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Medical malpractice is a serious violation of a patient’s expectation that they will receive medical care that meets the medical community’s accepted standards. While we often think of medical malpractice as blatant trauma, such as amputating the wrong limb, leaving a surgical tool inside a body cavity, or a deadly anesthesia error, sometimes, medical malpractice…

We are pleased to share that Todd A. Smith has received the 2025 Trial Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Award. His outstanding career and successes have been captured in this special issue of the Jury Verdict Reporter. Todd is recognized for his exceptional advocacy, high-dollar verdicts, and ethical standards throughout his passionate career as a personal injury trial attorney….

The appropriate medical treatment for any illness, injury, or condition begins with a prompt, accurate diagnosis. When a doctor fails to correctly diagnose a medical condition and causes a delay in the diagnosis, the condition may require more aggressive treatment with adverse side effects, result in a worsened medical outcome, or cause wrongful death.A Chicago…

As the body’s control center and the base of human thought and personality, the brain is our most critical organ. A brain injury is always a frightening diagnosis. Even a mild concussion can have lingering impacts and potential cumulative effects, but a more severe injury can leave the injury victim facing an uncertain future. When…

Few medical diagnoses are as devastating as a spinal cord injury, but when this permanent, disabling injury directly results from medical malpractice, it compounds the trauma and adds elements of anger and frustration, knowing the injury was preventable if only the medical provider had met the required standard of care.Unfortunately, no legal process can erase…

Paralysis is one of the most devastating diagnoses a person can receive, with adverse consequences on all aspects of the injury victim’s life, including their mobility, independence, earning capability, and personal life. When the paralysis occurred as the result of medical malpractice under the hands of a doctor you trusted with your care, it compounds…

A Cook County jury has delivered a $51 million verdict in a medical malpractice case involving a failure to diagnose a metabolic crisis. The case, which centered on a 2022 emergency room visit, highlights the devastating consequences that can occur when basic medical screenings are overlooked. A Missed Opportunity for Life-Saving Care In 2022, John…

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…