Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

I firmly believe in the importance of voter rights and the importance of promoting a free, fair and open voting experience for all eligible voters. For the 2008 Presidential Election I joined up with lawyers from across the country to protect the voting rights of citizens.

Even though I reside in Illinois I decided to serve in Dayton, Ohio on Election Day. Given the voter difficulties in recent presidential elections, particularly in the states of Florida and Ohio, I felt that I would be most useful in Ohio. I was assigned to the Dixon Wellness Worship Center, the polling place for Dayton's Precinct 14-I. My job was to work outside of the polling place and answer any voting questions.

On Election Day I arrived an hour before the polls opened. Overall, my experience was very positive and had very few conflicts. The polling officials were seasoned and knowledgeable in dealing with the large turnout and ensured that the voting was orderly and well run. Several people showed up to the polling place unsure whether they were in the correct place. The polling officials and I were able to determine if they were in fact eligible to vote in this precinct, and if not, then where they should be voting.

At the end of the day I headed home feeling that I had contributed to our election process. As a lawyer I am in the unique position of making sure that the rights of others are not violated and can help those who can not stand up for themselves. While I didn't witness any gross voter right violations in my precinct, I believe that it is important to take preventive measures to ensure that this remains the case nationwide.

Continue reading "Chicago Personal Injury Attorney Bob Kreisman Serves Voter Protection Program on Election Day" »

On October 18, 2008, Congressman Mark Kirk and challenger Dan Seals debated before area voters at Deerfield High School. Both candidates are running for the 10th Congressional District, which encompasses Chicago suburbs from Wilmette and north through Waukegan, Illinois. There were more than 800 people in attendance and loads of media reporting and videotaping the debate for later rebroadcast.

Representative Kirk, the Republican incumbent, said he was pro-choice, pro-environment and pro-education. He said that the Washington Post voted him the eighth most independent member of Congress. Kirk said that he opposed President Bush 59% of the time according to the Congressional Quarterly.

Dan Seals, Democrat, is making his second attempt to unseat his opponent. Seals repeatedly linked Kirk with President George W. Bush, citing that Kirk voted with the Bush Administration 90% of the time. Seals attacked Kirk for voting against the equal pay for woman in the workplace bill, also known as the Paycheck Fairness Act.

The heated debaters traded barbs regarding woman’s rights, the Bush administration, and their positions on other social issues. Even though the candidates had a few moments of agreement, the debate was acrimonious, fueled by the crowd eager to wildly cheer or boo either of the candidates.

Continue reading "Chicago Injury Attorney Bob Kreisman Co-Chairs Union League Club of Chicago Congressional Debate" »

Last week I was privileged to attend the Ninth Annual Justice John Paul Stevens Award Luncheon on at Chicago’s Standard Club. This year the event was especially noteworthy because the awards namesake, Justice Stevens, was in attendance.

The award luncheon was started in 2000 by former law clerks to Justice Stevens. Justice Stevens has served on the Supreme Court bench for 33 years (he was nominated by then President Gerald Ford in 1975 to take the place of retiring Justice William O. Douglas), and is approaching the all-time record for service. The justice appeared well and delivered his remarks in a robust and strong-voiced delivery that could be associated with a much younger person.

The 88 year-old U.S. Supreme Court Justice spoke in depth about former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley and the current mayor, Richard M. Daley. Justice Stevens is a Chicago native, and after clerking for a Supreme Court Justice, Stevens returned to Chicago to practice law. Upon his return Justice Stevens paired up with Richard J. Daley, a state representative at the time, to fight for integration and civil rights within Chicago's law societies. Justice Stevens commended both Mayor Daleys for their efforts in Chicago.

In addition, Justice Stevens spoke about the legal definitions of words like "people" and "liberty" in the written law, the constitution and in opinions found in cases. How these words are interpreted shapes our understanding of the law in different settings.

Also honored was attorney John B. Simon, United States Court of Appeals Judge Ann C. Williams and Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald. All of the award recipients spoke about their legal careers and honored they were to have received the award bearing Justice Stevens's name in his presence.

Continue reading "Chicago Bar Foundation Honors US Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens: Attorney Robert Kreisman Attends" »

Today I attended Metropolitan Mandate: How the Next President Will Maximize Metro Potential, which was presented by Chicago's Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC). At least 1,000 Chicago-area civic, government, corporate and community leaders were in attendance. This event was set up to address the issues facing metropolitan areas across the U.S., including Chicago.

It was introduced that 4 of 5 Americans live in or around a metropolitan area. These metropolitan areas are responsible for producing about 85% of the gross national product each year. Each presidential candidate had a surrogate speaker that voiced how they would address metropolitan area concerns such as transportation and urban economic development when they would become president. They took questions from the moderator.

Illinois House Representative. Jim Durkin spoke for Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain. Since 2007 Durkin has been co-chairing Senator McCain's presidential campaign in Illinois. Born and bred in Illinois Rep. Durkin's background in both politics and the Chicago region he was selected as one who is knowledgeable of Senator McCain's plans and goals.

Henry Cisneros was the spokesperson on behalf of Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Currently Mr. Cisneros is the executive chairman of CityView, Mr. Cisneros also has been the mayor of San Antonio, Texas and as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under Clinton administration. As such, he has experience with the issues and is well-versed in Mr. Obama's plans for an incoming administration.

The forum was hosted and moderated by Chicago's CLTV News anchor Carlos Hernandez Gomez. The questions posed to each surrogate ranged from education to transportation in our metropolitan areas and how these issues would be handled by the incoming president.

Mr. Cisneros was extremely well-prepared in the delivery of his answers, whereas Mr. Durkin appeared to simply read from a script prepared in advance. The two represented an interesting contrast in styles.

Continue reading "Henry Cisneros and Jim Durkin Represent Obama and McCain In Debate On Future of Metropolitan Areas" »

As the junior year came to an end, I knew I wanted to do something more with my summer than sleep in and hang out. With my future looming on the horizon, I also knew it was time to start mulling over many of the agonizing decisions facing me this fall.

The piles of college mail gathering dust on my kitchen counter, agonizing career-planning meetings with my counselor, and the cornucopia of job fairs taking place each weekend all had me thinking. Each time I ripped open another envelope, sat down for another discussion, or wandered aimlessly about the aisles of a fair, I felt hopelessly lost. How am I expected to choose my career path based on a few pamphlets or a couple pieces of advice? As a rising senior in a Chicago area high school, I finally realized that what I really needed was what hours in a high school classroom could never give me: hands-on experience.

That’s what landed me here, as a summer intern at Kreisman Law Offices in Chicago. I’d always been told I’d “make a great lawyer”, but most of the people telling me this had little to no experience in law, and were probably only remarking on several qualities they assumed to be the makings of a lawyer. Still, it sparked my interest.

To me law is an exciting field: one that was always changing, yet had a constant novel purpose. However, I also heard horror stories of lawyers acting as money-hungry, self-absorbed, and ruthless liars or cheaters. But I discovered that both the public' and my images of the modern attorney are completely false. The word ‘lawyer’ is not one-size-fits-all. My internship here at Kreisman Law Offices gave me a crucial backstage pass to the real substance of law, and how it functions on a day-to-day basis.

My experience here can only be described as priceless. Sure, I picked up a general knowledge of the court system, a smattering of law vernacular, as well as basic job experience. And of course I also gained a fundamental understanding of the differences between different types of firms, lawyers, and courts. I was taught how to abstract depositions, research law, and use databases, all of which were great learning experiences.

But if there’s one thing that these generous people have taught me that I was not expecting to learn, it’s that all lawyers are most definitely not the same. I was finally able to realize that lawyers are not defined by their title, but rather they are free to mold their own unique careers, very different, if they so choose, from any other lawyers.

My experience with Robert Kreisman in particular made me realize that it’s possible to be a committed and passionate lawyer and an honest and caring human being all at the same time. I now know that those lawyers who cut corners and make manipulative deals do so by choice, and more importantly, that if I were to become an attorney, I could make that same choice based on my own character.

Continue reading "Are All Chicago Lawyers Ruthless and Heartless? A Kreisman Law Offices Intern's Perspective" »

Chicago medical malpractice lawyer, Bob Kreisman, attended the American Association of Justice annual convention in Philadelphia from July 12 through July 16, 2008. The meetings were held in Philadelphia's Center City, in the shadow of its famous city hall. The conference had seminars for every field of trial practice.

For those who were particularly interested in the upcoming elections, there were luncheons, town hall meetings and late night discussions. Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri spoke with Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius. Pennsylvania's governor Ed Rendell and Senator Arlin Specter, also of Pennsylvania, drew large crowds to different events. Also, nominees for both the House of Representatives and Senate were on hand for speaking engagements. Minnesota's democratic hopeful Al Franken spoke on Monday afternoon to a packed house with Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana.

I found the few days of the meeting inspiring. While I was impressed with the speeches of the many talented, bright politicians, I was also energized by my own colleagues speaking about the things that I do in my trial practice day after day. Groups of us met between meetings to discuss our own cases and compare our approaches and style in presentation.

Putting on jury trials is a long process, but the lawyer leads the way, much the way a director styles a play or movie. Does the story of the case begin on day one, or as in the movie, "Saving Private Ryan", does it start at the end, at the grave site of those who gave their lives to save this private (now an older man)? Strategy is vital. How will the story of my case play to the audience, the jury? How will I know what themes work best, what order and who are to be the stars? The very simple answer is focus groups; that is practice trying the case briefly in front of a sample audience to test themes, exhibits, the biases of audience for this case.

The takeaways were many. Those are the valued pieces of knowledge, ideas that come from five days of exchanging experiences.

Continue reading "Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer Bob Kreisman Attends Annual AAJ (American Association of Justice) Convention" »

This 4th of July was the 232rd birthday of the United States. John Adams called the day in 1776: "a day of deliverance", with "...pomp and parade...shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more." And that sense of revelry has continued to this day, as can be seen in Chicago's lavish and extensive July 4th celebrations.

The fun kicks off early in Chicago with its annual Taste of Chicago. Starting on June 27th thousands of people flocked to Chicago's lakefront to partake in the many and varied vendors. There are the old standbys, like the traditional cheesecake from Eli's Cheesecake, deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, or the huge turkey leg from Helen's Restaurant. But for me no trip to the Taste would be complete without a waffle cone overflowing with rainbow ice cream from the Original Rainbow Cone. And of course, any time you need a break from the endless rows of vendors you can veer off the main drag and listen to the many bands the Taste offers. Or you can just take a step back and people watch. The Taste attracts all sorts- from kids filling up their lazy summer days, out-of-town visitors trying to get a sense of Chicago, serious foodies with an extensive rating system for all the booths, or the suit-wearing business people running over for a quick bite during lunch. The Taste truly has it all and is a perfect way to jump start the July 4th festivities.

And in case you couldn't wait til July 4th to get your fill of fireworks Chicago does their display on July 3rd. The streets close down as millions of people make their way to Chicago's lakefront to stake out their spot for watching the show. Hours beforehand you can see endless streams of people flooding the streets, all moving in the same direction. Then as it approaches 9:30 p.m. the crowds slowly start to settle as people find their way to their patch of grass. Then all eyes look towards the sky as it begins to erupt in color and sound. This year was perhaps the best display I've seen as each year Chicago strives to top its previous performances. The wide range of vibrant colors and different types of explosions, and all put to music, truly makes for an overwhelming experience that culminates in the intense spectacle of the finale. After it was over I looked around and saw the same awe and wonder on the face of everyone around me- no matter what your background or age the fireworks made an impression.

Then on the 4th itself there are several local parades to choose from. I attended the Evanston parade. It was a glorious day, loaded with floats, marching bands, politicians, school groups, theater companies, children by dozens, tumblers and just nice people handing out cold bottles of water to the more than 100 groups making up the parade. By the 2 p.m. start of the parade the curbs were lined four and five deep with families, friends and dogs. People on roller blades, bicycles, stilts and motor bikes were evident. The sun was out, the humidity was low and the enthusiasm abounded. The strength of the gathering may not have only been in the numbers who marched or watched, but in its diversity. The paraders and the viewers represented literally every imaginable group, religion, creed, organization, cause, preference, economic background, race and view.

Continue reading "Chicago's Diversity Highlighted in Its July 4th Festivities" »

On Sunday, June 22, 2008, I (Robert Kreisman) gathered with thousands of people to fight against hate in all forms. The 9th annual Race Against Hate is a race in memory of Ricky Byrdsong, a former Northwestern University basketball coach. The 5k course loops along Northwestern University's campus and Evanston's lakefront, starting and finishing on Long Field.

Early Sunday, the skies darkened and it rained briefly, delaying the start of the race for 30 minutes. But the rain did not dampen the spirits of those gathered for this annual event. I loved the juxtaposition of adults sweating through the 5k lakefront course and finishing to be rewarded with the sight of kids poised at the start line waiting for their opportunity to show their stuff in the follow up kids' race. (See the photo below showing the start of the kids' race.) We enjoyed seeing neighbors and friends who both participated and rooted for those who ran or walked. It was an invigorating experience, without losing the connection of the root of the event, the tragic and senseless murder of an innocent man, Ricky Birdsong, because of the color of his skin.

In 1999 Byrdsong was murdered while walking with his two youngest children through his neighborhood when a white supremacist peppered them with bullets. Byrdsong was hit in the back and died within hours.

The mission of The Ricky Byrdsong Foundation was to arrest the growing epidemic of hate and violence by and against youth, to build character in their lives and help them find a sense of purpose. The Race Against Hate unites people of different racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds to celebrate diversity, promote reconciliation and declare that racism is not welcome or tolerated ANYWHERE in America. - Sherialyn Birdsong

The Ricky Byrdsong Foundation was dissolved in 2006, but its work is carried on through the YWCA Evanston/North Shore’s racial justice programming. This program carries on to erase divisions between peoples of varying backgrounds, color, religions, ethnicities and gender.

Continue reading "Chicago Injury Lawyer Robert Kreisman Participates in Evanston's Race Against Hate" »

June 18, 2008- After a lengthy mediation session led by retired Cook County Circuit Court Judge Stuart Nudelman, the defendants, Victor Colin, M.D. and his professional practice, Elgin Family Physicians, agreed to settle the wrongful death case of decedent, Timothy.

The claim centered on the physicians incorrect diagnosis and treatment of Timothy's condition of fever, headache, and sleeplessness for at least two weeks. While these signs might not be overly alarming in your typical patient, Timothy's circumstances weren't those of your typical patient.

Born with a congenital heart valve defect of Tetralogy of Fallot, Timothy had undergone three open heart surgeries for valve repair, including a porcine (pig) valve replacement of his pulmonary valve in 1981. This history placed Timothy at high risk for bacterial endocarditis, which is a serious infection of the endocardium (the smooth interior lining of the heart) and the heart valves, typically caused by bacteria. It was this type of infection that eventually led to Timothy's death.

Dr. Colin was aware of Timothy's history and yet continued to diagnose him with various types of throat ailments even though the patient presented on five different occasions over the course of five weeks with continuing complaints of high fevers, weakness, and sleeplessness (all signs of endocarditis). At no point did Dr. Colin order a chest x-ray, labs, or any other tests that would have diagnosed his bacterial endocarditis. Finally, when Timothy presented with decreased oxygen in addition to his other symptoms, Dr. Colin admitted him to the hospital for testing. But at that point Timothy's condition was already too far gone. He was airlifted to another hospital the next day, where he died within a week. He was survived by his parents and two siblings.

The defendants were inclined to entertain this mediation setting even before the deposition of the defendants were completed. The case was pending in Kane County, Illinois.

Continue reading "Illinois Wrongful Death Case Settled by Kreisman Law Offices" »

On Sunday, May 18, 2008, thousands of walkers turned out for Walk Now for Autism, a 5k walk to raise funds for autism research. Bob Kreisman, Yolanda Flores, and Catherine Russell of Kreisman Law Offices were all in attendance, each contributing in their own way. Yolanda showed up at 6:00 a.m., two hours before registration opened, to help organize the tents and booths in preparation for the busy day. Once walkers began to arrive Yolanda headed up the t-shirt booth, handing out box upon box of t-shirts to participants over the course of the next several hours. And through the long day she always had a smile on her face and kept the atmosphere of the t-shirt booth light and fun. Bob and Catherine both participated in the walk itself. The 5k (3.1 mile) course started at Soldier Field, then looped along Chicago's lakefront before backtracking to Soldier Field. The course was full of families and friends of children with autism that came out to show their support for both their loved ones and for the organization itself. Oftentimes individual groups could be distinguished by t-shirts they wore or large banners with slogans and messages of support and love. Despite the large number of people there was not a cross word to be heard- everyone was happy and excited to be involved. In addition to the walk itself there were several activities and booths for the children, including several bounce houses, games, and music. And since one of the purposes of the walk is to raise autism awareness there is also a Resource Fair. Essentially Walk Now for Autism is a perfect blend of activities, information and fun. Walk Now for Autism is sponsored by Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to raising awareness for autism and researching causes, prevention and treatment for autism. Autism is a brain disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships. Oftentimes the disease is accompanied by extreme behavioral challenges. Currently 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism, which represents a tenfold increase over the last decade. To find out more about Autism Speaks visit www.autismspeaks.org.

A $2.1 Million settlement was reached against the hospital and doctors in a medical negligence lawsuit involving the death of a woman from brain herniation after being discharged from a hospital. She was discharged with complaints of headaches despite a diagnosis of a brain tumor.

Mary, a 50 year-old female, was diagnosed at South Suburban Hospital with a right frontal lobe meningioma in early September, 2003, at which time she was discharged from the hospital with a referral to a University of Chicago neurosurgeon. However, before seeing the neurosurgeon she presented back to South Suburban Hospital two days later complaining of headaches and vomiting. She is given some pain medication and sent home. Early the next morning she is found unresponsive by her husband. She was taken by ambulance back to South Suburban, but died later that day. An autopsy revealed that she died because there was excessive fluid building up around her tumor causing her brain to shift to the left and down through the brain stem, putting extreme pressure on her brain, resulting in brain herniation.

The defendants were the neurologist who first diagnosed our client, the emergency department physician who discharged the decedent knowing of her prior diagnosis and hospitalization and the hospital. At the top of the chain of events was the neurology diagnosis of meningionoma, a benign condition, where a mass forms on the lining of the brain. Significantly, the tumor was not in the brain, but on the brain's lining. The surgical procedure to remove the tumor is relatively safe. The neurosurgeon who testified as an expert for plaintiff at deposition, stated that the surgery would allow the patient to reach maximum recovery. The tumor is very slow growing, so it was probably present for years. Mary's early symptoms were dismissed as a sinus condition. Not until she reported nausea, severe headach and incontinence, did her family doctor admit her to the hospital for a thorough examination, which by MRI revealed the tumor. But the errors began from that point forward. The family wanted to have the surgery done at the University of Chicago Hospitals, rather than at South Suburban, where there was only one part-time neurosurgeon available. The defendant neurologist was vague on how quickly the tumor needed to be removed. But worse yet, when Mary returned to the hospital's ER only two days after her discharge with the worst headache of her life, reports of incontinence and left-side weakness, she was sent away with pain medicine, no follow up tests, even though the hospital knew of her tumor. The defendant ER doctor called Dr. Bhasin the neurologist, who ordered Mary discharged and was instructed or reminded to keep her upcoming appointment at the University of Chicago Hospital. By then her tumor had caused such swelling in her brain, that it began to be displaced. This swelling caused her untimely death later that same night.

Our client is survived by her husband, four children, and grandchildren.

Continue reading "Medical Negligence Settlement by Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer Robert Kreisman for Death of Patient" »

A trucker whose legs were crushed while freight was being shifted on his truck agreed to a $2.5 million settlement.

The accord came on the second day of jury deliberations following more than a week of trial in this case against Precoat Metals, a division of Sequa Corp. Tom, an over-the-road trucker who lived in Shullsburg, Wis., went to a Precoat facility on the Southwest Side to pick up a load of steel coils.

A forklift driver employed by Precoat had agreed to arrange other freight on the flat bed trailer that Tom was using to accommodate the steel. The freight, 20 foot long steel channels,slipped off the forklift and fell on Tom's legs, resulting in amputation of the left leg above the knee and surgical repair of his right leg. Tom has been unable to return to his work as a trucker driver.

The steel channels, 25 to a bundle, were secured together by four steel bands. There was a cdefense raised by the defendant that it was the bands that were defective that caused the channels to break apart when being lifted by Precoat's forklift driver. However, Precoat was unable to produce the broken bands that it claimed it had stored after this occurrence. Precoat's safety manager had testified at deposition that although the bands were stored away, they could not be found now. Before the start of the trial, Kreisman moved to bar Precoat from asserting this defense because it could not produce the item that was alleged to be the cause of the injuries to our client. The court agreed and barred any reference to the broken bands during the trial. At the end of the trial and before jury deliberation, also on motion of plaintiff, the court went to the length of instructing the jury about the law as to "missing" evidence, the bands and documents relating to the accident that were also lost. That jury instruction, Illinois Pattern Jury Instruction 5.0 was read to the jury at the conclusion of the case.

Continue reading "Truck Settlement by Chicago Injury Lawyer Robert Kreisman: Trucker Loses Leg in Freight Accident" »