Lost Wages Calculated In a Personal Injury Claim?

CHICAGO, IL – Andrew Mason, an associate attorney at Smith LaCien LLP, has been named a 2025 “40 under Forty Attorneys to Watch” in Illinois by Law Bulletin Media. Chosen from more than 1,500 nominees, he is featured in a special magazine and was honored at a reception for the honorees.

Mason has secured major legal victories for his clients, including an $11.5 million settlement in a grain elevator explosion case, a $10 million settlement in a spinal cord injury case, and a $7.375 million settlement in a medical malpractice case.

In their supporting nominations, lawyers commended Mason’s diligent…
Continue Reading Mason Selected as a “40 under Forty” Lawyer

Nearly ten years after Chicago launched its Vision Zero plan to end traffic deaths by 2026, the city has made little progress. Despite upgrades to intersections and the addition of bike lanes, traffic fatalities and injuries remain high, according to a recent story in the Chicago Sun-Times.

In 2024, 109 people lost their lives on Chicago’s roads — 38 pedestrians, two cyclists, and 69 motorists. While that’s slightly down from the height of the pandemic, it’s only a modest improvement from 2017, the year Vision Zero was introduced. At the same time, more than 23,000 people were injured in…
Continue Reading Chicago’s Vision Zero Goals Falling Short

CHICAGO – Brian LaCien, a founding partner of Smith LaCien LLP – Trial Lawyers was appointed to the leadership of the Professional Negligence Section of the American Association for Justice at the annual meeting.

The Professional Negligence Section focuses on medical negligence cases but also covers litigation on other negligence cases, including those involving lawyers, dentists, therapists, clergy and accountants. He will also continue to serve in leadership of the AAJ’s Environmental and Toxic Torts Section where he is now chair-elect and will be elevated to chair next summer.

In 2020, he was appointed to the AAJ Board of…
Continue Reading LaCien Appointed to AAJ Professional Negligence Section Leadership

CHICAGO, August 18, 2025 – Six attorneys from Smith LaCien LLP have been selected for inclusion in the 2026 Chicago metro edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, a premier attorney rating guide.

They are founding partners Todd A. Smith and Brian LaCien, and attorneys Jason Williams and Carla A. Colaianni. Named as The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch® are associate attorneys Andrew M. Mason and Allyson C. Cox.

Smith has been a member of Best Lawyers since 1997. He has won its “Lawyer of the Year” award in recognition of the highest overall peer feedback in Injury…
Continue Reading Six Smith LaCien Lawyers Recognized for 2026 by Best Lawyers®

Misdiagnosis – including missed, delayed, and wrong diagnoses – leads to an estimated 371,000 deaths and 424,000 permanent disabilities in the U.S. each year, according to a 2021 study.

To address the problem, the Centers for Disease Control and two agencies released last year a diagnostic error “toolkit” for hospital leaders and health care personnel. It also contains a section for patients, families, and caregivers. Indeed, patient engagement is crucial to a correct diagnosis.

Error Toolkit Guidance for Patients

 The CDC’s toolkit offers the following tips:

  • Know the names of the attending doctor and the nurses caring for

…
Continue Reading Patient Misdiagnoses Lead to Deaths, Disabilities