CBA Record May-June 2021

Personal Injury Case Referred Through Lawyer Referral Service Settles for $1.5 Million By Ann Glynn, CBA Public Affairs Director

T he CBA’s long-standing Lawyer Referral Service continues to be an important resource for the public to obtain experienced and vetted legal assistance as well as an invaluable source of legal referrals for CBA Members and non-members. The LRS has operated as a public service for nearly 80 years. Member attorneys provide counsel in consumer protection, personal injury, domestic relations, estate planning, real estate, and employment law, among other areas of practice. Recently, a personal injury case that came in through a call to the LRS in May 2018 was settled for $1.5 million. Regina Ether- ton, LRS Chair, was matched to the call. “As soon as the call came in, I knew this would be an important case,” said Etherton. “There was clear negligence by the defendants, and the plaintiff had not only suffered physically but was truly traumatized.” The plaintiff, a 56-year-old man, was injured when he was hit by a cable that fell 41 floors from a piece of building equip- ment at 150 North Michigan Avenue. He

suffered a herniated disc that required sur- gical repair. The defendants – the building owner and the engineering and scaffolding companies in charge of equipment testing – failed to properly secure the equipment and did not obtain the proper permits for the work. The plaintiff was treated at the hospital but once released, he and his wife were bombarded by calls and media requests. Unsure of what to do next, they called the Chicago Bar Association for help. The case was closed on March 31, 2021 for a cash settlement of $1.5 million. The CBA received $75,000 as its referral dues, pursuant to its rules. The Lawyer Referral Service has contin- ued to operate during Covid-19. During the past few months, there has been an uptick in calls relating to employment issues, nursing homes, and estate planning. LRS has more than 200 lawyers avail- able who are experienced in nearly every area of law. The LRS screens the initial inquiry and matches the caller with an attorney in the specific legal area in which they seek guidance. On average, the LRS

receives about 2,100 inquiries per month, resulting in 100 to 150 actual retained cases. On the third Saturday of every month, the CBA sponsors the “Call a Lawyer” pro- gram through the Lawyer Referral Service, making attorneys available to take calls from the public at no charge. CBA members and non-members are encouraged to refer clients to the Lawyer Referral Service or consider joining the service to obtain legal referrals. “Joining the Lawyer Referral Service is a smart idea for any attorney looking to build or expand their book of business,” added Etherton.

For more information on the LRS program go to lrs.chicagobar. org/pages/for-lawyers or reach out to LRS Director Juli Vyverberg at jvyverberg@chicagobar.org.

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