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The tragic Amtrak Train 501 derailment outside Tacoma, Washington, that has left at least three people dead and injured dozens more on its maiden passenger voyage has left many questions as National Transportation Safety Investigators (NTSB) start sorting through the wreckage. The cause of the train derailment of 12 cars and two locomotives won’t be known until months, perhaps even years, of investigation. Even NTSB board member Bella Dinh-Zarr told the press late in the…

The fatal derailment of an Amtrak train occurred on a rebuilt $181 million track corridor that was supposed to make the trip more reliable between Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. Amtrak Cascades 501, with at least 83 people aboard, was the first regular service to use the “bypass” track that goes directly from Tacoma to DuPont, instead of a slow but scenic path along Puget Sound at Tacoma Narrows. Many reports state that the train…

An Amtrak train reportedly derailed this morning (Monday, Dec. 18, 2017) in Washington as it headed from Tacoma to Olympia, sending more than 75 people to local hospitals. The number of people killed has not yet been released. This was the first day for the Amtrak Cascades high-speed train on its new Route W trains that run further inland parallel to Interstate 5 through Tacoma, Lakewood and Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Witnesses reported the train was…

Sarah F. King, associate at Clifford Law Offices, will moderate a program at the Chicago Bar Association (CBA) entitled “Motion Practice in Cook County Circuit Court’s Law Division.” Mark G. Szaflarski of Mark Szaflarski, P.C., will co-moderate. Five judges from the Law Division will speak on topics including motions to dismiss, motions in limine and motions for summary judgment. These judges are the Hon. James P. Flannery, Jr., Presiding Judge of the Law Division; Hon….

Clifford Law Offices is a sponsor of the upcoming Women Everywhere Annual Holiday Fundraiser. The event will be held on Monday, December 18, 2017, from 5-7 p.m. at Hub 51 in Chicago, Illinois. Women Everywhere is a non-profit organization of attorneys and judges dedicated to creating opportunities for women through education and community service. Attorney Sarah F. King is a Planning Committee Delegate for the organization. Each ticket cost $50. To RSVP for the event,…

Clifford Law Offices has long been a supporter of patients’ rights and is continually dedicated to teaching the importance of knowing one’s rights. A study was just released by Sorry Works!, a not-for-profit organization based in Edwardsville, Illinois called Don’t Gag Me… A Special Report on Confidentiality Clauses in Med-Mal Settlements that addresses what is going on with confidentiality clauses in settlements, or “gag orders” as many people refer to them. In particular, researchers there interviewed…

Four people are recovering following a plane crash Monday evening at Chicago Rockford International Airport. Two of the people in the plane had to be extricated, including the pilot. All of the injured, including two minors, were taken to local hospitals. Rockford was the plane’s final destination. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the crash. The plane apparently clipped the fencing surrounding the airport…

Helping other people in times of need. Volunteering in one’s spare time. Juggling a house and family life. That is the life of Tracy Brammeier, an associate at Clifford Law Offices for the past three years. She joined the firm as a law clerk as a 1L student at Loyola University School of Law and has been with the firm since 2011. Her father was a lawyer, having practiced criminal defense work in Chicago for…

Bradley M. Cosgrove, partner at Clifford Law Offices, obtained a $3 million verdict on behalf of a 52-year-old man who died from a pulmonary embolism 50 days after undergoing leg surgery at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital. The case involved Edward A. Smolinski of Elmhurst who died when doctors failed to prevent, diagnose and treat a pulmonary embolus following surgery to repair a quadriceps tendon in his left leg. The case was brought by his wife Margaret…