A 55-year old bricklayer fell through a concealed hole in a roof of a car dealership suffering injuries to his elbow, shoulder and knee. Although he returned to work five months later, a Cook County jury awarded him $2,000,000.

An 18-year old man, on his first day working as a laborer for a construction company, was struck by a train while cleaning debris from an overhead construction project on an interstate which stands over the railroad tracks. The railway complained to the construction company of the debris falling on the tracks and ordered the construction company to clean the debris on a daily basis. Despite the fact that the railroad knew there were workers in the vicinity, it issued no warnings to its conductors to slow down or to take precautions when approaching the vicinity. The case settled for $2 million.

A carpenter was injured during construction of a local hospital when a chain attached to a crane fell, striking a carpenter as he was cleaning his worksite. The man suffered a herniated disc to his neck and $2 million in settlement of his case.

48-Year old client was on his first day on a new job. Client was connecting chains from a gas tanker to a John Deere Excavator so the tanker could be lifted and placed in the ground. The Excavator operator failed to use appropriate procedures and lifted the tanker while client was still on ladder connected to tanker causing client to fall 10 feet. Client suffered a fractured calcaneus bone and rotator cuff injury and required surgery.

A 47-year old man fell while working on a scaffold. He was unaware that the scaffold was defective in that it was not capable to support his weight. Other employees erected the scaffold. He suffered a close head injury with partial loss of taste and smell.

There were no eye witnesses to the fight, but Trapp & Geller were able to prove that the venue was negligent in its failure to provide adequate security for the event.

Client was an 80-year old grandmother travelling from New Jersey to Illinois for her granddaughter's graduation. The crash occurred in Indiana. Client's vehicle was struck by a traveling nurse who worked in Illinois and Indiana for a large healthcare provider. Client suffered a subdural hematoma requiring brain surgery at Loyola Hospital, but never recovered from her injuries and died in the hospital. Trapp & Geller were able to establish that Illinois applied to the case overcoming the harsh effects of Indiana's caps on personal injury cases.

37-year old client injured at a Power Construction jobsite when material fell off a Laddervator Hoist. The client suffered a fractured vertebrae in his neck and a fractured ankle and required surgery. Trapp & Geller filed a lawsuit against Power Construction and against the manufacturer of the hoist and the company that rented the hoist. After numerous depositions and tireless investigations, the case was mediated and settled for a total amount of $1,240,000 and a waiver of the worker’s compensation lien. The client was back to work 6 months after the accident.

25-year old driver suffered a head injury and 22-year old passenger suffered a lumbar herniated disc requiring a fusion surgery. Clients had a previous attorney who recommended they accept a significantly lower settlement amount. Trapp & Geller took over the case and secured a 7 figure settlement for the clients and their families.

A family of a youth killed by a train filed suit against the railroad for failing to take precautions when the railroad knew the children frequently played on the tracks in the area. In fact, the railroad tracks were adjacent to a park where a big hole had been cut into a fence which the children would use to cut across the railroad tracks. On the day of the occurrence, other trains had warned the dispatcher of the presence of youngsters in the vicinity of the railroad tracks. The dispatcher failed to alert the trains and two children were killed. Jamie M. Trapp represented the estate of one of the children and received $1.2 million.

Jeremy Geller received this verdict on behalf of a 54-year old client who was injured when another driver crossed over the center line, striking the client's vehicle head on. Client had shoulder pain, but waited 12 days to seek any medical treatment. Client ultimately was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum, requiring arthroscopic surgery. Client had $72,000 in medical bills. Mr. Geller made a "Bad Faith Demand" to the insurance company to tender its policy limits, which were only $20,000, but the insurance company failed to make an offer. Mr. Geller filed a lawsuit and prosecuted the case all the way to verdict. At trial, defendant's lawyer recommended a verdict of $5,000, but the jury found in the Plaintiff's favor for a tremendous verdict of $1,122,487.48. This verdict was on the front page of the Cook County Law Bulletin for the extraordinary result.

Suit was filed against masonry company and general contractor and case settled for $1,100,000 a month before trial.

A school bus driver, with an impeccable safety record, was injured when a boom of a crane on the back of a truck swung, striking the front of the bus and causing head and brain injuries to the bus driver. This case settled at trial for $1 million.

A Metra carman was pulling a heavy tarp at work and the tarp snagged on a bent and dangerous piece of railroad track which caused the worker to suffer a herniated disc and annular tear in the L5-S1 disc in his lower back. The worker required a disc replacement surgery but was returned back to work. Metra and its supervisors denied any wrongdoing and denied that the worker’s injuries were related to the incident and made no offers to settle the case. Jeremy Geller from Trapp & Geller prepared the case for trial and four days before trial was set to begin, Metra offered $1 million to settle the case.

76-year old patient suffering from manic depression was prescribed lithium by her physicians. They failed to monitor her lithium levels, which was required. She suffered lithium toxicity which occurred due to a doctor prescribing other drugs.

Chicago police captain presented to hospital where he admitted due to low back pain. He was unable to urinate and complained to the nurses who advised the doctor. He suffered a compression of his spinal cord resulting in a $1,000,000 settlement.

A janitor working for the city of Chicago was injured when a Chicago police officer operating her patrol car in the wrong direction on a busy Chicago street collided head on with the janitor’s vehicle resulting in a herniated disc. The city of Chicago refused to make an offer on the case. A jury found in favor of the janitor in the amount of $980,000.

While at derailment site he fell 3 feet onto a metal rod and was impaled. 27 year old client suffered serious internal injuries but returned to work with no restrictions within a year.

Client was a mason and was doing stone work at a new construction site. Trapp & Geller were able to prove that the ground that ladder was on was uneven and unsafe and that General Contractor on site was responsible for safety and should have provided flat surface to work upon. Client suffered a neck injury and required a cervical fusion surgery.

A woman on her way to church tripped over a parking barrier, which had been pushed onto the sidewalk by vehicles using a nearby parking lot. The parking lot had been cited on previous occasions for obstructing traffic on the sidewalk. Despite the fact that the property owner had received numerous complaints, warnings and citations regarding these parking barriers, nothing was done to prevent the parking barriers from being moved. The woman suffered injuries to both shoulders and her neck. Just before trial, the woman received $800,000.

A Metra railroad employee was injured when he was using the freight elevator at the Metra Building located at 547 W. Jackson in Chicago. As the Metra employee was making deliveries, the elevator stopped short, jolting the client’s back and caused a herniated disc. The client ultimately required a laminectomy surgery to his lumbar spine and was placed on restrictions from returning to his normal work as a railroad employee. Trapp & Geller were able to uncover a longstanding history of history of entrapments and unsafe elevator operations by Schindler Elevator Company and Metra Railroad in the manner in which they maintained and repaired the elevator.

A young mother was shopping for her child at a Chicago-area toy store where youngsters, in the adjacent aisle, were shooting baskets when an errant shot attempt struck her in the head causing a herniated disc. This case settled for $750,000.

A 65 year old woman tripped and fell entering a Meijer Super Market in Homer Glen and suffered wrist and back injuries. The woman tripped entering the shopping cart area where Meijer had failed to barricade an extension cord that was being used in the area.

A woman suffered burns to her shoulders when a pressure cooker she was using to can beans exploded resulting in burns to her shoulders.

A 75 year old woman was struck by a FedEx Delivery Truck that was going in reverse at 1 mile per hour. As a result of the impact, the client suffered injuries to her knees and lower back and had surgery. The client had severe pre-existing arthritis in her knees, but Trapp & Geller were able prove that the accident severely aggravated the client’s knee problems and caused her need for surgery.

Client required arthroscopic surgery for biceps tenodesis and torn rotator cuff. Insurance company made multiple offers before trial, but offers were rejected and Trapp & Geller got more than double the final offer.

Client suffered neck injury and required a laminectomy but returned to work 2 months later. Case settled at mediation without any depositions.

Client suffered a torn meniscus and fractured patella and required surgery.

A civil engineer riding his bicycle to work was “clotheslined” by a rope in a shopping mall which was not flagged or otherwise marked. The bicyclist did not see the rope, which had been placed by mall employees so that they would have choice parking spots at the mall. The engineer suffered a herniated disc to his neck. He recovered $525,000.

A 45 year old woman suffered a broken wrist and shoulder injury when another driver went through a stop sign and crashed into the client. State Farm insured the responsible driver and they paid the applicable insurance policy limits to settle the case.

A 44-year-old woman was on her way to go shopping with her sister in December when she slipped on black ice on her sister’s driveway. The woman suffered a fracture to her tibia and fibula and required surgery for her injuries. Although it had snowed and rained for days before the fall, Jeremy Geller from Trapp & Geller was able to demonstrate that the ice was an “unnatural accumulation” which developed as a result of a faulty downspout on the house property. The insurance company tendered their policy limits to settle the case for $500,000.

A Chicago fireman responding to a fire in the Chicago area was seriously injured as he was climbing the rear porch of a multi-unit building when it collapsed, fracturing his ankle. The fireman was a captain for the Chicago Fire Department. The fireman recovered $500,000 for his injuries.

A neighborhood Fourth of July party ended badly when various adults at the party lit dangerous fireworks. One of the fireworks exploded and injured an 8-year old girl 100 feet away. The child received $500,000 for her injuries.

Clients were injured when a semi-truck improperly shifted lanes and side-swiped a car causing shoulder and neck injuries. The case settled a month before trial.

While shopping at a local big box retailer, a 26-year-old man suffered serious injuries to his back when part of a display fell on to him, which required back surgery. Investigation of the case showed that the display was set up contrary to the manufacturer’s recommendations. The client received $475,000.

Client slipped off ladder and fell 20 feet and suffered concussion. There was no treatment or complaints for 8 months and then no treatment for an additional 16 months, and then client had neck fusion surgery. Trapp & Geller defeated numerous motions to dismiss the case, and the case settled a month before trial.

Client had previous problems with her neck and was already seeing a chiropractor for neck problems, but accident made her neck worse and Trapp & Geller were able to prove that client’s surgery was caused by the car accident.

Nursing home initially denied liability, but Trapp & Geller filed suit to ensure recovery for the Estate.

The nursing home staff failed to properly cut up the food and failed to provide client with a proper liquid diet.

Landlord’s insurance never made offer and Trapp & Geller secured significant verdict for client and her family.

Trapp & Geller filed suit immediately to secure video that showed the accident and proved that CTA Bus driver was negligent. Client suffered a torn rotator cuff and had surgery.

A 54-year-old woman stepped into a concealed hole in front of defendant’s medical center and injuring her knee, which required surgery. The offer at trial was $8,000. A jury awarded $350,000.

Client suffered shoulder injury and had surgery. Defendants insurance company never offered a penny to settle and proceeded to trial. After a 1 week trial, Trapp & Geller secured a verdict in excess of $100,000 insurance policy limits. After trial, State Farm paid the entire verdict.

Client had a great recovery and was released from treatment within 6 months. Case settled without filing a lawsuit.

Drunk driver made a turn and was struck by an oncoming semi-truck. Trapp & Geller were able to prove that semi was driving too fast for conditions and secured recovery from commercial insurance policy.

Pedestrian was walking against the light, at night and was struck by a vehicle and suffered a fractured tibia requiring open reduction with internal fixation surgery.

3 cousins were traveling when they were rear-ended by a semi-truck on Interstate 80. The truck failed to reduce speed and one of the cousins was knocked unconscious in the accident. Each of the clients required physical therapy and fully recovered from their injuries.

A Semi Truck was making a turn on the south side and made a wide turn and side swiped the client causing neck and back injuries. The client required physical therapy and then underwent a sequence of pain management injections..

A 85 year old client was at a nursing home when they slipped and fell and suffered a subdural hematoma and were hospitalized. Trapp Geller were able to prove that the Nursing Home failed to provide proper fall protection and failed to properly supervise the client in violation of the Nursing Home Care Act.

Client did not receive treatment for 18 months and then had surgery. Trapp & Geller were able to prove that the injury and surgery for an ulnar neuropathy were related to the accident to secure settlement.

A part-time employee of a vending machine company was filling the candy machine at a rest area. An employee working at the rest area allegedly became insane for no reason and beat the 62-year old, 5’4″, 150-pound man into unconsciousness. Although the toll-way employee was found criminally insane at the time of the hearing, there were sufficient warnings to his employer that the toll-way employee was delusional and violent. The case settled for $230,000.

A 3 year old was nipped on the nose by a neighbor’s dog and had a 1 cm laceration on the nostril. The client went to the Emergency Room and had stitches and had 2 follow up visits and was discharged from treatment and has made and excellent recovery. Trapp & Geller were able to structure the client’s settlement to provide for college tuition payments.