January 2020 Newsletter

Happy New Year! We wish all of you a prosperous year and hope your outlook for 2020 is bright. As we look ahead to another busy and successful year providing our clients with the best representation possible, it is important that we look back on what we accomplished in 2019.

Our Environmental litigation team, led by Shawn Collins, recovered $34.5 million for our clients and was instrumental in protecting clients’ homes against intrusion by toxic vapors.

Our Personal Injury team, led by Ed Manzke, recovered $3.65 million for our clients seriously injured in auto accidents, motorcycle crashes, or by medical errors and other negligent acts.

Our Business law division, led by Rob Dawidiuk, achieved the following:

• $201.24 million in commercial litigation victories, including
  • $180.3 million in defense wins;
  • $5.7 million in defense trial verdicts;
  • $15.24 million in recoveries for commercial clients.

• $200 million in commercial real estate financing
• $45 million in completed business transactions

In addition, several of our lawsuits received national and local press attention in 2019:

Our environmental team’s lawsuit filed on behalf of six former teachers at Hinsdale South High School, who are suing Sterigenics for their cancer diagnoses, was covered widely in the local and national press, including CBS This Morning, CBS 2, ABC 7, NBC 5, WGN 9, Fox 32, The Daily Mail, The Chicago Sun Times, WBBM News Radio, the Chicago Tribune, and The Daily Herald. Below are links to some of the stories:

CBS: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ethylene-oxide-emissions-from-an-illinois-sterilization-plant-gave-women-cancer-lawsuit-says/

CBS 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIUAmF3PeM8

ABC 7: https://abc7chicago.com/health/6-former-hinsdale-south-teachers-sue-sterigenics-allege-ethylene-oxide-exposure-caused-cancer/5792774/

Fox 32: https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/6-former-teachers-sue-sterigenics-claim-chemical-emissions-caused-their-cancer

The Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7830867/Five-former-teachers-blame-cancers-sterilizing-plant.html

In addition, our lawsuit filed against Sterigenics on behalf of a cancer-stricken teen was covered by multiple press outlets, including:

CBS 2: https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/08/27/sterigenics-teen-girl-cancer/

Daily Herald: https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20190827/lawsuit-blames-sterigenics-for-teenagers-bouts-with-cancer

Finally, our lawsuit filed on behalf of a teen who was assaulted and bullied in a hazing incident at football camp, was also widely covered in the news, including CBS 2, NBC 5, ABC 7, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, the BBC, and The Daily Journal. Below are links to some of the coverage:

CBS 2: https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/11/28/reed-custer-high-school-hazing-braidwood/

NBC 5: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/South-Suburban-Football-Hazing-Lawsuit-501483202.html

ABC 7: https://abc7chicago.com/braidwood-teen-sexually-assaulted-during-football-hazing-ritual-parents-say/4784175/

Daily Journal: https://www.daily-journal.com/news/crime/parents-of-former-reed-custer-student-file-lawsuit-against-district/article_f8136ee2-f8ce-11e8-9c11-cb7019084b70.html

BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46282988

Thank you for all of your support in 2019!

Your team at The Collins Law Firm