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In a recent appearance on the Be That Lawyer podcast with Steve Fretzin, Smith LaCien LLP co-founder Brian LaCien shared insights on the trial profession and the philosophy behind his firm’s approach to catastrophic injury cases. The Jury as the “Great Equalizer” Brian emphasized that the civil jury system remains one of the few places…

A Cook County jury awarded a $51 million verdict to the estate of John Reinke, finding OSF Healthcare System and Dr. Fredrick Burke liable for failing to properly diagnose and treat a metabolic condition that led to a catastrophic cardiac arrest and anoxic brain injury after his 2022 emergency room discharge. Attorneys at Smith LaCien…

No one enjoys being in the hospital, and patients look forward to their discharge so they can return home. However, a crucial aspect of a doctor’s and a medical facility’s duty of care is to ensure that a patient is discharged from care safely, at the right time, with the key information and the necessary…

Parents spend months planning their child’s joyous entry into the world, but when something goes wrong, joy can quickly turn to anxiety for the child’s future. Cerebral palsy is one of the most serious outcomes of preventable birth injuries. Unfortunately, no legal process erases the permanent injury to your child, but if your child’s cerebral…

A man whose spinal cord was severely injured in a four-vehicle collision accepted an $11 million settlement out of Cook County Circuit Court. Alton Vaughns, then 54, was stopped in traffic while heading north on Interstate 55 in Chicago on Oct. 24, 2024. The accident occurred when a car, driven by Rigoberto Heredia, struck Jasmine McIlvenny’s…

Safe, effective medications are a key aspect of healthcare, saving lives, extending lifespans, and improving the quality of life for millions of people daily. But medications are also powerful products with the potential for great harm when they are defective or include a dangerous ingredient.It’s frightening to learn that a medication that’s been prescribed to…

Brian LaCien of Smith LaCien LLP Trial Lawyers was recently featured on Fox 32 Chicago’s ChicagoLIVE to discuss Ford’s massive recall of over 4.3 million vehicles due to a software defect affecting trailer brake functions, tail lights, and turn signals, a serious safety hazard for drivers and everyone else on the road. The recall affects…

When you are in the hospital for an illness, injury, or medical procedure, you’re put into a vulnerable position that requires you to trust that all staff members involved in your care uphold their legal duty to treat you at the medical community’s accepted care standards. Unfortunately, sometimes a provider breaches their duty of care,…