Firm News

A sobering statistic recently was released by the International Transport Forum: the United States leads the world in increased traffic deaths with a primary cause believed to be distracted driving. According to the new study of 29 nations, only five of the countries saw an increase between 2010-2016. The U.S., which jumped 13.5 percent in this period, was ahead of Argentina that experienced a 9 percent increase, followed by Chile that experienced a 5 percent…

Charles Haskins’ favorite fictional legal character is lawyer and former district attorney Paul Biegler (played by James Stewart) from the movie Anatomy of a Murder. Charles’ favorite line from the movie came from Paul Biegler’s colleague, Parnell Emmett McCarthy, who drunkenly states on juries: “Twelve people go off into a room: twelve different minds, twelve different hearts, from twelve different walks of life; twelve sets of eyes, ears, shapes, and sizes. And these twelve people…

Kevin Durkin’s favorite fictional character is lawyer Jake Brigance from Time to Kill. According to Wikipedia, “The film involves the rape of a young girl, the arrest of the rapists, their subsequent murder by the girl’s father, and the father’s trial for murder.” Durkin’s favorite quote from Jake is, “Now it is incumbent upon us lawyers not to just talk about the truth but to actually seek it, to find it, to live it.”

Patrick F. Bradley has been practicing in the area of personal injury and wrongful death litigation since 1980. Having worked as a solo practitioner, he has achieved a level of respect among his colleagues for embracing ethical responsibilities and promoting civility in the courtroom to achieve justice for his clients. For nearly four decades, Patrick has tried cases to verdict so that his clients receive financial compensation that is fair in some very complex litigation….

Honorable Henry R. Simmons’s (Ret.) favorite fictional character is Boston Lawyer Frank Galvin from the film, The Verdict. The film is about an alcoholic lawyer who takes on a medical malpractice case to save his career, even though no one thinks he can win the case. Judge Simmons’s (Ret.) favorite line is when Frank says, “Your honor, with all due respect, if you’re going to try my case for me, I wish you wouldn’t lose…

Craig J. Squillace, partner at Clifford Law Offices, has been elected to the board for the Western Springs Foundation for Educational Excellence (WSFEE). WSFEE is a group of volunteers that helps raise money through fundraisers and solicitations and then manages the distribution of those funds for the schools in School District 101. WSFEE Board member terms are three years in duration. Squillace also serves on the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Board of Managers. ___________ For…

Nearly 5,200 workers died of traumatic injury on the job, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2016, the last year for which complete data is available. This indicates a trend of more workers dying on the job, with 2016 being the third consecutive year finding an increase in fatalities and the highest number since 2008. Government estimates also show that occupational disease kills another 50,000 people every year – more than homicides,…

U.S. Congress has summoned current and former executives of pharmaceutical distributors to testify who are accused of contributing to the serious opioid crisis in this country and what role they and their companies play in the epidemic of prescription painkillers. The May 8 hearing, scheduled before a House Energy and Commerce Committee oversight panel, will put pharmaceutical executives under oath to explain why so many highly addictive pain pills are finding their way into several…

On April 2nd, 2018, Clifford Law Offices named Craig J. Squillace a partner at the firm. Craig J. Squillace, associate at Clifford Law Offices since 2002, was promoted to partner. Squillace, who most recently received a record settlement of $4 million in Will County, concentrates his practice in the area of vehicular and trucking accidents at the personal injury firm. He also has experience in medical malpractice, product liability and municipal liability. Squillace is a…