Kristofer S. Riddle

Kristofer Riddle has handled a wide range of litigation and is consistently a determined advocate for his clients. Most recently, Kris has focused on transportation liability and consumer class action matters. He brings a wealth of experience to Clifford Law Offices, as demonstrated in a $16.75 million verdict received on behalf of three clients who were severely injured in a high-profile Amtrak train derailment in DuPont, Washington. He went on to successfully settle additional cases related to the derailment for over $56 million. He is currently the lead partner on another Amtrak derailment that occurred in 2021 in Montana, killing three and injuring dozens of others aboard the Empire Builder that was traveling from Chicago to Seattle, Washington. Clifford Law Offices represents dozens of passengers in that tragic derailment.

Mr. Riddle also worked round-the-clock for years on Hale, et al. v. State Farm Mut. Auto Ins. Co., et al., a complex class action case against State Farm Insurance that settled for $250 million on the first day of trial. Kris and the Hale team took on the insurance giant, on behalf of policyholders, alleging that State Farm conspired to secretly support the election of an Illinois State Supreme Court Justice who voted to overturn a $1 Billion judgment pending against State Farm. For this monumental settlement, Kris and his teammates were awarded the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award in 2019 by Public Justice. Their result was also recognized as the highest settlement or verdict in the state of Illinois in 2019 by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company that gave him a Trial Lawyer Excellence Award. Kris also was recognized in 2018 by the National Trial Lawyers where he received Trial Team of the Year: Class Action Award.

He continues to work on highly complex cases involving qui tam/false claims ligation, challenges to the opioid industry and wrongful death. Kris approaches each case with a meticulous care to details and a thoughtful, studied approach as to the best way to resolve the matter in the client’s best interests and to achieve maximum justice. Whether fighting to make an injured individual whole or challenging an industry for a class of harmed consumers, Kris advocates tirelessly for his clients throughout the entire litigation process.

His kindhearted nature makes him perfect for his position in personal injury and wrongful death cases – an attorney who handles clients with the sensitivity that is required yet the commitment to researching and crafting a response and strategy that works well with each case. This unique skillset was recognized when in 2017 he received Chicago Lawyer’s Top Forty Lawyers in Illinois Under 40 Award.

Having clerked at the firm for three years while attending DePaul University College of Law, he worked on many aspects of personal injury and wrongful death litigation. Immediately after being sworn in as a personal injury lawyer, he took depositions, attended court hearings and worked on cases as complicated as for those injured on the Costa Concordia cruise ship liner that ran aground off the coast of Italy in 2012. Kris worked with Italian co-counsel in sorting through the myriad of laws that were involved in seeking justice for the victims from many countries who suffered through that terrible tragedy.

Kris is no stranger to the hard work it takes to be a successful wrongful death and personal injury attorney. Previously, he worked at Duke University’s Graduate School and Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy in Durham, North Carolina.

Kris grew up on Chicago’s south side and attended Mt. Carmel High School. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The City College of New York City-CUNY. Kris received his Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law. He is married to his wife, Elizabeth, who is also an attorney, and the two live in Chicago with their two sons.