Our Personal Injury Lawyers Proudly Serve Chicago and All of Illinois.

Swift Justice

We strive to maximize our clients’ recovery in every case. As trial lawyers, we prepare every case in anticipation of jury trial. Our effort is often rewarded by our opponents’ willingness to pay a fair and reasonable amount to settle a case. When they fail to do so, our hard work has led to many successful jury verdicts. The following are examples of the types of cases we have prosecuted and the results we have obtained.

According to a search of the Jury Verdict Reporter, Pfaff & Gill, Ltd. Trial Lawyers is one of only a handful of in Illinois who has obtained six verdicts in excess of $10,000,000 for his clients. This accomplishment speaks to the dedication and commitment Pfaff, Gill & Ports, Ltd. makes to our clients.

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Outcome Facts
$30,000,000 $30,000,000 jury verdict in a birth injury case for a six-year-old girl who suffered cerebral palsy due to a delayed emergency C-section delivery. K.B. v Kim.
$13,000,000 $13,000,000 settlement for a 9-month-old child who sustained brain injuries due to hypoxia and ischemia during surgery to repair a heart defect. There was a significant delay in administering blood products that caused the brain injuries. Unnamed Plaintiff v. Chicago-area hospital and perfusionist – Unnamed Plaintiff v. Chicago-area hospital and perfusionist.
$12,261,131 Medical malpractice jury verdict in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois for a 49-year-old gentleman who died after failing to receive emergent plasmapheresis for a blood disorder, thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP). Estate of M.G. v. Maria Zurawski, R.N.; Acute Extracorporeal Services, Ltd.; Advocate Christ Medical Center.
$11,000,000 Cerebral palsy settlement. A downstate hospital and obstetrician agreed to pay $11,000,000 to settle claims brought by the parents of a boy delivered at the institution. The plaintiffs claimed that delivery was delayed by more than half an hour and that the child sustained significant hypoxic – ischemic insults during that time that led to brain damage.
$10,500,000 Malpractice jury verdict for a 72-year-old woman who suffered an above knee amputation because the emergency room doctor failed to diagnose bacterial cellulitis. She was discharged from the emergency room before the blood test results, showing the infection were completed. D.B. v. Advocate Medical Group, S.C.
$10,000,000 Settlement for a woman who underwent weight loss (bariatric) surgery. During the operation, a surgeon caused 1.5 – 1.7 liters of internal bleeding that he and the anesthesia team were slow to recognize and treat, leading to ischemic brain damage. Unnamed Plaintiff v. Downstate Illinois Hospital and Doctors.
$9,900,000 Settlement for a toddler who suffered brain injuries due to negligent post-operative care. He developed post-operative bleeding that went undetected and untreated by the physician overseeing care in the pediatric intensive care unit which led to his brain damage. S.D. v. Advocate Christ Medical Center.
$9,350,000 $9,350,000 settlement for a 49-year-old man who suffered disabling injuries after brain surgery to remove a 5 cm olfactory groove meningioma. There was extensive bleeding during surgery that was denied by the surgeons but documented by the anesthesiologist.
$9,346,933 Jury verdict for the wrongful death of a 42-year-old man who died in 2000 due to a negligently performed, unnecessary cardiac catheterization. The physician was sentenced to prison due to an extensive scheme to perform hundreds of unnecessary procedures for his and the hospital’s financial benefit. E.O. v. Edgewater Medical Center and Cubria.
$8,000,000 Wrongful death settlement for the family of a 52-year-old woman died after anesthesiologist failed to intubate her when she went into respiratory arrest during surgery. We were able to establish that the anesthesiologist made thirty untrue entries on his one-page anesthesia record. Estate of M.R. v. a Chicago anesthesiologist and hospital.
$7,900,000 Settlement in a birth injury case for a four-year-child with moderate cerebral palsy due to a physician’s neglect in delaying delivery. 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.
$7,750,000 Settlement for the wrongful death of a 62-year-old woman during what should have been a routine total hip replacement surgery. Significant bleeding occurred that was not timely diagnosed or treated and she bled to death in the operating room.
$7,250,000 J.H. v. University of Chicago Hospitals – $7,250,000.00 settlement in a medical malpractice case 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.
$7,000,000 Settlement for birth injuries sustained by a girl during her delivery which was delayed due to negligence, causing her cerebral palsy. M.C.K. v. NWMH.
$5,750,000 Settlement for a child with cerebral palsy. As part of the settlement, an annuity to pay lifelong benefits to the child was established. S.M. v. Michael Reese Hospital.
$5,008,921 Tazewell County jury verdict for the estate of a 36-year-old woman who bled to death during at DaVinci robotic hysterectomy procedure at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois. K.S. v. Methodist Medical Center et al.
$5,000,000 Settlement for 64-year-old woman who suffered a brain injury, central pontine myelinolysis due to negligent treatment of hyponatremia. U.P. v. Northwest Community Hospital, Nephology Associates of Northern Illinois, Dr. Venkata Behara, Dr. Tina Han.
Outcome Facts
$27,000,000.00

C.M. v. Ford Motor Co.

$27,000,000.00 jury verdict in an auto defect case for the estate of a 46-year-old man who died because the driver’s seat of his vehicle failed in a rear impact motor vehicle accident, 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.

$14,500,000.00

L.C. v. Ford Motor Co. – $14,500,000.00 verdict in an auto defect case for a woman who became paraplegic when her 1991 Ford Explorer was rear ended. Her driver’s seat broke, and she was catapulted into the rear of the vehicle. The verdict was rendered against Ford Motor Company and the uninsured driver of the other vehicle. The verdict was affirmed on appeal, and the judgment plus interest was paid in full.

$13,544,172.00

D.S. v. MiTek Industries, Inc. v. C.I.T. Industries, Inc.

$13,544,172.00 jury verdict in the Circuit Court of Tazewell County, Illinois for a product liability case involving a 19-year-old young man who suffered an above-knee amputation of his left leg due to a defectively designed and manufactured Roof Glider machine. Read more

$9,000,000.00

R.B. v. Garage Door Manufacturer – $9,000,000.00 settlement to the family of a four-year-old boy who suffered brain injuries after being trapped under a garage door. The “contact safety reverse system that was supplied with the garage door operator failed to reverse the door, and the boy was asphyxiated for 5 or more minutes before his mother found him.

$8,104,001.35

O.R. v. Dri-Tec Manufacturing, Inc. – $8,104,001.35 judgment against Dri-Tec Manufacturing, Inc. for a 24-year-old machine operator who died of compartment syndrome when his arm was crushed between two rollers of a 1990 coating and laminating machine that was designed without proper safety guards for operators. He was survived by his wife and 2-year-old son. Though the defendant company was sold and later dissolved, the case continues against the former owner for fraudulent conveyance and to pierce the corporate veil to hold the owner personally liable for the judgment.

$6,175,000.00

K.B. v. Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd. – Settled claims on behalf of 33 year-old incomplete quadriplegic for $6,175,000.00. Our client was injured when a plank on a scaffold snapped, causing him to fall 20 feet 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.

$4,650,000.00

R.S. v. United Engineering Co. – $4,650,000.00 settlement to the family of a 38-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 which leaked, causing the explosion.

$3,650,000.00

Unnamed Plaintiff v. Unnamed Automaker and Dealer – $3,650,000.00 settlement in an auto product defect case. Our 57-year-old client fell asleep at the wheel of his convertible coupe, lost control and rolled over while driving on I-94 in SW Michigan. During the course of the rollover, the A-pillar on the driver’s side deformed downward, exposing the plaintiff’s spine to severe flexion. This caused incomplete quadriplegia. We sued the automaker and dealer for failing to incorporate pop-up or fixed roll-bar technology on the convertible that would have made the injury less likely.

$2,000,000.00

J.S. v. Kayak Pool Corporation, Kayak Pools Midwest, Latham International, Inc., and homeowners – $2,000,000.00 settlement with for 12-year-old girl who dove into an above ground pool and fractured her cervical spine.

$1,520,000.00

S.B. v. YCM. – $1,520,000.00 plus waiver of $260,000.00 worker’s compensation lien for a 22-year-old who lost his non-dominant arm below the elbow in a work mishap. In an attempt to determine the cause of imperfect drilling by the machine, he slipped into the spinning drill. The defendant’s machine did not have an automatic shut-off when the doors were open and did not have adequate safety guards to protect workers from the spinning drill.

Tylenol Poisoning Cases – Acted as co-lead counsel for the seven wrongful death cases pending against McNeil Consumer Product Co. These cases settled for a confidential amount in May 1991. An individual poisoned several bottles of Tylenol, which was not apparent to consumers who subsequently purchased the medicine because the bottles were not tamper-resistant or tamper-evident. In claims against the manufacturer, it was shown that the company was aware the product was subject to tampering but took no action to produce a safe product.

L.S. v. General Motors Corp. – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case to the surviving adult children of a woman who died in a rollover collision. Claimed auto defects were in the door mounted seat belt system, and the automatic door locking system of the Pontiac Grand Am.

J.T. v. Seat Belt Manufacturer – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case on behalf of young man who was paralyzed when his seat belt inertially unlatched during a collision and he was ejected from his seat.

E.M. v. Confidential Auto Manufacturer – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case on behalf of a young woman who was paralyzed when she was ejected from a vehicle when the door latch and lock system failed and the door opened during the crash.

Outcome Facts
$27,000,000.00

C.M. v. Ford Motor Co.

$27,000,000.00 jury verdict in an auto defect case for the estate of a 46-year-old man who died because the driver’s seat of his vehicle failed in a rear impact motor vehicle accident, 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.

$14,500,000.00

L.C. v. Ford Motor Co. – $14,500,000.00 verdict in an auto defect case for a woman who became paraplegic when her 1991 Ford Explorer was rear ended. Her driver’s seat broke, and she was catapulted into the rear of the vehicle. The verdict was rendered against Ford Motor Company and the uninsured driver of the other vehicle. The verdict was affirmed on appeal, and the judgment plus interest was paid in full.

$9,362,850.56

Estate of J.L.G., deceased v. Dennis Oltesvig and A Wisconsin Trucking Company – $9,362,850.56 verdict for man who was contacted by another truck while standing on the under-ride bar of his trailer, tarping a load. The contact caused massive hemorrhages in both thighs from transection of the major vessels in the legs. Decedent had 85 minutes of conscious pain and suffering, and he died the next day.

$6,449,328.17

J.T. v. Waste Management of Illinois, Inc. – $6,449,328.17 Cook County jury verdict in a motor vehicle case for 57-year-old orthopedic surgeon who was a passenger in a cab that was struck by a Waste Management street sweeper traveling the wrong way on a one-way street in Chicago. Plaintiff suffered an injury to his right shoulder that required surgery and physical therapy. He returned to work full-time two months after surgery, but was no longer able to perform the more physically demanding orthopedic surgeries.

$3,650,000.00

Unnamed Plaintiff v. Unnamed Automaker and Dealer – Automotive Defects/Product Liability/Motor Vehicle – $3,650,000.00 settlement in an auto product defect case. Our 57-year-old client fell asleep at the wheel of his convertible coupe, lost control and rolled over while driving on I-94 in SW Michigan. During the course of the rollover, the A-pillar on the driver’s side deformed downward, exposing the plaintiff’s spine to severe flexion. This caused incomplete quadriplegia. We sued the automaker and dealer for failing to incorporate pop-up or fixed roll-bar technology on the convertible that would have made the injury less likely.

$1,165,000.00

G.P. v. Carmichael Trucking, et al. – $1,165,000.00 dollar car accident settlement for a 72 year-old driver of the 3rd car in a 4 car collision who suffered a vertebral fracture requiring 3 surgeries, 5 months in a halo brace with rehabilitation, resulting in bilateral peripheral double vision, loss of range of motion in his shoulders and numbness in hands.

$1,012,000.00

D.D. v. Schneider National Carriers. Inc. – Truck accident settlement of $1,012,000.00 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.

$750,000.00

T.H. & L.J. v. Colonial Coach Lines – $750,000.00 settlement for the passenger and driver of a Pace bus that was rear-ended by another bus. The driver suffered an injury to his lumbar spine and underwent L4-L5 laminectomy. The passenger suffered a C5-C6 herniation and underwent a fusion as those levels. The driver’s case settled after trial assignment and the passenger’s case settled three days prior to trial.

$147,997.44

A.P. v. Farjon and SJB Saturn, LLC d/b/a Saturn of Glenview – $147,997.44 jury verdict in Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois to a 29-year-old man who suffered multiple injuries in a motor vehicle collision on the Edens Expressway near the Wilson Avenue exit.

$147,997.44

L.S. v. General Motors Corp. – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case to the surviving adult children of a woman who died in a rollover collision. Claimed auto defects were in the door mounted seat belt system, and the automatic door locking system of the Pontiac Grand Am.

J.T. v. Seat Belt Manufacturer – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case on behalf of young man who was paralyzed when his seat belt inertially unlatched during a collision and he was ejected from his seat.

E.M. v. Confidential Auto Manufacturer – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case on behalf of a young woman who was paralyzed when she was ejected from a vehicle when the door latch and lock system failed and the door opened during the crash.

Y.I., A.A. & M.F. v. The Mark Travel Corp. d/b/a Funjet Vacations- Confidential settlement for mom and her two children who suffered serious personal injuries when the driver taking them from their hotel in Negril, Jamaica to the airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica crossed the center line and struck a lumber truck. The driver was killed. Mom, 34, suffered numerous internal and orthopaedic injuries necessitating abdominal surgery in Jamaica, and orthopaedic procedures at University of Chicago Hospital on her knee, hip and shoulder. Her daughter, 15, suffered fractures to her right arm requiring multiple surgeries. Her son, 4, suffered a permanent brachial plexus injury. Plaintiffs had purchased an all-inclusive vacation package from Funjet that included transportation to and from the airport in Jamaica. Plaintiffs alleged that the driver was Funjet’s apparent agent.

Outcome Facts
$29,000,000.00 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 $29,000,000. The six clients represented by Bruce Pfaff settled their claims for a total of $12,700,000.00 and worker’s compensation lien waivers valued at approximately $1,000,000.00.
$27,000,000.00 C.M. v. Ford Motor Co.
$27,000,000.00 jury verdict in an auto defect case for the estate of a 46-year-old man who died because the driver’s seat of his vehicle failed in a rear impact motor vehicle accident, 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.
$12,500,000.00 $12,500,000 settlement in a wrongful death case involving a 35-year-old electrician who died after kidney surgery. The settlement was paid to the surviving spouse. Experts for the plaintiff said the urologist who performed the surgery erred when he refused to respond to obvious signs that the patient was bleeding internally. The defendant doctor had a checkered work history; his pattern was to work for a short stint at a hospital or clinic before moving on. The defendant medical facility had disciplined the urologist but allowed him to continue working and hid his record of professional shortcomings.
$12,261,131.00 Estate of M.G. v. Maria Zurawski, R.N.; Acute Extracorporeal Services, Ltd.; Advocate Christ Medical Center
$12,261,131.00 medical malpractice jury verdict in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois for a 49-year-old gentleman who died after failing to receive emergent plasmapheresis for thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP). The jury found defendants Acute Extracorporeal Services, Ltd., a subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care North America, and Advocate Christ Medical Center negligent. Read more
$9,362,850.56 Estate of J.L.G., deceased v. Dennis Oltesvig and A Wisconsin Trucking Company – $9,362,850.56 verdict for man who was contacted by another truck while standing on the under-ride bar of his trailer, tarping a load. The contact caused massive hemorrhages in both thighs from transection of the major vessels in the legs. Decedent had 85 minutes of conscious pain and suffering, and he died the next day.
$9,346,933.64 E.O. v. Edgewater Medical Center – $9,346,933.64 jury verdict in a medical malpractice case for a 42-year-old man who died in 2000 as a result of unnecessary heart surgery. Read More
$8,104,001.35 O.R. v. Dri-Tec Manufacturing, Inc.- $8,104,001.35 judgment against Dri-Tec Manufacturing, Inc. for a 24-year-old machine operator who died of compartment syndrome when his arm was crushed between two rollers of a 1990 coating and laminating machine that was designed without proper safety guards for operators. He was survived by his wife and 2-year-old son. Though the defendant company was sold and later dissolved, the case continues against the former owner for fraudulent conveyance and to pierce the corporate veil to hold the owner personally liable for the judgment.
$8,000,000.00 Estate of M.R. v. a Chicago anesthesiologist and hospital – $8,000,000.00 wrongful death settlement. 52-year old woman died after anesthesiologist failed to intubate her when she went into respiratory arrest during surgery to remove an enlarged thyroid gland. The doctor paid his $2,000,000.00 policy and the hospital, sued under the principle of apparent agency, paid the rest. We were able to establish that the anesthesiologist made thirty untrue entries on his one page anesthesia record.
$7,020,882.96 Estate of Corina Miller v. Cluver Milk Transportation – $7,020,882.96 jury verdict in a wrongful death case after a 41-year-old woman was killed in a collision with a tanker truck. Read more
$6,000,000.00 Estates of D.S. and F.R. v. Agridyne, LLC. – $6,000,000.00 settlement to the families of a 32-year-old man and a 29-year-old man who died from poisonous gas exposure in a railroad car while working at Agridyne, LLC’s livestock feed facility in Pekin, Illinois. The $3 million settlement to each estate represents the second highest wrongful death awarded in Tazewell County as of 2018.
$5,008,921.72 Kindred LLC. – $5,008,921.72 Tazewell County jury verdict for the estate of a 36-year-old woman who bled to death during at DaVinci robotic hysterectomy procedure at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois. The gynecologist accidently lacerated her left iliac artery and she bled internally for approximately 2 hours before the injury was detected. Meanwhile, the anesthesia staff failed to diagnose the internal bleeding despite the presence of clear indicators of distress in our client’s vital signs.
$4,650,000.00 R.S. v. United Engineering Co. – $4,650,000.00 settlement to the family of a 38-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 which leaked, causing the explosion.
  E.H. v. Michael Reese Hospital – Settled claims for the wrongful death of a 35-year-old single woman, survived by her minor daughter, for $3,800,000.00. The mother gave 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 the mother being at high risk for the complication.
$3,600,000.00 Estate of B.D. v. ABB C-E Services, Inc., Commonwealth Edison Co., et al. – $3,600,000.00 verdict in a construction accident case for widow of 35 year-old electrician who fell to his death through a 3 foot by 8 foot hole in a catwalk 30 feet up in the air. The section of catwalk was removed by other workers and the opening was not barricaded or roped off.
$2,800,000.00 Estate of T.S. v. Rush University Medical Center – Our client was a 74-year-old man with severe heart disease. He consented to participate in a clinical trial that involved injecting the inside wall of the left ventricle of his heart with stem cells to regenerate heart muscle. The doctor, using a medical device approved by the FDA only for investigational uses, perforated the wall of the heart and lacerated a cardiac vein. This led to cardiac tamponade that another cardiologist employed by Rush University tried to repair. Those efforts led to a significant laceration of the heart wall, a hematoma, and our client’s death. The suit against Rush, the doctors’ employer, the medical device manufacturer, and the clinical trial sponsor was settled for $2,800,000.00.
$2,750,000.00 J.L. v. Trinity Hospital – $2,750,000.00 settlement plus $1,000,000.00 consent judgment in a medical malpractice lawsuit 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.
$1,800,000.00 M.C. v. Raj – $1,800,000.00 settlement to the surviving parents and half-brother of a nineteen month old child who died at Lutheran General Hospital. Plaintiff 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.
$1,800,000.00 Estate of W.R. v. John Ebihara, M.D., et al. – $1,800,000.00 wrongful death settlement. 57-year-old man died due to the failure of 3 internists to timely diagnose and treat bacterial endocarditis. Survived by his widow and 3 adult children.
$, 1,800,000.00 Estate of W.L. v. suburban OB/GYN and Chicago-area hospital – $, 1,800,000.00 settlement for wrongful death of newborn, survived by loving mother and father. We claimed that the delivering physician and the nurses failed to identify the baby’s deteriorating condition as could be seen on the fetal monitoring strips. We believe that a c-section done at any time in the hours before delivery would have easily saved the child. An additional claim against the hospital was added for negligent credentialing after it was discovered that the Illinois licensing board had cited the defendant physician with “gross negligence” for past poor labor and delivery care.
$1,500,000.00 Estate of T.C. v. Luca Cicalese, M.D.- $1,500,000.00 wrongful death settlement. 42 year-old man bled to death following a kidney-pancreas transplant surgery at UIC. Mr. C bled excessively during the procedure as a result of taking Plavix. The surgeon failed to timely treat the Plavix-related bleeding.
$1,222,000.00 Estate of J.D. v. General Contractor and Crane Inspection Company – $1,222,000.00 wrongful death settlement with general contractor and crane inspection company for 33-year-old man working on a construction site on a lift doing steel erection when the boom hoist wire rope of the crane working nearby snapped and the boom collapsed and fell on him killing him instantly. At the time of his death, plaintiff was survived by his 1-year-old daughter and posthumously born son.
$1,100,000.00 S.S. v. Winslow – $1,100,000.00 settlement in a medical malpractice case 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 four prior open heart surgeries for valve problems, and would not have required a fifth surgery had the defendant physician properly diagnosed his condition.
$1,012,000.00 D.D. v. Schneider National Carriers. Inc. – Truck accident settlement of $1,012,000.00 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.
$950,000.00 Estate of W.T. v. Isaac Thapedi, M.D. – $950,000.00 wrongful death settlement for estate of a 69 year-old man who underwent an anterior cervical decompression and fusion by Dr. Isaac Thapedi. Dr. Thapedi failed to decompress the spinal cord, failed to recognize that the spinal cord remained compressed, and failed to re-operate. As a result, Mr. T was discharged and spent the remainder of his life in nursing homes. He died on September 16, 2004 from sepsis related to decubitus ulcers. The settlement was paid 3 days before trial by ISMIE in response to plaintiff’s $1 Million policy demand.
$934,126.00 Estate of F.M. v. USA – $934,126.00 verdict for wrongful death in Federal Tort Claims Act case for estate of 76-year-old man who died at the West Side V.A. Hospital 4 days after a lung biopsy because Drs. Ziad Hanhan and Norman Snow failed to prevent and/or timely diagnose and treat a pulmonary embolism. This bench trial was tried before Hon. Matthew F. Kennelly (USDC ND IL).
$801,642.57 N.B. v. MacNeal Hospital, et. al. – $801,642.57 verdict in a medical malpractice case for the estate of a 78-year-old man. Plaintiff claimed that the defendants failed to timely appreciate and treat a large hemorrhage in the decedent’s chest which led to his death during a femoro-popliteal bypass.
$800,000.00 J.V. v. Scott Multack, D.O. – $800,000.00 settlement in a birth injury case 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.
$800,000.00 Estate of L.G. v. County of Cook – $800,000.00 wrongful death settlement. 63-year-old man died due to nursing staff’s failure to provide Vitamin K and blood products as ordered to treat accidental Coumadin overdose. Survived by adult son. Case settled before disclosure of expert witnesses.
$506,370.36 Estate of O.R. v. Cedar Lake Park, Inc. – $506,370.36 jury verdict reduced to $253,185.18 for estate of 17 year-old boy who drowned at defendant’s beach. Jury found the decedent 50% liable.
  Tylenol Poisoning Cases- Acted as co-lead counsel for the seven wrongful death cases pending against McNeil Consumer Product Co. These cases settled for a confidential amount in May 1991. An individual poisoned several bottles of Tylenol, which was not apparent to consumers who subsequently purchased the medicine because the bottles were not tamper-resistant or tamper-evident. In claims against the manufacturer, it was shown that the company was aware the product was subject to tampering but took no action to produce a safe product.
  D.M. v. Michael Reese One Day Surgery Center – Substantial settlement of wrongful death claim of 36-year-old gentleman 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.
Outcome Facts
$16,000,000.00

R.H. v. Central Telephone Company of Illinois – $16,000,000.00 verdict for 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 award was reduced by 40% contributory negligence, resulting in a total judgment of $9,623,000.00 The case was subsequently settled for $10.2 million, which included interest on the judgment and $500,000.00 to the worker’s wife for loss of consortium.

$6,175,000.00

K.B. v. Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd. – Settled claims on behalf of 33 year-old incomplete quadriplegic for $6,175,000.00. Our client was injured when a plank on a scaffold snapped, causing him to fall 20 feet 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.

$3,600,000.00

Estate of B.D. v. ABB C-E Services, Inc., Commonwealth Edison Co., et al. – $3,600,000.00 verdict in a construction accident case for widow of 35 year-old electrician who fell to his death through a 3 foot by 8 foot hole in a catwalk 30 feet up in the air. The section of catwalk was removed by other workers and the opening was not barricaded or roped off.

$2,630,000.00

N.K. v. LOC Construction Co. – Settled claims for personal injuries in a construction accident case on behalf of a 37 year-old man who was crushed under a concrete catch basin in a job site excavation for $2,630,000.00. 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 $850,000.00, and the previous high verdict was less than $500,000.00.

$1,222,000.00

Estate of J.D. v. General Contractor and Crane Inspection Company – $1,222,000.00 wrongful death settlement with general contractor and crane inspection company for 33-year-old man working on a construction site on a lift doing steel erection when the boom hoist wire rope of the crane working nearby snapped and the boom collapsed and fell on him killing him instantly. At the time of his death, plaintiff was survived by his 1-year-old daughter and posthumously born son.

$750,000.00

T.F. v. Rockwell International – $750,000.00 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 the worker because it was not properly grounded.

$600,000.00

M.A. v. Jimmy’z – $600,000.00 settlement for a 45-year-old electrician who fell on a construction site when he tripped on some wire mesh that had been poorly placed by an employee of a different trade.

$550,000.00

D.A. v. Werd Constr. Co. and R.S.S. Constr., Inc – $550,000.00 plus waiver of $100,906.01 workers compensation lien settlement for plaintiff who suffered comminuted, displaced and angulated fractures involving the distal tibia and fibula, as well as an ankle fracture, which required surgical repair and hardware placement due to a deck collapse in a construction accident.

$400,000.00

W.T. v. Courthouse Development – $400,000.00 settlement in a construction accident case for a 53-year-old man who was injured while at work when he fell of a 6-7 foot scaffold. Though the defendant denied it, the scaffold was assembled by the defendant in violation of OSHA standards.

$185,871.13

P.M. v. Patel Builders, Inc. and Divydeep Patel – $185,871.13 jury verdict in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois construction accident case to a 29-year-old man who was working as a bricklayer’s assistant and suffered a trimalleolar (ankle) fracture when a box fell onto his ankle while emptying a storage crate. The case settled post-trial for $202,500.00.

Outcome Facts
$2,550,000.00

Does v. Minor Perpetrator and his Mother – $2,550,000.00 settlement for four children molested by a neighbor’s child. Multiple events over a six month period, the victims were 5 and 6 years old and the perpetrator was 11. Claims were against the neighbor’s child and his mother for negligent supervision because the mother was aware of previous accusations against her child and had been warned by her child’s therapist that the 11-year-old was not to be left alone with younger children because of his propensity to commit such acts. During pendency of case, we were able to prove that the child perpetrator and his mother were covered by the renters policy the mother had on the apartment.

$500,000.00

C.R. v. Jacqueline’s Transportation – $500,000.00 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.

$250,000.00

C.J. v. Alpha School Bus Co., et al. – $250,000.00 for 12-year- old autistic girl sexually assaulted on school bus by another disabled student.

Outcome Facts
$29,000,000.00

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 $29,000,000.00 The six clients represented by Bruce Pfaff settled their claims for a total of $12,700,000.00 and worker’s compensation lien waivers valued at approximately $1,000,000.00.

$3,600,000.00

Estate of B.D. v. ABB C-E Services, Inc., Commonwealth Edison Co., et al. – $3,600,000.00 verdict in a construction accident case for widow of 35 year-old electrician who fell to his death through a 3 foot by 8 foot hole in a catwalk 30 feet up in the air. The section of catwalk was removed by other workers and the opening was not barricaded or roped off.

$2,630,000.00

N.K. v. LOC Construction Co. – Settled claims for personal injuries in a construction accident case on behalf of a 37 year-old man who was crushed under a concrete catch basin in a job site excavation for $2,630,000.00. 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 $850,000.00, and the previous high verdict was less than $500,000.00.

$2,000,000.00

J.S. v. Kayak Pool Corporation, Kayak Pools Midwest, Latham International, Inc., and homeowners – $2,000,000.00 settlement with for 12-year-old girl who dove into an above ground pool and fractured her cervical spine.

$1,500,000.00

B.B. v. City of Chicago – $1,500,000.00 settlement for a 23-year-old who was riding his bicycle on a City street when he came upon a large hole around a catch basin in the roadway near the curb. The hole had been present for more than two months and the City had actual notice of the defect. Streets and Sanitation were scheduled to repair the hole the next day. On the evening of the occurrence, there was one unlighted sawhorse in the hole. City employees admitted that such a configuration was out of conformity with the City’s practices but denied that it was in that condition when they last saw it. Plaintiff suffered a severe closed head injury and now resides with his parents who provide the majority of his care.

$1,222,000.00

Estate of J.D. v. General Contractor and Crane Inspection Company – $1,222,000.00 wrongful death settlement with general contractor and crane inspection company for 33-year-old man working on a construction site on a lift doing steel erection when the boom hoist wire rope of the crane working nearby snapped and the boom collapsed and fell on him killing him instantly. At the time of his death, plaintiff was survived by his 1-year-old daughter and posthumously born son.

$506,370.36

Estate of O.R. v. Cedar Lake Park, Inc. – $506,370.36 jury verdict reduced to $253,185.18 for estate of 17 year-old boy who drowned at defendant’s beach. Jury found the decedent 50% liable.

$400,000.00

C.N. v. Levy Security – $400,000.00 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.

$400,000.00

W.T. v. Courthouse Development – $400,000.00 settlement in a construction accident case for a 53-year-old man who was injured while at work when he fell of a 6-7 foot scaffold. Though the defendant denied it, the scaffold was assembled by the defendant in violation of OSHA standards.

$75,000.00

R.M. v. Greyhound Lines, Inc. – $75,000.00 settlement for a 49-year-old gentlemen who was unlawfully detained, robbed, battered, and mentally abused by security guards at the Greyhound Bus Station in Chicago. The occurrence was captured by surveillance cameras and the case settled shortly after filing a personal injury lawsuit.

S.R. v. Cascade Mountain, Inc. – Confidential settlement for 15-year-old young man who suffered fractures to C5-C6 and was rendered paraplegic due to a defectively designed and maintained snowboard jump at Cascade Mountain in Portage, Wisconsin.

Outcome Facts
$27,000,000.00

C.M. v. Ford Motor Co.

$27,000,000.00 jury verdict in an auto defect case for the estate of a 46-year-old man who died because the driver’s seat of his vehicle failed in a rear impact motor vehicle accident, causing him to suffer fatal head injuries. The jury’s award included $25,000,000.00 for loss of society suffered by his wife and two children, an Illinois record.

$14,500,000.00

L.C. v. Ford Motor Co. – $14,500,000.00 verdict in an auto defect case for a woman who became paraplegic when her 1991 Ford Explorer was rear ended. Her driver’s seat broke, and she was catapulted into the rear of the vehicle. The verdict was rendered against Ford Motor Company and the uninsured driver of the other vehicle. The verdict was affirmed on appeal, and the judgment plus interest was paid in full.

$3,650,000.00

Unnamed Plaintiff v. Unnamed Automaker and Dealer – $3,650,000.00 settlement in an auto product defect case. Our 57-year-old client fell asleep at the wheel of his convertible coupe, lost control and rolled over while driving on I-94 in SW Michigan. During the course of the rollover, the A-pillar on the driver’s side deformed downward, exposing the plaintiff’s spine to severe flexion. This caused incomplete quadriplegia. We sued the automaker and dealer for failing to incorporate pop-up or fixed roll-bar technology on the convertible that would have made the injury less likely.

L.S. v. General Motors Corp. – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case to the surviving adult children of a woman who died in a rollover collision. Claimed auto defects were in the door mounted seat belt system, and the automatic door locking system of the Pontiac Grand Am.

J.T. v. Seat Belt Manufacturer – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case on behalf of young man who was paralyzed when his seat belt inertially unlatched during a collision and he was ejected from his seat.

E.M. v. Confidential Auto Manufacturer – Confidential settlement in an auto defect case on behalf of a young woman who was paralyzed when she was ejected from a vehicle when the door latch and lock system failed and the door opened during the crash.

Outcome Facts
$29,000,000.00

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 $29,000,000.00 The six clients represented by Bruce Pfaff settled their claims for a total of $12,700,000.00 and worker’s compensation lien waivers valued at approximately $1,000,000.00.

$13,544,172.00

D.S. v. MiTek Industries, Inc. v. C.I.T. Industries, Inc.

$13,544,172.00 jury verdict in the Circuit Court of Tazewell County, Illinois for a product liability case involving a 19-year-old young man who suffered an above-knee amputation of his left leg due to a defectively designed and manufactured Roof Glider machine. Read more

$9,000,000.00

R.B. v. Garage Door Manufacturer. – $9,000,000.00 settlement to the family of a four-year-old boy who suffered brain injuries after being trapped under a garage door. The “contact safety reverse system that was supplied with the garage door operator failed to reverse the door, and the boy was asphyxiated for 5 or more minutes before his mother found him.

$6,449,328.17

J.T. v. Waste Management of Illinois, Inc. – $6,449,328.17 Cook County jury verdict in a motor vehicle case for 57-year-old orthopedic surgeon who was a passenger in a cab that was struck by a Waste Management street sweeper traveling the wrong way on a one-way street in Chicago. Plaintiff suffered an injury to his right shoulder that required surgery and physical therapy. He returned to work full-time two months after surgery, but was no longer able to perform the more physically demanding orthopedic surgeries.

$6,175,000.00

K.B. v. Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd. – Settled claims on behalf of 33 year-old incomplete quadriplegic for $6,175,000.00. Our client was injured when a plank on a scaffold snapped, causing him to fall 20 feet 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.

$4,650,000.00

R.S. v. United Engineering Co. – $4,650,000.00 settlement to the family of a 38-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 which leaked, causing the explosion.

$3,650,000.00

Unnamed Plaintiff v. Unnamed Automaker and Dealer – $3,650,000.00 settlement in an auto product defect case. Our 57-year-old client fell asleep at the wheel of his convertible coupe, lost control and rolled over while driving on I-94 in SW Michigan. During the course of the rollover, the A-pillar on the driver’s side deformed downward, exposing the plaintiff’s spine to severe flexion. This caused incomplete quadriplegia. We sued the automaker and dealer for failing to incorporate pop-up or fixed roll-bar technology on the convertible that would have made the injury less likely.

$2,630,000.00

N.K. v. LOC Construction Co. – Settled claims for personal injuries in a construction accident case on behalf of a 37 year-old man who was crushed under a concrete catch basin in a job site excavation for $2,630,000.00. 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 $850,000.00, and the previous high verdict was less than $500,000.00.

$2,000,000.00

J.S. v. Kayak Pool Corporation, Kayak Pools Midwest, Latham International, Inc., and homeowners – $2,000,000.00 settlement with for 12-year-old girl who dove into an above ground pool and fractured her cervical spine.

$1,520,000.00

S.B. v. YCM. – $1,520,000.00 plus waiver of $260,000.00 worker’s compensation lien for a 22-year-old who lost his non-dominant arm below the elbow in a work mishap. In an attempt to determine the cause of imperfect drilling by the machine, he slipped into the spinning drill. The defendant’s machine did not have an automatic shut-off when the doors were open and did not have adequate safety guards to protect workers from the spinning drill.

$1,500,000.00

B.B. v. City of Chicago – $1,500,000.00 settlement for a 23-year-old who was riding his bicycle on a City street when he came upon a large hole around a catch basin in the roadway near the curb. The hole had been present for more than two months and the City had actual notice of the defect. Streets and Sanitation were scheduled to repair the hole the next day. On the evening of the occurrence, there was one unlighted sawhorse in the hole. City employees admitted that such a configuration was out of conformity with the City’s practices but denied that it was in that condition when they last saw it. Plaintiff suffered a severe closed head injury and now resides with his parents who provide the majority of his care.

$1,165,000.00

G.P. v. Carmichael Trucking, et al. – $1,165,000.00 dollar car accident settlement for a 72 year-old driver of the 3rd car in a 4 car collision who suffered a vertebral fracture requiring 3 surgeries, 5 months in a halo brace with rehabilitation, resulting in bilateral peripheral double vision, loss of range of motion in his shoulders and numbness in hands.

$1,000,000.00

Anonymous v. Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation – Personal Injury (Bruce Pfaff) $1,000,000.00 settlement for – $1,000,000.00 settlement for 35-year-old whose sperm samples were destroyed when the cryopreservation tank owned, operated, managed, and controlled by Northwestern failed.

$750,000.00

T.H. & L.J. v. Colonial Coach Lines – $750,000.00 settlement for the passenger and driver of a Pace bus that was rear-ended by another bus. The driver suffered an injury to his lumbar spine and underwent L4-L5 laminectomy. The passenger suffered a C5-C6 herniation and underwent a fusion as those levels. The driver’s case settled after trial assignment and the passenger’s case settled three days prior to trial.

$750,000.00

T.F. v. Rockwell International – $750,000.00 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 the worker because it was not properly grounded.

$600,000.00

M.A. v. Jimmy’z – $600,000.00 settlement for a 45-year-old electrician who fell on a construction site when he tripped on some wire mesh that had been poorly placed by an employee of a different trade.

$550,000.00

D.A. v. Werd Constr. Co. and R.S.S. Constr., Inc – $550,000.00 plus waiver of $100,906.01 workers compensation lien settlement for plaintiff who suffered comminuted, displaced and angulated fractures involving the distal tibia and fibula, as well as an ankle fracture, which required surgical repair and hardware placement due to a deck collapse in a construction accident.

$500,000.00

$500,000.00 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.

$400,000.00

C.N. v. Levy Security – $400,000.00 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.

$400,000.00

W.T. v. Courthouse Development – $400,000.00 settlement in a construction accident case for a 53-year-old man who was injured while at work when he fell of a 6-7 foot scaffold. Though the defendant denied it, the scaffold was assembled by the defendant in violation of OSHA standards.

$250,000.00

C.J. v. Alpha School Bus Co., et al. – $250,000.00 for 12-year- old autistic girl sexually assaulted on school bus by another disabled student.

$185,871.13

P.M. v. Patel Builders, Inc. and Divydeep Patel – $185,871.13 jury verdict in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois construction accident case to a 29-year-old man who was working as a bricklayer’s assistant and suffered a trimalleolar (ankle) fracture when a box fell onto his ankle while emptying a storage crate. The case settled post-trial for $202,500.00.

$147,997.44

A.P. v. Farjon and SJB Saturn, LLC d/b/a Saturn of Glenview – $147,997.44 jury verdict in Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois to a 29-year-old man who suffered multiple injuries in a motor vehicle collision on the Edens Expressway near the Wilson Avenue exit.

$75,000.00

R.M. v. Greyhound Lines, Inc. – $75,000.00 settlement for a 49-year-old gentlemen who was unlawfully detained, robbed, battered, and mentally abused by security guards at the Greyhound Bus Station in Chicago. The occurrence was captured by surveillance cameras and the case settled shortly after filing a personal injury lawsuit.

Confidential settlement for 15-year-old young man who suffered fractures to C5-C6 and was rendered paraplegic due to a defectively designed and maintained snowboard jump at Cascade Mountain in Portage, Wisconsin.