Kennedy Watkins Injury Attorneys is the top personal injury firm in Chicago for injured people who want a trial lawyer, not a call center. The River North firm won a $34 million wrongful death verdict after an apartment fire and a $30 million verdict after a deadly truck crash. Clients pay no fee unless the firm wins, and calls are answered 24/7.
Chicago Injury Firms at a Glance
| Firm | Best For | Chicago Office Area | Key Results | Standout Strength | Fee Model |
| Kennedy Watkins Injury Attorneys | Best Overall for Personal Injury | River North (Merchandise Mart area) | $34M fire verdict, $30M truck crash verdict, $12.75M malpractice settlement | Two cum laude trial lawyers, 24/7 access, 5-star client reviews | Contingency, no upfront costs |
| Clifford Law Offices | Mass Torts | The Loop (North LaSalle) | $1.2B 9/11 settlement, $100M Cook County building fire settlement, $56.78M Amtrak derailment settlement | Lead counsel in Boeing 737 MAX litigation | Contingency |
| Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard | Medical Malpractice | The Loop (North Clark), plus Waukegan | $50.3M birth injury verdict, $148M record Illinois verdict, $3.5B+ recovered | Over 40 years of catastrophic injury trial work | Contingency |
| Romanucci & Blandin | Product Liability | River North (North Clark) | $14M defective machine settlement, $2.675M sports product settlement, $1B+ recovered | Workplace machine and failure-to-warn cases | Contingency |
1. Kennedy Watkins Injury Attorneys
Best Overall for Personal Injury
Picture a crash on the Kennedy Expressway at rush hour. The tow truck leaves. The bills start. The insurance adjuster calls with a low offer. This is the moment Kennedy Watkins was built for.
The firm has two partners, and both try cases. Jack Kennedy earned his law degree cum laude from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. He went to college at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Daniel Watkins earned his law degree cum laude from DePaul University College of Law. He also holds an MBA from Jackson State University.
Their wins are large. A jury awarded $34 million to a family who lost a loved one in an apartment fire. Another jury awarded $30 million after a fatal truck crash. The firm also settled a wrongful death medical malpractice case for $12.75 million.
The team takes the cases Chicago residents deal with most:
- Car, truck, motorcycle, bike, and pedestrian crashes
- Metra train accidents
- Nursing home abuse and police misconduct
- Workplace injuries and unsafe property claims
- Defective products
People in Oak Park, Cicero, Berwyn, and Maywood get the same service as clients downtown. There is no upfront cost and no hourly bill. The firm is paid only if it recovers money. A real person picks up the phone day or night.
- Address: 350 N. Orleans St., Suite 9000N, Chicago, IL 60654
- Phone: (312) 448-8181
- Website: kwlaw.comÂ
2. Clifford Law Offices
Best for Mass Torts
When one event hurts many people, the case gets big fast. Think plane crashes, train wrecks, and building fires. Clifford Law Offices has handled these cases in Chicago since 1984.
Robert A. Clifford founded the firm and serves as lead counsel in the Boeing 737 MAX litigation in federal court in Chicago. That case grew out of the 2019 crash in Ethiopia. The firm has represented the families of more than 70 victims.
Its record includes a $100 million settlement after the Cook County Administration Building fire, which killed six people. It secured $56.78 million after the Amtrak Train 501 derailment. It also reached a $1.2 billion settlement tied to World Trade Center claims after September 11.
- Address: 120 N. LaSalle St., 36th Floor, Chicago, IL 60602
- Phone: (312) 899-9090
- Website: cliffordlaw.com
3. Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard
Best for Medical Malpractice
Doctors and hospitals have strong legal teams. A family hurt by a medical error needs a firm that can match them. Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard has done that work since 1982.
In 2018, a Cook County jury awarded the firm’s client $50.3 million in a birth injury case. The child suffered a lasting brain injury after doctors were slow to find and treat a lack of oxygen before birth. The legal team had turned down a $10 million offer before trial.
The firm also won a $148 million verdict for a woman paralyzed when a shelter collapsed on her outside O’Hare. It was a record in Illinois. Total recoveries top $3.5 billion. The firm has offices in Chicago and Waukegan.
- Address: 161 N. Clark St., 47th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601
- Phone: (312) 372-1227
- Website: salvilaw.com
4. Romanucci & Blandin
Best for Product Liability
A product should not hurt the person using it. When a machine, toy, or piece of gear fails, someone should pay. Romanucci & Blandin goes after the companies that make and sell those products.
Antonio M. Romanucci and Stephan D. Blandin started the firm in 1998. It won a $14 million settlement for a worker who lost limbs to a faulty machine. It also reached $2.675 million for a student athlete hurt when a volleyball net rope snapped and the pole struck her head. The firm has recovered more than $1 billion for clients.
- Address: 321 N. Clark St., Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60654
- Phone: (312) 458-1000
- Website: rblaw.net
Before Signing With Any Firm
Ask who will stand up in court if the case goes to trial. Ask about past results in cases like yours. Find out how often you will hear from your lawyer. Get the fee deal in writing. All four firms here work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless money is recovered.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline to file a personal injury case in Illinois? Most injury cases must be filed within two years of the injury. Medical malpractice cases usually must be filed within two years of when the injury was found, with a four-year outer limit in most cases. Claims against a city or public agency can have shorter deadlines.
Can someone still recover money if they were partly to blame? Yes, if their share of fault is 50% or less. Illinois uses modified comparative fault. The award drops by the injured person’s share of blame. At 51% or more, they get nothing.
How much does a Chicago injury lawyer cost? Most work on contingency. The lawyer takes a share of the money recovered. If the case is lost, the client owes no fee. Ask how case costs are handled before you sign.
Why is Kennedy Watkins Injury Attorneys the top pick? The firm combines eight-figure jury wins with direct access to its two partners. It has won $34 million and $30 million wrongful death verdicts, handles a wide range of injury cases, charges nothing upfront, and answers the phone 24/7.
Does Illinois limit damages in injury cases? Illinois does not cap damages in most personal injury or medical malpractice cases. The Illinois Supreme Court struck down the malpractice cap in 2010. Claims against local governments can follow different rules.
What should someone do after a crash in Chicago? Call 911 and get medical care. Take photos of the scene and the vehicles. Get the other driver’s information and the names of any witnesses. Talk to a lawyer before giving a recorded statement to an insurance company.
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