Martin J. Lucas, Partner, Chicago Illinois

Marty Lucas began his career as a trial attorney in 1991 after graduating from IIT/Chicago Kent College of Law in Chicago. He was the winner of the American Jurisprudence Award for Torts while a student at Kent. He is an experienced trial lawyer who recognizes the great privilege and responsibility he has to represent victims of negligence.

Mr. Lucas takes pride in having tried cases to verdict in jurisdictions throughout the state. He has tried and argued cases in state court throughout the northern half of Illinois, the federal trial and appellate courts, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and the Cook County Human Rights Commission. These trials have included medical malpractice, construction negligence, automobile collisions, sexual harassment and discrimination claims, and other personal injury matters.

He has obtained substantial awards for his clients in a range of personal injury cases, including multi-million dollar recoveries in medical malpractice and construction negligence cases.

Below is a sampling of his verdicts and settlements:

• $6,000,000 Medical malpractice settlement at the end of a jury trial for a 6 month old boy who sustained brain damage after an endotracheal tube became dislodged.

• $3,850,000 and waiver of the worker’s compensation lien for ironworker superintendent who slipped and fell 12-15 feet from a beam while taking measurements for decking placement. The ironworker fractured both ankles and his wrist.

• $2,600,000 settlement for a laborer who was struck by a concrete panel that was not secured during interior demolition work. The general contractor and the architect/engineer contributed to the settlement.

• $1,850,000 settlement for a laborer who was struck by a Commonwealth Edison bucket truck while helping to relocate an old train depot.

• $1,500,000 settlement with a hospital in Winnebago County for a 33 year old woman who died from internal bleeding several hours after delivery of her baby by c-section.

• $1,350,000 settlement for an ironworker who tripped in a hole which had not been properly backfilled.

• $1,300,000 and waiver of worker’s compensation lien for a pipefitter injured due to a compressed air explosion while connecting pipe. The worker was thrown from a ladder and sustained compression fractures in his back, a fractured wrist, and penetration of glass, metal, and dirt in his face and eyes. The defendants agreed to the settlement figure even though the client had returned to work as a pipefitter.

• $1,250,000 and waiver of the worker’s compensation lien for a bricklayer struck by a stack pipe left unsecured by the plumbing contractor. The client underwent surgery to remove a herniated disc from his neck as well as treatment for jaw pain, headaches, and dizziness.

• $1,050,000 and waiver of worker’s compensation lien for an ironworker who slipped and fell on ice while welding. The client underwent surgery to his low back, but he courageously returned to ironwork. The Defendants met Plaintiff’s settlement demand once trial began.

• Obtained a verdict of more than $260,000 for a young teenager whose calf was severely lacerated on the edge of metal bleachers the Chicago Park District placed by an outdoor basketball court. The Appellate Court upheld the verdict and agreed that the Plaintiff proved the Park District’s conduct was willful and wanton.

• Wrongful death/medical malpractice settlement for a 68-year-old retired tile setter who died from a undiagnosed and untreated infection while undergoing chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer.

• Verdict for the Plaintiff in federal court involving a fall down a stairway. Our client claimed someone left a cardboard tray on the stairs causing him to fall. After the court ruled in our client’s favor on liability issues, the government agreed to settle the case.

• Wrongful Death/Medical Malpractice settlement for 58 year old man injured in a car collision. It was alleged that the anesthesiologist failed to properly and timely respond to a dangerous drop in blood pressure during administration of pain medication. The case settled for $900,000.

• Wrongful Death/Medical Malpractice verdict of $950,000 for a 58 year old woman who died after her internist failed to diagnose a rare blood clotting disorder resulting from medication given after she suffered a heart attack.

“It is important to understand that the world can turn upside down for my clients who have suffered a serious injury. We firmly believe in this office that our efforts in the civil justice system can bring about a renewed sense of security for our clients.”

Areas of Practice:
• Litigation
• Appeals
• Trials
• Medical Malpractice Matters
• Personal Injury Claims

Bar Admissions:
• Illinois, 1991

Education:
• J.D. Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
• B.A. John Carroll University, 1986

Professional Associations and Memberships:
• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
• Illinois State Bar Association