Chicago Injury Lawyers Blog

Tim Cavanagh, founder and partner of Cavanagh Law Group, has been named a "Leading Lawyer" for the 10th consecutive year. This year Tim was selected by his peers as a "Leading Lawyer" in three areas: General Personal Injury Law, Professional Malpractice, and Transportation Liability. The honor is based on surveys conducted by Leading Lawyers Network, a division of the Law Bulletin Publishing Company. Tim was also recognized as one of the top 100 Consumer Lawyers in Illinois once again. To view Tim's "Leading Lawyer" profile, click here.

On October 26, 2011, Tim Cavanagh and Matt Rundio received Trial Lawyer Excellence awards from the Jury Verdict Report for gaining the highest reported tracked vehicle verdict. The awards, presented by Editor John Kirkton at the Jury Verdict Reporter's annual ceremony at the University Club of Chicago, recognize Tim and Matt for their record $55 million jury verdict in Velarde v. Canadian National Railroad Company. Congratulations to Tim, Matt and the other 32 lawyers who were honored for their achievements.

For more information on the Jury Verdict Reporter awards and annual ceremony, click here.

On November 7, 2011, Tim Cavanagh filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County on behalf of Terri Cenar. On November 4, 2011 at 1:40 p.m., Terri was riding her bicycle southbound on LaSalle Street when a semi-trailer truck attempted to make a right turn onto Chicago Avenue and struck and ran over Terri. Witnesses have stated that Terri had the right of way. Terri was immediately transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and later transferred to Loyola University Medical Center. The lawsuit names both the truck driver, Anthony Hudson, and his employer, Doka USA, Ltd., as defendants.

Immediately after filing the lawsuit, Cavanagh appeared before Judge Diane Larsen on an Emergency Motion for a Protective Order. Judge Larsen granted the Plaintiff's Emergency Motion ordering that the truck company preserve the truck in its present form. Judge Larsen also ordered the City of Chicago to preserve any surveillance videos of the incident from its cameras mounted on traffic control lights and to preserve all 911 calls.

The case is entitled Terri Cenar v. Anthony Hudson and Doka USA, Ltd., Court No.: 11 L 11590. The case is currently pending in front of Judge Diane Larsen. Mr. Cavanagh stated: "This tragedy could have been averted had the truck driver been paying attention and doing his job. Terri and her family and friends would appreciate any witnesses contacting Cavanagh Law Group."

Cyclist Struck by Semi Truck at Chicago and LaSalle

On October 10, 2011, Tim Cavanagh, partner at Cavanagh Law Group, was a featured speaker at the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association's "Update and Review" Seminar. The seminar hosted some of the top trial lawyers in the area and was held at the Westin River North Hotel. Cavanagh's speech focused on jury selection strategies utilized in winning significant verdicts including Tim's $55 million verdict in Velarde v. Canadian National Railroad. For more information on the seminar and the speeches given, click here.

The family of a Wisconsin construction worker who was hit and killed while working on a road construction site in Elmhurst, IL has filed a lawsuit against Adan's Trucking, Inc., and the driver operating the company's vehicle. Thirty-eight-year-old Daniel Green of Fontana, WI was struck and killed by a semi-tractor trailer on September 12, 2011, while working near the intersection of US-20 W and York Road in Elmhurst, IL. Daniel Green leaves behind a wife, Mrs. Mary Kriete-Green and his loving family.

According to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court on September 23, 2011 by Chicago attorney, Timothy Cavanagh a partner at Cavanagh Law Group, Green was working on a metal pipe in a gravel area 2-3 feet northwest of the right curb of the right turning lane when the driver of the semi-tractor trailer made an improper turn and struck Green with its rear tandem wheels. Green was then transported to Elmhurst Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The DuPage County Coroner's office and the police have both said that Green likely died of "massive traumatic injuries."

The case, Mary Kriete-Green, Special Administrator of the Estate of Daniel Green, Deceased v. Martin Montelongo and Adan's Trucking, Inc., case number 11 L 009979 is pending in front of Judge Michael R. Panter.

Lawsuit filed in construction worker's death

The family of a woman killed early Friday morning while walking on the Eisenhower Expressway has filed a lawsuit to preserve evidence against the Village of Westchester, BP Gas Station at 825 Mannheim Road in Westchester, the Illinois State Police, and the Office of the Medical Examiner of Cook County.

On September 2, 2011 at 3:30 a.m., the Illinois State Police pulled over Diana Paz for driving in the wrong direction on I-290 and arrested her for driving under the influence. Two hours later, Paz was released from the Westchester Police Department and transported to a nearby gas station by a member of the Illinois State Police. Thirty minutes after her release, Ms. Paz was killed while walking in a marked median area along the inbound lanes of the Eisenhower Expressway. According to a witness, Ms. Paz was struck by a Toyota truck that had crossed the marked median area. The driver of the pickup truck was charged with violating a restricted median.

On September 7, 2011, Cavanagh Law Group filed a lawsuit to preserve evidence and sought an Emergency Hearing in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Judge Eileen Brewer granted the family's Emergency Motion to protect and preserve all evidence in this incident including videotapes.

Mr. Cavanagh stated, "It is not right that the police would leave a twenty-five-year-old young woman at a gas station next to a major highway, while she was intoxicated, with no money or cell phone, in the dead of night." Mr. Cavanagh continued to state, "This family is entitled to answers and Judge Brewers ruling today will allow the family to see all critical evidence soon."

The case is entitled Maria Guerrero, as Next Friend of Erik Martinez v. Village of Westchester, et al. The case number is 11 L 9303. The case is pending in front of Judge Eileen Brewer in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

On August 18, 2011, Cavanagh Law Group settled a dental malpractice case for $685,000 bringing the total recovery to $1 million. The case arose out of failed dental procedure that left a man with permanent pain. Tim Cavanagh and Matt Rundio, partners at Cavanagh Law Group, announced the settlement. Mr. Rundio stated, "With only one week remaining before the start of a trial in the case, the insurance company for the dentist finally did the right thing." Mr. Cavanagh stated, "We were prepared to call 18 witnesses to trial including several prominent doctors to testify that the dentist's negligence left our client permanently damaged."

Cavanagh Law Group has settled a wrongful death lawsuit for $6.3 million. The case arose out of a two-vehicle automobile crash that resulted in the death of a passenger in one of the cars. The lawsuit was litigated for 7 years and was appealed to the Illinois Appellate Court on two separate occasions. The name of the case is being withheld as several of the insurance companies involved in this record payout demanded confidentiality of the settlement. Tim Cavanagh, the founding partner of Cavanagh Law Group, stated: "The family is gratified that this case is finally resolved and that justice has been served. Their perseverance and courage in this lengthy litigation allowed Cavanagh Law Group to fully litigate the case and recover this record settlement."

The family of a United Airlines employee killed while helping to transport members of the United States military to Kuwait last year has filed a lawsuit against CAV International Inc., the Boeing Company and NMC/Wollard Inc.

Sixty-four-year-old John Bruce of Arlington Heights was killed while trying to unload baggage for American military personnel from a United Airlines 747 at the Al-Mubarak Air Base in Kuwait on October 9, 2009. The U.S. military contracted with CAV International, a U.S. corporation, to operate this and other U.S airbases around the world. The U.S. also contracted with United Airlines to transport the troops to Kuwait.

Bruce leaves behind a wife and two adult children. The family's lawyer, Chicago attorney Timothy Cavanagh of the Cavanagh Law Group has spent the past year trying to get the family basic information about what happened.

"For more than a year, CAV International has refused to provide any information or even acknowledge the death of John Bruce at the airbase it operates in Kuwait," says Timothy Cavanagh. "John Bruce was serving his country by helping to transport troops around the world. His family deserves answers."

According to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court on December 6, 2010, Bruce was working on a TC-888 mobile belt loader designed and manufactured by NMC/Wollard. The belt loader was positioned at the cargo door of the 747 when a CAV International employee moved the belt loader without any warning. Neither the belt loader nor the Boeing 747 aircraft was designed with fall protection equipment. Bruce fell more than a dozen feet to the tarmac and suffered a brain injury. After being hospitalized in Kuwait, Bruce was transported to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Illinois where he died on October 15, 2009.

The lawsuit alleges if the CAV employee had been paying attention and doing his job and if NMC/Wollard and Boeing had provided fall protection devices on it's products, the tragedy would never have happened.

Cavanagh says he has spent the past year fighting to get CAV International to produce documents in a discovery lawsuit filed in the Law Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. United Airlines agreed to produce documents that prove John's death could have been prevented. However, CAV has refused to produce responsive documents or acknowledge their culpability.

"My husband's death has been a terrible tragedy for our family made worse by the lack of information about what really happened," says Patty Bruce. "We don't want this to happen to any other American working outside the country."

"Thousands of Americans are working overseas for U.S. companies and they don't lose their legal rights just because they are working beyond the U.S. borders," says Cavanagh.

Cleopatra Bruce, Special Administrator of the Estate of John Bruce, deceased v. CAV International, Inc., a corporation, The Boeing Company, a corporation, with its principal place of business in Illinois, and NMC/Wollard Inc., a corporation, case number 10 L 013818 is pending in front of Judge Brewer.

On June 24, 2010, Tim Cavanagh was formally named a member of the Board of Regents of Mercy Home for Boys & Girls (www.MercyHome.org). The home has provided shelter and hope for over 22,000 of Chicago's at-risk youth since its founding in 1887. Mercy is headquarted at 1140 W. Jackson Boulevard on the near west side of Chicago. It is run as a distinct organization within the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. It currently has over fourteen residential homes and serves hundreds of children twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. Mr. Cavanagh is honored to serve on the Board.

On April 21, 2010, Chicago Injury Lawyer Tim Cavanagh, an Illinois Leading Lawyer and Super Lawyer, will speak at the Law Bulletin Seminar "Making Your Case: Courtroom Visuals." The four hour conference featuring some of the top trial lawyers in town will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Cavanagh will discuss courtroom strategies utilized in winning the $13.7 million verdict in Czapski v. Maher, the $55 million verdict in Velarde v. Canadian National Railroad and the $2 million verdict in Santillana v. City of Chicago. For information on the Seminar, go to http://www.lawbulletin.com/legal/law-bulletin-seminars/courtroom-visuals---apr-21.