Joseph Kolar

I am a civil trial lawyer with 30 years of experience in Illinois state and federal courts.  I concentrate my practice in handling serious personal injury cases, including medical malpractice, aviation crashes, train crashes and truck/car crashes.  In four cases alone, I - along with partner Bob Baizer - obtained $78.8 million for our clients.  Those cases involved:

• A 2013 trial against the United States of America resulting in a $29.8 million award to a child who suffered a brain injury from an unnecessary delay in his delivery.
• A $19.4 million Cook County settlement for a brain injury to an adult (following a three week medical negligence trial).
• An $18.6 million Lake County jury verdict for a boy who suffered a brain injury at birth (an Illinois record at the time).
• An $11 million federal jury verdict for the death of an 18-year-old in a truck-car crash.

In December 2014, I obtained a $4.8 million jury verdict in Chicago for a woman who nearly died from a post-surgery infection.  In September 2015, I obtained another seven-figure jury verdict in Waukegan for the death of a 73-year-old man at a Lake County area hospital. In both cases, the defense made no offers prior to trial.

I have regularly been named an Illinois “Super Lawyer” for personal injury litigation.  I also hold an AV peer-review rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating an attorney can receive for general ethical standards and legal ability.