Firm News

2009

In a landmark Illinois case, Bruce Pfaff and Michael Gill successfully settled the claims of an south suburban man who died because the seat on his 1996 Ford Escort failed during a rear impact collision. Because of the seat failure, our client was thrown into the rear seat/rear window area of his car and he suffered a fatal head injury. Bruce Pfaff and Michael Gill tried the case to a record $27,000,000 jury verdict in 2005 against the rear ending motorist, Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Company. After two trips to the Illinois Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court, the judgment against the manufacturers was reversed because the high court changed the law concerning defective products and required a new trial. During the third day of trial proceedings in the Circuit Court Cook County, Illinois, the case settled. The case highlighted the dangers that exist in front seats of cars and light trucks that are weak. The seat is the main safety device to protect a person in a rear impact collision and if it fails to stay upright, the seat occupant will be accelerated toward the back of the car where he can hit rear seat occupants or structures in the vehicle, causing severe injuries or death. This is the second seat defect case the office has tried against Ford Motor Company with success. Pfaff & Gill has also successfully represented plaintiffs in seat defect cases against other manufacturers.
Bruce Pfaff was notified of his inclusion in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. He was elected in the specialties of Medical Malpractice Law, Personal Injury Litigation and Product Liability Litigation. For over a quarter of a century, Best Lawyers® has been regarded – by both the profession and the public – as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States.

Bruce Pfaff recently reached a $9,000,000 settlement in a product liability case with the manufacturer of a garage door that catastrophically failed and trapped a 4-year-old boy under the door. Read more.

In May 2009, Bruce Pfaff, co-authored a scholarly article for the Chicago Bar Association publication, the CBA Record, entitled, "The Right to Submit Questions to Jurors." Read more.

The attorneys and staff of Pfaff & Gill, Ltd. would like to announce the launch of the firm's blog. The blog is a place for us to share information and news with our colleagues, clients, and friends about the legal system and our current activities.

The 2009 Super Lawyer ratings are out. All firm members achieved high recognition among their peers. Bruce Pfaff has again been named as one of the top 100 lawyers in Illinois (one of only 16 plaintiff’s Illinois personal injury lawyers on the statewide list. Michael Gill and Matthew Ports have been named “Rising Stars” among Illinois Super Lawyers.

Bruce Pfaff served as a faculty member for a Chicago Bar Association seminar "Creative Insights for the Tort Trial Lawyer" on March 5, 2009. He discussed the topics of Closing Argument and Direct Examination.

On January 14, 2009, attorneys Robert Slattery (Wisconsin) and Michael Gill obtained a confidential settlement for a 15-year-old young man who suffered fractures at C5-6 and was rendered paraplegic due to a defectively designed and maintained snowboard jump at Cascade Mountain in Portage, Wisconsin.

Matthew Ports moderated the annual Motions seminar at the Chicago Bar Association on January 8, 2009. Speakers included Judge Kathy Flanagan, Judge Diane Larsen, Judge Clare McWilliams and Judge Tom Hogan.

Bruce Pfaff settled a Chicago birth injury case with a suburban physician’s group for $7.9 million on behalf of a four-year-old child with moderate 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. The doctor should have understood that the fetal heart tracings showed an ominous pattern indicative of hypoxia and ischemia and that a cesarean delivery was necessary to protect the baby. He proceeded to a vaginal delivery instead, delaying the birth and increasing the baby's exposure to harm.
Matthew Ports and Christopher Doscotch (Janssen Law Center) $1,520,000 settled a case for a 22-year-old machine operator who lost his non-dominate left arm below the elbow when he fell into the running drill while troubleshooting a problem on a Supermax-8 Machining Center. The case was brought against the manufacturer and the distributor for the unsafe design and distribution of a machine without proper guarding. Additionally, the $260,000+ workers compensation lien was waived by the employer’s carrier who also added $100,000 to settle the case.

Related Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury News

April 10, 2009
Family Awarded $7.9 M in Chicago Birth Injury Case

Bruce Pfaff settled a Chicago birth injury case with a suburban physician’s group for $7.9 million on behalf of a four-year-old child with moderate cerebral palsy due to a physician’s neglect in delaying delivery.

What We Do

Click on the Practice Areas below to learn more...

Awards & Ratings

Bruce Pfaff was notified of his inclusion in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. He was elected in the specialties of Medical Malpractice Law, Personal Injury Litigation and Product Liability Litigation. For over a quarter of a century, Best Lawyers® has been regarded – by both the profession and the public – as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States.
Bruce Pfaff is currently ranked one of the Top 100 Illinois Lawyers by Super Lawyers and The American Trial Lawyers’ Association
Super Lawyers selected both Michael Gill and Matthew Ports as Rising Stars in Illinois - the top lawyers under 40 years old.
The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin has recognized Michael Gill as one of its “40 Lawyers Under 40 To Watch”
Bruce Pfaff has the highest possible ratings given by Martindale Hubbell (“A.V.”) and AVVO.com (“10.0 Superb”)
Michael Gill is rated “9.2 Superb” by AVVO.com and "A.V." by Martindale Hubbell
The Leading Lawyers Network recognizes both Bruce Pfaff and Michael Gill as among the top 5% of lawyers in Illinois in the areas of Personal Injury law and Professional Malpractice law.

Verdicts & Settlements

R.B. v. Garage Door Manufacturer $9,000,000 settlement for the family of a 4-year-old boy who suffered brain injuries after being trapped under a garage door.
L.C. V. Ford Motor Co.
$14,500,000 verdict for a woman who became paraplegic when her 1991 Ford Explorer was rear ended.
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.
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 cellulites.

Call Now 312.828.9666 or fill out the form and someone will be in touch with you shortly.