Ken to give presentation at Catastrophic Care Society Symposium on May 16

April 19, 2016 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Levinson and Stefani Founding Partner Ken Levinson has been invited to speak as a guest faculty member at the Catastrophic Care Society Traumatic Brain Injury Medical/Legal Symposium, taking place May 15-17 at the Hilton Chicago. The three-day symposium welcomes the nation’s leading trial lawyers, medical experts and healthcare providers to share information regarding traumatic brain and spinal injuries, giving participating attorneys a comprehensive picture of ways to represent clients who have suffered similar injuries.

On Monday, May 16, Levinson will share his experience related to opening summations during trial. Levinson will discuss how to effectively craft a road map to influence the decision-making process of jury members. Levinson has successfully handled many cases related to brain and spinal injuries, specifically having to do with situations involving commercial vehicle and auto crashes.

Levinson has been an invited faculty member at dozens of trial lawyer associations around the country. He is a graduate of the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College and the author of Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases, the newest volume of the reference litigation series published by AAJ Press/Thomson Reuters. He was recently listed in the Illinois Super Lawyers Top 100 in 2016, his second appearance on the list. He is the founding partner of Levinson and Stefani, a Chicago-based law firm offering client-first legal representation. The firm focuses on truck, auto and bus-related accidents, as well as child injury cases.

The Catastrophic Care Society is committed to bringing plaintiff trial lawyers and medical personnel and providers the most up-to-date information on traumatic brain and spinal injury diagnosis, treatment, and litigation know-how. Programs include the country’s top litigators and experts in psychology, neurology, neuropsychology, radiology, neurosurgery, psychiatry and physical chemistry, all coming together to offer the most progressive information in their respective fields.

We’re getting ready for RIC’s ‘Art In Motion’ gala

April 13, 2016 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The Rehab Institute of Chicago continues to shape lives through the power of art

This spring, the Rehab Institute of Chicago hosts its annual Art In Motion gala on Thursday, May 5 at the Ryan Family Atrium at Northwestern University’s Lurie Center. Our firm is once again pleased to contribute as an Art Devotee for RIC’s big event. Last year, Ken and Jay had the pleasure of touring RIC’s updated rehab wing and meeting with several patients who have benefited from the tremendous resources that RIC continues to provide year in and year out.

The Art In Motion gala, now in its 14^th year, is a wonderful opportunity to meet RIC staff members and celebrate all the great things RIC has accomplished. The gala also serves as a chance to ensure the financial wellbeing of the institute by raising money for the Art Therapy and Therapeutic Recreation programs, part of a long-standing plan that encourages patients to create art as a means to overcome traumatic, even terminal injuries.

Sponsorship of Art In Motion allows for a Resident Art Therapist on site 24 hours-a-week to initiate and lead programs; over 700 hours of art therapy services for individuals and groups of patients; one year of twice-weekly movement therapy classes at RIC’s Health and Fitness Center.

RIC’s Art Therapy Program is funded solely through philanthropic support. The unique aspect of the program makes RIC one of the highest ranked rehabilitation institutes in the world. By providing artistic workshops, RIC gives its patients a chance to re-learn vital aspects of motor skills and coordination, while also allowing them to express their emotions as they adapt to a new way of living.

In keeping with its goals of engaging patients through the power of art, RIC curates a selection of work from participants of the Art Therapy program and artists from around the country. They invite artists to display their pieces in a pseudo-gallery in the Ryan Family Atrium, where the art is put up for sale. The juried exhibition features a range of styles—from impressionist to sculpture to oil and canvas. James Rondeau of the Art Institute of Chicago makes a special appearance as juror, awarding the top three pieces featured in the gallery.

Last year, our firm met several of the featured artists. We ended up leaving with three original paintings that now hang on the walls of our office.

We encourage all of you to look into the recreation programs developed by RIC. Many rehab patients have suffered unspeakable tragedy at the hands of negligence, including accident victims who have come through the institute as a result of drunk driving, distracted driving and any number of illegal activities. Thanks to RIC, many of them go on to lead fulfilling lives despite long odds. We’re looking forward to honoring them and celebrating another year of success for RIC.

Here’s the latest list of new cars to avoid in 2016

March 25, 2016 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again

Thirteen is this year’s magic number. These are the makes and models, as gathered annually by Forbes contributor Jim Gorzelany with the help of consumer product experts, to determine the worst of the worst. This isn’t an attempt to decry the technological advances and style evolution that has reinvented the auto industry, according to Gorzelany.

“And yet the proverbial cream still rises to the top,” he says. “Some models lead while other lag with regard to their designs, measurable performance attributes, and the degree to which their buyers are ultimately satisfied.”

Gorzelany consulted with analysts from JD Power, ALG and Consumer Reports for a comprehensive overview of the woeful clunkers on the market today. Some of the things that were considered when coming up with the list: Quality and long-term reliability, performance and design, and resale value depreciation.

Safety is sometimes part of the equation, as some models carry questionable design elements that a reasonable person could see as detrimental to the overall protection of its passengers. The Dodge Journey, for example, is criticized for “poor handling, unresponsive transmission, fuel economy, rear visibility, tiny third-row seat, and its poor small-overlap frontal crash test rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS),” while the Jeep Patriot had no “pros” but several “cons,” including “engine noise, acceleration, driving position, seat comfort, a too-complicated optional radio, and a poor small-overlap frontal crash test score.” These details should be cause for concern if you’re in the market looking to buy something.

Below is the complete list of cars to avoid in 2016. You can read more details about how and why each car earned such poor marks over at Forbes.

Acura RLX
Cadillac ATS
Chrysler 200
Chevrolet Suburban
Dodge Journey
Ford Fiesta
Ford Focus
Dodge Dart
Infiniti Q50
Jeep Cherokee
Jeep Compass
Jeep Patriot
Nissan Pathfinder

The prospects of illegal driving in a driverless world

March 24, 2016 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

How long before we lose the privilege of driving altogether?

Last week, Mark Goldfeder, a senior lecturer at Emory Law School, speculated that our grandchildren will conceivably live in a world where driving is not only obsolete but also illegal. We’re talking about humans, that is. If you’re a robot, then by all means have at it. After all, robots are smarter than people, right?

Goldfeder’s article for CNN.com, which has since made it to the top of my “Interesting Ideas” list, revolves around a piece of news coming out of California: a minor accident involving one of Google’s self-driving cars. The Google car, attempting to avoid sand bags in the middle of its lane, veered left and bonked into the side of a bus. It’s not the first time a Google car has been involved in an accident, but it is the first time Google’s top brass was willing to accept that the Google car should bare a sliver of responsibility for the mishap. The company’s PR team released a statement saying as much. For the naysayers, this was the perfect chance to say boo. And most of them did, even if the crash was relatively minor.

The incident is an irritating setback for Google, which, despite its goal of ridding the world of crashes, still has work to do. But for the autonomous car movement, the incident is somewhat of a milestone. You see, in order for cars to be safer than people, they have to think differently. The advantage of the robot is that it can think and analyze in a fraction of a second, and it too can learn from past experience based on algorithms as opposed to emotion or intuition. When a person is driving and reasonably expects to be involved in an imminent crash, the person has limited options: crash; avoid the crash; or choose a calculated path that’s less injurious than the initial crash threat. What do we tell our robots to do? What is reasonable?

Goldfeder addresses the “reasonable driver” standard prevalent in tort law: “Simply put, if a driver can show he took as much care as a ‘reasonable driver’ should have taken, he is generally not held liable in case of an accident.

“Until now, that just meant comparison to a reasonable person. But if a ‘driver’ can now be defined both as a ‘reasonable person’ and as a computer — one that can react on the roadway 10 times faster than the average human being — then what does it mean to say ‘reasonable driver’ anymore?”

In essence, Goldfeder argues that the future of “reasonable” driving is far more sophisticated than what we’re currently working with. Machines are smarter, faster and, based on the early statistics, much less prone to error than humans. So if a machine is effectively 10 times the safer driver, where does that leave officials who are tasked with defining what the term “reasonable” means in the future?

Goldfeder cites several numbers that prove, up to this point, that humans are responsible for thousands of preventable crashes every day. Judging by the many miles traveled by Google’s cars over the past few years, a single crash is way better than the norm (though there has been at least one time when the Google car was ticketed for driving to slow).

We’ve come to a point where it’s no longer far-fetched to consider the day when federal regulators deem human-based driving illegal altogether. Because humans, in comparison, are unsafe. Goldfeder isn’t suggesting that competent drivers are inherently dangerous, but he is suggesting that even the safest drivers are less safe than autonomous vehicles. Think of it this way: if a drunk driver is 100 times more likely to be involved in a crash than a sober driver, who’s to say the same logic shouldn’t apply to a car that can, theoretically, operate 100 times safer than a man or woman?

I’ve followed the development of driverless cars to make a few educated observations, and one of them is that “smart cars” are becoming more sophisticated, and they’re poised to assume a large role in the future of transportation. Did you hear about Dominos’ autonomous pizza delivery vehicle? Even Amazon’s rumored shipping drone could transform into an AV plan. The bigger question for us living and breathing folks isn’t if our driving skills will become obsolete, but how long before we’re ready to hand over the keys.

Non-Profit Spotlight: The Pillars of Freedom Foundation

March 18, 2016 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Rockin’ out for the Veterans on April 16

Ray Reusch hasn’t had much downtime lately. The President of The Pillars of Freedom Foundation, a private organization supporting United States veterans and First Responders, has been churning through his Rolodex to enlist donors as part of a $300,000 fundraising campaign, which would commission an 18 foot bronze statue in the Northwest suburbs. The statue, depicting the famous photo of New York City firefighters hoisting the American flag over the tattered remains of the World Trade Center, has been in the works for nearly a year. It’s easily the biggest financial endeavor of this fledgling group’s brief history.

“It’s been a rewarding experience,” says Reusch. “You really learn that there are good people out there, generous people. They know how important it is to recognize veterans and their contributions. Our goal is simply to keep building awareness, no matter how big or how small. It’s all part of the process.”

Before the statue, the foundation was probably best known for putting together modest tributes on a shoestring budget. Each Veteran’s Day, members of the organization set up flag memorials in and around the Chicago suburbs, including in front of Spring Hill Mall’s Home Depot, along Route 31 and in front of the local Denny’s. The events have steadily gained steam among followers and vets in the area (Pillars recently organized a baby shower for vets and their moms at Piece A Cake Bakery). The next event should be even better.

The foundation will host a benefit/fundraiser on April 16 at the Penny Road Pub in Barrington, IL supporting veteran awareness and recognition. Rockin’ out for the Veterans welcomes local cover band Pirate Radio and special guest/veteran Amerlia Pressely for a night that Pillar’s hopes will bring more awareness to their cause.

This registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization continues to build from the ground up, planning even more annual events in and around the Chicago area. One of the things that makes The Pillars of Freedom unique is its steady base of volunteers, who continue to help carry out tasks such as setting up flags, preparing flags, overseeing fundraising, and more.

“We may be small but we’re never short on good times,” says Reusch. “Our hope is to continue to build our base so we can provide more funding to help our armed service personnel and first responders, who, surprisingly, still don’t have the kind of support system they deserve. I think a lot of people take them for granted. It only seems right that we should show our gratitude.”

Levinson and Stefani is proud to support The Pillars of Freedom Foundation and its volunteers. Consider making a donation to support its next event, Rockin’ out for the Veterans. The bands will be performing between 6pm and midnight. Tickets can be purchased at the door or from members that are selling them for $10. Vets get in free. You can also make a donation anytime at www.pillarsoffreedomfoundation.com.

As if you needed a reminder why not to tailgate

March 15, 2016 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

An accident captured on a dashboard camera and posted on YouTube shows the consequences of tailgating and what is commonly referred to as “break-checking.”

“Break-checking” is the act of tapping your breaks to jolt someone who inches closer to your rear bumper. In the video, you can see the ensuing fallout as the tailgating driver narrowly avoids crossing the median into oncoming traffic.

Accidents like this have become viral fodder for their shocking and extremely dangerous visuals, as well as the controversy swirling around who should bear responsibility. With dashcams more prevalent than ever, authorities are beginning to see firsthand the degree to which tailgating and break-checking are causing unnecessary danger to drivers everywhere. All drivers have a duty of reasonable care, a legal obligation that holds an individual to a certain standard when engaging in act that could foreseeably harm others. Driving is one of those duties.

As more videos like the one above come to light, it’ll be interesting to see how regulators respond, if at all.