Best Asbestos Attorneys in New Lenox il
Mark P. Munninghoff
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Education
- Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois
- J.D. – 2011
- Honors: cum laude
- Honors: Dean’s Honor’s List
- Honors: Moot Court Competition Team
- Honors: Multiple CALI Excellence for the Future Awards
- University of Notre Dame
- B.A. – 2007
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 2011
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association, Member, 2012 to Present
- American Association of Justice, Member, 2014 to Present
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
- Illinois State Bar Association
Past Positions
- Honorable Samuel Der-Yaghiayan in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Legal Extern, 2009
- Honorable Richard A. Stevens in the Circuit Court of Cook County – Child Protection Division, Courtroom Coordinator, 2009
- Goldstein, Fluxgold & Baron, PC, Clerk, 2009 to 2010
Peter C. Wachowski
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Peter Wachowski is a well-rounded lawyer who takes great pride in his work and has a passion for helping people in need. He is constantly looking for ways to improve and won’t stand for complacency. Peter is highly experienced, knowledgeable, and well-versed in the legal field. Because of his depth and breadth of experience, he can help a wide variety of clients with an array of legal needs. He is extremely hard-working, disciplined, and always goes the extra mile to get the absolute best result for his client. Peter is a tremendous lawyer whose accomplishments speak for themselves. He is the recipient of many awards in his field and has achieved numerous multi-million dollar settlements.
For over 30 years, Peter Wachowski has been involved in all types of personal injury cases from car, motorcycle and truck accidents to dog bites, slips & falls, workplace injuries and more. As a partner of Bellas & Wachowski, Peter, along with his team, have helped hundreds of clients receive maximum compensation for their personal injuries.
Rhonda Lorenz-Pignato
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Using her years of experience as a litigation attorney and her other life experiences, Rhonda Lorenz-Pignato is driven to make a positive impact on people across the United States who suffer adverse reactions as a result of vaccination.
Rhonda graduated magna cum laude from DePaul University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in 1989, majoring in Sociology. She then received her Juris Doctor degree from DePaul University, College of Law, in 1992.
From 1993 to 2001, Rhonda worked with insurance defense firms on various personal injury and medical malpractice claims and developed a solid foundation for investigating and litigating claims involving complex injuries.
In 2001, Rhonda branched out as a sole practitioner and began assisting law firms as an independent contractor. She continued to work on personal injury claims, which included medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, and automobile accident cases. She represented both plaintiffs and defendants, which helps her assess cases from an objective perspective.
As a litigation attorney, Rhonda has represented clients over the years in numerous arbitration hearings and many trials held before judges and juries. She also worked on appeals and argued before the Illinois Appellate Court.
In 1996, Rhonda was trained to be an arbitrator in Illinois’ Mandatory Arbitration Program. Soon after she began working as an arbitrator, she was certified as a Lead Arbitrator in that program due to her experience and performance.
JOSEPH A. POWER JR.
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Joseph Power has obtained more than 200 jury verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million, including the largest jury verdict in Illinois history for a medical malpractice case ($55.4 million) and a recovery of $100 million in a trucking case which led to 76 criminal convictions, including the former Governor of Illinois in the “licenses for bribes” scandal, which triggered the retesting of over 2,000 truck drivers.
In 2022, Joseph Power and James Power obtained a settlement in the amount of $10,000,000 for the family of a man who suffered fatal injuries when while working as a bricklayer, was crushed from a large piece of earth that caved in burying him while still alive. Also, that same year, Joseph Power, Tom Power and James Power obtained a settlement in the amount of $50,000,00 for a man who sustained a severe electric shock when attempting to remove a tree in his backyard came into contact with a sagging overhead power line.
In 2017, Joseph Power and James Power obtained a verdict of $95.4 million for a plaintiff who lost both of his legs when he was working as a truck driver and the cargo he was transporting fell onto him. The day after obtaining that verdict, Joseph Power, Larry Rogers, Jr. and James Power set out on another complex trial and obtained a verdict of $33.4 million for their clients in a negligent security case against Allied Barton.
Jena L. Borden
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Jena Borden is a RPWB attorney who focuses on mesothelioma cases. She leads our Edwardsville, Ill. office, which helps asbestos victims and their families receive compensation from the asbestos manufacturers and employers who are responsible for their mesothelioma cancer.
Borden grew up the daughter of a newspaper sportswriter, which meant lots of moving, but also many great travels to college bowl games. She spent a lot of time in Jackson, Mississippi and attended the University of Arkansas for undergrad and the University of Texas for law school. As the mother of two children–Jackson, 21, a junior at Southern Illinois University, and Max, 17, a high school senior—she wanted to provide her family with a stable hometown in Edwardsville.
The town just outside of St. Louis is in transition from blue collar to suburban, but it remains home to one of the nation’s busiest asbestos dockets. Madison County is where Michael Brickman secured the largest asbestos verdict ever back in 2003. Borden is local counsel on mesothelioma cases, working to get the cases filed, scheduled for trial and to secure settlements for our clients. In addition to working on mesothelioma cases, Borden also works on personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice and other complex cases.
She finds her work on behalf of mesothelioma victims rewarding because she gets to help families in their time of need. “I feel really good about what I’m doing,” she said. “These are great clients who worked hard their whole lives, but they are at a point where they are stricken with a horrible disease when they should be relaxing and enjoying life. We help them in one of the only ways possible, and that is to give them some peace of mind that their families will be cared for after they pass away.”
Mark Twain Plaza II 103 West Vandalia Street, Suite 212 Edwardsville, IL 62025
618.307.5077
www.rpwb.com
John Simmons
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
John Simmons founded the firm in 1999 with seven employees and a focus on asbestos litigation. Under his leadership, the firm has expanded to more than 250 employees, including more than 80 attorneys, spread between five offices in Alton, St. Louis, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
John has overseen some of the biggest verdicts and settlements in the history of asbestos litigation. The firm’s first trial involved a roofer and former Shell Oil employee diagnosed with mesothelioma. John helped secure a $34.1 million jury verdict, then considered one of the largest jury verdicts in the history of the litigation. That record stood for only a short while before the firm obtained a $250 million verdict on behalf of an Indiana steelworker.
The firm’s track record of success continues today, not only in mesothelioma litigation, but also in other areas of complex litigation including dangerous drugs and devices, prescription opioid litigation, sexual abuse litigation, environmental litigation, personal injury and other mass torts and class actions. Since that first case, the firm has recovered more than $10.1 billion in settlements and verdicts for thousands of clients nationwide under John’s leadership.
Amy Garrett
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
My legal career has been focused on helping victims of asbestos-related cancers, including mesothelioma, receive the compensation and justice they deserve. I’ve especially enjoyed working with U.S. veterans and their families.
I have a genuine interest in every person’s story and feel like it’s my job to empower my clients to fight for themselves and their families. It’s rewarding to see the differences in the lives of the families I’ve represented.
I pride myself on the personal attention I give to each and every client’s case that crosses my desk.
It has always been important for me to give back to my community in and out of the courtroom and to support our veterans.
In 2008, I collaborated with the Veterans’ Legal Support Clinic (VLSC) at John Marshall Law School to facilitate training for volunteer attorneys who were willing to represent veterans in their Veterans’ Administration claims. VLSC is an invaluable resource for veterans and their families who are attempting to navigate an often complex and difficult legal administrative process. VLSC can make the difference between a veteran receiving or not receiving their earned benefits.
Bart Baumstark
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Bart joined the O’Brien Law Firm in 2003. Before joining the O’Brien Law Firm, he worked as a criminal prosecutor in St. Louis City and later represented the interests of injured railroad workers and their families. Bart serves as the firm’s lead trial attorney and settlement negotiator in asbestos cases.
The vast majority of Bart’s experience as a trial lawyer has been in St. Louis courts. Before joining the O’Brien Law Firm, he successfully tried cases to juries involving repetitive trauma injuries ($900,000 verdict), catastrophic ear injury ($2,500,000 verdict), felony drug and weapon offenses, criminal assaults, robberies, and home invasions. He takes special pride in his knowledge of and experience with St. Louis area courts, judges, and juries.
Bart’s work on behalf of asbestos victims is not limited to the courtroom. He regularly testifies on behalf of Missouri asbestos victims at House and Senate committee hearings in Jefferson City in an effort to stop “tort reform” legislation from infringing on the rights of the firm’s clients. He also helps draft and advocate for the adoption of legislation to protect the rights of Missouri asbestos victims. Bart helped draft portions of the Missouri law enacted in 2014 that provided enhanced financial compensation for mesothelioma and asbestosis victims through the Workers’ Compensation claim system.
He currently serves on the board of governors for the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (MATA).
Bart often presents at continuing legal education seminars and professional gatherings on Missouri asbestos and mesothelioma law.
Asbestos attorneys in Crest Hill, IL, are legal professionals who specialize in handling cases related to asbestos exposure and its associated health issues. There are several needs for hiring asbestos attorneys in this area:
1. Asbestos-related illnesses: Asbestos exposure can lead to serious health conditions such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. These illnesses often take years or even decades to manifest. Asbestos attorneys help victims and their families seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering caused by these diseases.
2. Identifying responsible parties: Asbestos cases can be complex, as exposure might have occurred in various settings, including workplaces, homes, or public places. Asbestos attorneys work to identify the responsible parties, such as manufacturers, employers, or property owners, who may be held liable for the exposure.
3. Legal expertise: Asbestos cases involve specific laws and regulations related to asbestos use, exposure, and liability. Attorneys who specialize in asbestos litigation have the expertise and experience to navigate through these complex legal matters.
4. Time limitations: There are statutes of limitations that restrict the time frame within which a victim can file an asbestos-related claim. Asbestos attorneys are aware of these limitations and ensure that claims are filed within the prescribed time limits.
5. Settlement negotiation: Asbestos companies and defendants may offer settlements to victims to avoid lengthy and expensive court battles. Asbestos attorneys are skilled negotiators who can advocate for fair compensation on behalf of their clients.
6. Trial representation: In cases where a fair settlement cannot be reached, asbestos attorneys are prepared to represent their clients in court. They will present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and build a strong case to pursue maximum compensation.
7. Peace of mind: Dealing with an asbestos-related illness is incredibly challenging for victims and their families. Hiring an experienced asbestos attorney can provide peace of mind, knowing that someone is fighting for their rights and seeking justice.
Overall, asbestos attorneys in Crest Hill, IL, play a crucial role in helping victims of asbestos exposure to navigate the legal system, seek compensation, and hold responsible parties accountable for the harm caused by this hazardous substance.