Our firm represents clients in all areas of personal injury litigation and has unmatched experience in the Chicago and Northwest Suburban area.  Together, our attorneys have 50 years of trial experience and have tried over 100 personal injury cases.  Our experienced team of personal injury litigators, David McArdle, Kevin Costello, Elizabeth Wakeman and Suzanne Stevens, can assist you in achieving the best result for your personal injury claim, whether through negotiating a settlement, mediation, arbitration or trial.  While most cases settle short of an actual trial, the best results are obtained with trial attorneys who are well versed in the law and prepared to go to trial.  The trial attorneys at ZRFM approach each case with the level of preparation required for trial to do all that we can to get the best results.    See Case Settlements click here

 

Picure above from Left to Right: Elizabeth Felt Wakeman, Kevin Chrzanowski, E. Regan Daniels Shepley, David W. McArdle, Jennifer J. Gibson and Kevin G. Costello

All of our personal injury cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means that our fee is based on a percentage of the recovery, not an hourly rate.  If ZRFM fails to make a recovery for you, no fee will be charged to you. However, with our extensive experience, our team has obtained impressive results for our clients whether in smaller cases or multi-million dollar matters. We can help.

Wrongful Death
Have a family member or friend who died in an auto accident? Did someone you know die unexpectedly from a medical procedure or while they were in the hospital?
We have handled wrongful death matters for many types of accidents including vehicular collisions, medical malpractice and falls.  When an individual dies, there are emotional and financial concerns that can be overwhelming.  It is important to have attorneys on your side with whom you feel comfortable and who can guide you through the initial stages of probate and property transfers as well as prepare you for the litigation process necessary to compensate you for the loss of a loved one.   The law provides for the recovery for grief and the loss of services and companionship, including love and affection and economic losses.  It is important to have attorneys who know the legal channels and who have the resources to present those unique damages in the event of a trial.

Car/Truck Accidents
Have you been in an auto accident? Did you have to go to the doctor or hospital? Did you have medical expenses?
Our team of litigators has substantial experience representing clients who have obtained injuries resulting from a variety of vehicle accidents including automobile, truck, pedestrian, bicycle and motorcycle accidents.  If you have been injured in a vehicle accident, you are entitled to full compensation, which means not only your medical bills and lost wages, but pain and suffering and disability.  Whether your injuries are temporary, permanent and catastrophic, our attorneys will work for you tirelessly to get you the fullest compensation. 

Premises Liability and Slip and Fall Injuries
Have you been hurt on another person’s property? Have you slipped on ice or while walking on a broken sidewalk? Did you trip in a hole?
If you have been injured while on another person’s property due to the negligence of the other party, you are entitled to compensation for your injuries.  Some examples of dangerous or defective conditions would be holes, unnatural accumulations of snow or ice and defective sidewalks.  Injuries from these types of accident are often brushed off as the person who fell feels embarrassed by filing a claim against a friend or family member.  However, these types of injuries can result in significant long term medical problems including herniated discs and fractures.  The law in this area is unique and does not simply rely on the common concept of negligence.  Our attorneys represent clients in all areas of premises liability including injuries arising from accidents occurring at a home or at a commercial premises such as a store or businesses.

Dog Bites
Have you or someone you know been attacked by a dog? Have you incurred medical bills as a result? Did you suffer any disability or scarring from the attack?
Our firm has obtained large settlements for adults and children injured from dog or other animal attacks.  The law in Illinois provides for strict liability in the event of a dog or other animal bite under certain circumstances.  That means, in some cases, a victim of an animal bite does not have to show that the owner was negligent and can recover damages with very little evidence.  With more and more emphasis in the media about the dangers of some types of dogs, the law continues to evolve in this area.  It is critical to speak to an attorney who knows the laws that apply and who can assemble the facts to an insurance company from the start to obtain the best financial recovery.  Permanent scars on children can be an unfortunate but frequent result of an animal bite.  We are also experienced in handling the laws that specifically protect children when they recover money damages.  If you have been bitten by another party’s dog, you may be entitled to significant compensation not only for your medical bills, pain, suffering and disability, but any disfigurement such as scars that may have resulted from the attack.  Don’t trust a child’s injury to someone who is unfamiliar with this area of law!

Nursing Home Malpractice
Do you have a family member or friend who has been abused or injured in a nursing home? Have they been over medicated? Have they slipped and fallen without the proper supervision?
As more and more of our family members are living to an older age, the necessity for assisted living, shared living, skilled care and nursing homes is becoming more and more important.  There are a multitude of laws that protect these facilities from legal action in addition to laws that protect the person receiving care.  It is important to consult with an attorney immediately if you believe there is any suspicion of poor quality care.  A bed sore that is unattended can quickly become sepsis and result in death.  There are specific standards of care that are readily identified by the knowledgeable lawyer with respect to many aspects of daily care in this type of facility.  We have represented clients who have been injured due to negligence by the nursing home including lack of supervision, such as not attending to a resident who falls and injures themselves, improper administering of medication, and violations of dietary restrictions where a resident with hand tremors was allowed to serve herself coffee which resulted in severe burns. 

Medical Malpractice
Have you suffered from medical treatment at a hospital? Have you experienced a problem while at a doctor’s office while under a doctor’s care?
If you have been injured due to the negligence of a medical doctor or any other health care provider such as nurses and medical aides, you are entitled to compensation.  Our attorneys will review your case and consult with doctors who specialize in that field and if a conclusion is reached that the treating doctor or his staff was negligent, we will vigorously prosecute a claim against the at-fault medical provider.

The laws in Illinois constantly change as more and more efforts are made to protect medical care providers across the country.  While it is important to avoid frivolous cases to keep insurance premiums low, it is equally important to have knowledgeable advocates available when a medical mistake occurs.  At ZRFM, we work with doctors to prepare medical charts which comply with the appropriate standards of care.  We employ trained medical staff in properly responding to subpoenas and how to give a deposition.  We know how they will respond to these legal requests and will use that knowledge to get the best settlement for a person injured by a medical mistake period.

See Case Settlements click here