Our Win Records

Joseph A. Power, Jr., as lead counsel, with the assistance of Larry Rogers, Jr., represented a Chicago family that lost six children in a fiery Wisconsin car crash in 1994 caused by an unqualified truck driver. Investigations prompted by the tragedy and lawsuit revealed widespread corruption, whereby the Secretary of State’s staff exchanged licenses for bribes that went to the campaign of George Ryan. These federal investigations triggered Operation Safe Road, which required retesting for over 2,000 drivers using tainted licenses and netted 76 convictions, including that of former Governor of Illinois George Ryan. Joseph Power and Larry Rogers, Jr. obtained a record $100 million settlement for personal injury and wrongful death for a single-family.

R. M. v. Metal-Matic Inc.

Power Rogers attorneys Joseph A. Power, Jr., as lead counsel, and James Power recently secured a $95,477,464 million jury verdict for our client who suffered massive leg injuries that required a double above-the-knee amputation in 2014. Our client, a truck driver, was transporting carbon steel tubing. The crane operator at the delivery location attempted to unload the cargo, but because the tubing was improperly stacked and configured for unloading, one bundle of the tubing rolled out and crushed his legs,lacerating his right popliteal artery and fracturing his fibula and tibia. His right knee was amputated above the knee, and after his left leg developeda fungal infection, the doctors had to amputate that one above the kneeas well. The jury awarded the Plaintiff $83,477,464 and his wife $12 million for a total of $95,477,464. This award was reduced 10% for the plaintiff’s liability, making the total recoverable amount $86,429,717.60.

L. v. Active Transportation Company, LLC

Trucking/Wrongful Death: L., 43, was driving with his wife and children as passengers when he slowed down due to construction on the highway in Lafayette, Indiana. A truck struck him from behind, causing his car to burst into flames. L. sustained fatal injuries. He is survived by his wife and two minor children. His wife sustained facial fractures, a concussion, bone bruising, lacerations, and sprains. His daughter suffered second and third degree burns, requiring amputation of her left leg and the toes of her right foot. She also fractured multiple broken bones in her pelvis and fingers. L.’s son suffered second and third degree burns to his legs.

(2019) Trucking Negligence: This action arose out of a collision that occurred on September 24, 2017, on Interstate 80, near Mile Marker 29.0, in Chesterton, Indiana. The Defendant Driver, Individually and as an Agent and/or Employee of a local trucking company was driving a tractor trailer westbound on I-80 several vehicles behind Plaintiff’s vehicle on the roadway. Suddenly, the Defendant Driver struck the rear of another tractor trailer, causing it to jackknife into the rear of the Plaintiff’s vehicle, causing Plaintiffs vehicle to spin off of the roadway and onto the shoulder. Plaintiff, a 24-year old male, became trapped in the driver’s seat of his vehicle from the collision and suffered a traumatic fracture of his spinal cord resulting in lower extremity paralysis.

Plaintiff was represented by partner, Larry Rogers Jr.

J.D., et al. v. Trucking Company and Steel Company (2019 – Northern District of Illinois District Court)

Trucking/Transportation Negligence: A father (M-64), mother (F-43), and their only daughter (F-11) were rear-ended by defendants’ semi-tractor/trailer when its driver fell asleep on Interstate 55. All three were killed (the father was survived by two adult children from prior marriages and the mother was survived by her parents and siblings). Plaintiffs alleged that the trucker, who was acting under the defendant steel company’s direction, had routinely violated the hours of service and other federal regulations and as a result, according to a sleep expert, was chronically sleep-deprived, which contributed to cause the fatal crash. Joseph A. Power, Jr. co-counsel with Kathryn L. Conway and James I. Power.

Church Group v. Eagle Express Lines (2022)

Joseph Power and James Power recently secured $19,400,000.00 on behalf of a group of families who suffered various injuries while traveling down to Disney world in January of 2019. Plaintiffs van was heading south down I-75 nears Gainesville, Florida when a semi-truck that was heading north lost control of his vehicle, crossed over the median and struck the Plaintiff’s head on.

D. v. Nettleton Specialized Carriers, Inc. and J.W. Peters, Inc.

Trucking: Plaintiff was stopped at the Edens Spur ramp at the beginning of a construction zone back up on the Edens Expressway. He was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer owned by the defendants and operated by an employee and/or agent of the defendants who was traveling at least 65 m.p.h. The driver testified he applied his brakes prior to the collision, but did not have time to stop. He claimed he had just exited a curve. The collision occurred after 3,000 feet of a straight roadway near the tail end of the Edens Spur. He sustained a C5-C6 tetraplegic injury.

Prior to jury selection the Defendants admitted liability. This was accepted by the plaintiffs. Prior to trial, the defendants offered $10,000,000 to settle. During the trial the defendants incrementally increased their offers to $15,000,000 and then $20,000,000. After closing arguments the defendants offered a high/low agreement of $25,000,000 – $50,000,000.

JURY VERDICT: $23,000,000.00

After a jury verdict of $23,000,000 the case settled under a high/low agreement entered into after closing arguments for $25,000,000.00.

Trucking: On September 13, 2011, on Interstate 80 westbound, 5 miles east of Grinnell Iowa, the plaintiff, a wrecker and tow truck driver for the for the Hanifen Company, Inc. of Des Moines, Iowa, was working to attach a disabled tractor trailer, a sequence of events with collisions of vehicles on the road’s edge/shoulder resulted in his death from being crushed between the disabled tractor and the rear of his tow-wrecker.

S. v. HMD Trucking, Inc., et al.

The cause involved the wrongful death of R.S., who was a 47 year old auto worker, who was returning home from work on the evening of October 16, 2004, when he was killed while operating his motor vehicle southbound along Indiana’s I-465 within the city limits of Indianapolis, Indiana. A tractor-trailer operated by Tadeusz Strojny was also traveling in the middle lane of the southbound traffic along I- 465. Mr. Strojny’s tractor-trailer struck Mr. Studer’s vehicle from behind, propelling and pinning it along the I- 465’s median wall. Ronald Studer was unable to escape his vehicle and died as a result of his injuries.

Tadeusz Strojny was employed as a truck driver by Defendant, Right Express, Inc. d/b/a E.R.A. Transportation, Inc. The tractor was owned by Defendant, HMD Trucking, Inc., for whom Mr. Strojny was driving. He was pulling a trailer owned by Defendant, FAF, Inc. with an insignia of Forward Air, Inc. stenciled on the side of the vehicle.

Mr. Strojny was a Polish born individual who is not fluent in the English language. On the date of this occurrence Mr. Strojny had picked up the tractor-trailer at the Forward Air depot in Chicago, Illinois and was taking it to Columbus, Ohio.

C. v. Union Pacific Railroad Co., et al.

Trucking: A 71 year old African-American man was injured on July 25, 1995 when a semi-tractor trailer owned by Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad Co. pulled from a stop sign at a T-intersection in Northlake in front of a truck traveling eastbound in which plaintiff was a passenger. He suffered a spinal cord injury which left him with incomplete paralysis in his arms and legs.

Jury Verdict: $10,430,617.92

Offer before trial: $1,600,000.00