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Cacchillo Law Group has compiled more than 30 years of results that show superior experience, knowledge, and diligence. CLG’s small, team-oriented office works together, utilizing the skills of each lawyer to bring our clients the best possible results. Here are some of our successes:
CLG represented the Defendant in a motor vehicle accident involving two Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs underwent several surgeries and requested $2.275 million from the jury. Even though the defense admitted negligence, CLG secured a verdict of $222,788.
Our firm represented a subcontractor in a construction negligence case involving a severe back injury to a union tradesman. The jury rendered a verdict of $3.288 million against the other contractors. We achieved a not guilty verdict for our client.
Our firm represented a subcontractor sued as a direct Defendant by a Plaintiff who sustained a traumatic brain injury at a hospital. The Plaintiff’s pre-trial demand was $3.5 million. During the jury trial, we reached a settlement on behalf of our client for $555,000.
The Plaintiff was an apprentice pipefitter who sustained severe injuries at a construction site. The Plaintiff’s pre-trial demand was $7.5 million. During the jury trial, our firm negotiated a settlement for our client, the Plaintiff’s employer, which included a waiver of the workers’ compensation lien and a $1.00 settlement of the Plaintiff’s workers’ compensation case. Our client was dismissed from the lawsuit.
The Plaintiff was a pedestrian who sustained multiple fractures and other injuries when she was struck by a motor vehicle driven by our client. The pre-trial settlement demand was $1.5 million. Even though we admitted fault during the jury trial, we were able to negotiate a reduced settlement of $400,000.
The Plaintiff alleged that he was severely injured on a loading dock at a warehouse facility. Our firm filed a motion for summary judgment on behalf of our client, an on-site contractor, on the basis that we had no duty to repair or maintain the dock. Although the lawsuit continued against other Defendants, the Plaintiff dismissed our client from the lawsuit.
Three Plaintiff firefighters were injured when an explosion occurred as they were fighting a fire. Our client had performed service work on the boiler involved in the incident. The trial court granted our motion to dismiss the negligence allegations, and also granted our motion for summary judgement for the willful and wanton allegations. The trial court’s rulings were affirmed by the Appellate Court.
Plaintiff filed a lawsuit against multiple defendants, alleging substantial property damage resulting from a fire that started in a homeowner’s clothes dryer. We represented both the home builder and the contractor that installed the dryer’s ventilation system. The trial court granted our firm’s Motion to Dismiss. Plaintiff did not appeal the trial court’s ruling, and no settlement monies were ever offered to resolve this litigation.
CLG represented the Plaintiff’s employer in a lawsuit involving a traumatic brain injury at a construction site. The direct Defendant settled prior to trial for $4.5 million. We waived our client’s workers’ compensation lien and avoided making any additional contributions to the settlement.
The Plaintiff, a union tradesman, sustained severe burn injuries to his face and body when an electrical panel box exploded. Our firm represented the Plaintiff’s employer. The direct Defendants settled for several million dollars. From these settlement proceedings, we recovered $125,000 of our client’s workers’ compensation lien and avoided making any additional contributions to the settlement.
The Plaintiff, a union tradesman, sustained a severe neck injury when he was struck by an industrial overhead door at the Defendant’s premises. Our firm represented the Plaintiff’s employer. The property owner settled for $1.1 million. Our client waived its workers’ compensation lien and avoided making any additional contributions to the settlement.
The Plaintiff, a union tradesman, sustained injuries to his shoulder as the result of a construction accident. Our firm represented the Plaintiff’s employer. The direct Defendants settled for $180,000. We obtained a substantial recovery of our client’s workers’ compensation lien and avoided making any additional contributions to the settlement.
The Plaintiff, a condominium association, filed a lawsuit alleging defects in the construction of a mid-rise building. Our firm represented one of the subcontractors involved in the original construction. Following a multi-million dollar settlement demand by the Plaintiff, CLG achieved a nominal “cost-of-defense” settlement for our client.
The Plaintiff, a large luxury hotel, alleged certain construction defects during a multi-million dollar renovation project. CLG represented one of the subcontractors on the project. The direct Defendants and other subcontractors settled with the hotel for several million dollars. Our firm negotiated a favorable settlement for our client that was less than three percent of the total settlement monies paid to the Plaintiff.
The Plaintiff, a union electrician, was injured when metal siding broke loose and fell from a building. CLG represented the employer of the Plaintiff. The direct Defendant reached a settlement with the Plaintiff for $290,000. Our client did not contribute any monies to the settlement, and our firm negotiated a significant recovery of our client’s workers’ compensation lien.
The deceased’s wife brought suit claiming benefits after the deceased suffered a subdermal hematoma while on the premises of his former employer. Our firm represented the employer, who faced $900,000 of potential exposure. CLG won the case at the arbitration level and successfully defended an appeal to the Commission.
The Petitioner, a member of the Teamster’s Union, asserted that Illinois had jurisdiction over his injury that occurred in Wisconsin. CLG contested the issue of jurisdiction, and the case proceeded to trial. The arbitrator ruled that because the contract for hire occurred in Wisconsin, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission did not have jurisdiction over the Petitioner’s workplace injury. This ruling resulted in savings to our client of several hundred thousand dollars.
The Petitioner, a union electrician, alleged that he sustained injuries to his hands and wrists due to the repetitive motion requirements of his job. At trial, we presented evidence of an intervening accident to his hands and wrists that was not work-related. The arbitrator also found the Respondent’s medical expert to be more credible on causation than the Petitioner’s medical expert. Benefits were denied by the arbitrator.
The Petitioner, a factory worker, suffered a heart attack at work that resulted in permanent brain damage. Prior to trial, the Petitioner made a settlement demand of $900,000 plus the funding of a Medicare Set-Aside on the basis that he was permanently and totally disabled. Both the arbitrator and the Commission ruled in favor of our client and awarded no benefits. No further appeals were filed by the Petitioner.
The Petitioner, a construction worker, alleged that he sustained injuries to his shoulders, neck, and right hip as the result of a work-related fall. The Petitioner requested over $100,000 of compensation for unpaid medical expenses and temporary total disability benefits. Our firm took the case to trial and won a zero-benefits decision from the arbitrator. CLG then successfully defended that verdict through two stages of appeal.
The Petitioner, a laborer, suffered a lower back sprain. The Petitioner sought benefits for issues unrelated to his work injury. The arbitrator, the Commission, and the Circuit Court all ruled in favor of our client and awarded no additional benefits. CLG successfully defended an appeal to the Illinois Appellate Court, resulting in savings to our client of several hundred thousand dollars.
A delivery driver alleged that he suffered injuries to his left leg, foot, and knee as a result of a work-related accident and demanded a sum of almost $100,000 to settle. At trial, our firm obtained a denial of benefits for the Petitioner’s knee and leg conditions based on previous and unrelated injuries to the same leg, and secured a favorable award of less than a third of the original demand.
A union electrician alleged that he suffered a wage differential as a result of his work-related injuries and restrictions and demanded a sum of $325,000 to settle. Our firm disputed his permanent disability contention and called a physician to testify live at trial as an expert witness. Following convincing testimony by our medical expert and other defense witnesses, the arbitrator recommended the parties settle on the basis of specific loss. A settlement was reached in the amount of $50,000.
The Petitioner, an over-the-road truck driver, was injured outside the state of Illinois. We asserted that jurisdiction was not proper in Illinois under any of the three bases for jurisdiction. A nominal settlement was reached, resulting in an expedited closure of the file and significant cost savings to our client.
The Petitioner demanded that our client pay for spinal fusion surgery for his work-related injuries. While his case was pending, the Petitioner plead guilty to a felony and was incarcerated. CLG obtained the permanent dismissal of his workers’ compensation claim, which resulted in a total savings to our client of over $500,000.
A truck driver claimed that he suffered a knee injury during training and required a total knee replacement. He demanded our client cover the costs of the surgery as well as disability benefits. CLG argued that the Petitioner and Respondent never engaged in an employer-employee relationship and therefore no benefits could be awarded. The arbitrator agreed with our position and the case was dismissed.
The Petitioner died as a result of a work-related accident and did not have a dependent spouse or child. The Petitioner’s estate alleged that the decedent’s parents, who lived in a foreign country, were partial dependents and entitled to death benefits. Our firm successfully defended this claim and reached a favorable settlement of $50,000, which was significantly less than the trial exposure.
The Petitioner, a grocery store butcher, requested compensation for a work-related spinal fusion surgery and disc herniation. CLG contested causation. Although the Petitioner initially demanded $300,000, including $150,000 to cover outstanding medical expenses, our firm secured a settlement of just $50,000 on behalf of our client.
The Petitioner, a commercial truck driver, alleged a low back injury and asserted that this condition prevented him from returning to his pre-accident occupation. Petitioner made a settlement demand in excess of $335,000 on the basis of a wage differential. Our firm obtained strong testimony from an independent medical examiner, and reached a favorable settlement of less than $17,000.
A driver of a semi-tractor-trailer truck alleged severe injuries after being rear-ended by another vehicle. Our firm investigated the accident and disputed that it occurred. After the Petitioner made a settlement demand well into the six-figures, CLG negotiated a nominal settlement of $2,000.
Interstate Scaffolding sought review of a decision to award its employee temporary total disability benefits after he was terminated from a light-duty job for misconduct. While working light-duty, the employee vandalized a storage room by writing religious slogans on the walls.
CLG, representing Interstate Scaffolding, argued that awarding the employee temporary total disability benefits after termination for cause would allow future employees to be rewarded for misconduct while working at a light-duty job. The Illinois Appellate Court ruled in favor of our client that the employee was not entitled to benefits following his termination. However, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Appellate Court, holding that the only relevant test was not whether the employee had been terminated but whether or not the injured employee’s condition had stabilized.
Although the final decision was not in our favor, we were instrumental in clarifying Illinois workers’ compensation law.
Eastman filed a legal malpractice lawsuit against his attorney for failing to pursue litigation against a third-party that allegedly caused Eastman’s work injury. Under Section 5(b) of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, Eastman’s employer’s workers’ compensation administrator asserted a lien on any settlement or verdict Eastman obtained in his legal malpractice case, hoping to recover the compensation already paid to Eastman.
CLG represented both the employer and the workers’ compensation administrator and argued that allowing the recovery of such a lien would avoid unfair enrichment for the injured Eastman, fulfilling the underlying goal of 5(b). The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that neither could assert a lien because it believed Eastman would not be over-compensated.