Press Releases

Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases 2018 Edition

February 1, 2018 by Ken Levinson Leave a Comment

Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases, 2017-2018 ed. (AAJ Press)

One of the many obligations we take on when we become trial lawyers is to assist our fellow lawyers in providing the best possible representation they can for their clients. In striving to meet that obligation, we dedicate some of our time to providing educational materials for lawyers.

We are proud to announce the publication of the 2017-2018 edition of Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases, co-authored by Ken Levinson, Thomas D’Amore, Karen Koehler, and Michael D. Freeman. The book is published by AAJ Press/Thomson Reuters.

In this year’s updated version, we have added several new chapters on the benefits of Focus Groups—a highly successful method for gaining insight into the minds of potential jurors.

We have conducted hundreds of focus groups both for our firm, as well as, firms across the country, many of which have led successful trial verdicts.

In fact, I recently oversaw focus groups for trials that led to verdicts of over $250 million.

This series is designed to provide plaintiff attorneys with clear guidance on representing major automobile injury and death cases, and strategies for winning large damage awards with the least expenditure of effort.

Our objective is to help attorneys achieve maximum damage awards on behalf of their severely injured clients. The series features written discovery, depositions, medical and other expert witness testimony, and aspects of automobile jury trials, as well as the necessary forms needed to handle a case from beginning to end.

In Volume 1, Law and Forms, we aim to assist plaintiff attorneys in developing strong cases by incorporating litigation strategies that undermine expected defense strategies.

In Volume 2, Forensic Science, we have compiled a science/medical reference with hard-to-find data on injury and injury mechanism topics, to prove causation and damages for a variety of crash types and crash injuries, including epidemiology, injury risk by crash type, injury pattern analysis, biomechanics, and more.

Whether you’re a veteran plaintiff attorney, or a newly minted lawyer, we hope you find something new in this edition.

Wrongful death case leads to $6.25 million settlement for Levinson and Stefani

October 26, 2016 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Ken_Headshot — Founding Partner Ken Levinson

Levinson and Stefani has settled the wrongful death case of the Estate of Carlos Garcia for $6.25 million. The settlement amount, overseen by founding partner Ken Levinson and partner Jay Stefani, was approved today by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

The Garcia case stems from a lawsuit filed by Nayeli Delgado-Gutierrez (Plaintiff), Garcia’s partner and the mother of his children. On the morning of March 15, 2015, Garcia was driving northbound on I-294 near mile marker 44 when the wheel from a southbound van—owned and operated by Professional Transportation, Inc.—disengaged from its axle, crossed the median and struck his vehicle. Garcia died almost immediately from his injuries. He is survived by five children, all of whom are minors. They are the only heirs entitled to receive the net proceeds of the settlement amount.

“Obviously, this was a challenging time for the Garcia family,” said Levinson and Stefani founding partner and lead counsel Ken Levinson. “We can’t bring Carlos back, but we hope Nayeli and her kids feel some small measure of relief knowing their future is financially secure. Helping them find a degree of closure was our goal coming into this situation.”

Through discovery, attorneys detailed a series of events that constituted negligence. Defendants in the case included Professional Transportation, Inc., United Leasing, LLC, JB Seeboth, LLC, and Randall L. Burrell.

Download a PDF copy of coverage in the Chicago Law Bulletin

Download a PDF version of the release by clicking here

Ken Levinson appointed State Delegate for American Association for Justice

July 6, 2016 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Levinson and Stefani founding partner Ken Levinson has been appointed to serve as the Illinois State Delegate for the American Association for Justice (AAJ), a designation that carries Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) Board status. Levinson’s appointment is effective immediately and runs through 2018.

“Like so many attorneys, I have benefited a great deal from ITLA, AAJ, and their missions,” said Levinson. “It’s been a tremendous and important resource for trial lawyers when it comes to protecting our injured clients. I’m grateful for this opportunity to work more intimately with AAJ and ITLA.”

State delegates work on behalf of AAJ to raise awareness among new and existing trial attorneys about the organization. To date, AAJ has earned distinction as the world’s largest trial bar and a safeguard for victims’ rights, most notably the right to trial by jury. As part of his duties, Levinson will oversee institutional relations and work with board members to strengthen the wellbeing of both associations.

Levinson is the co-author of Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases, the newest reference litigation series published by AAJ Press/Thomson Reuters. He was listed in the Illinois Super Lawyers Top 100 in 2016, his second appearance on the list.

Levinson 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.

Download a PDF version of the release by clicking here