Mat Siporin Named Super Lawyers “Rising Star”
February 24, 2012
Mathew Siporin has been named to the Rising Stars list as one of the top up-and-coming attorneys in Illinois for 2012.
To be named to this respected list, lawyers are asked to nominate the best attorneys who are 40 or under that they have personally observed in action – including as an opposing counsel or through firsthand courtroom observation. As a result, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in Illinois receive this honor.
“I am honored that my peers, adversaries and colleagues respect the professional accomplishments I have achieved over the years,” says Mathew. “I look forward to many, many more success stories in the courtroom for the remainder of my career.”
The Rising Stars lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers magazines and in leading city and regional magazines across the country. For more information about Super Lawyers, go to superlawyers.com.
Pullano & Karnezis secures $220,000 for Burbank slip & fall victim
October 19, 2011
It’s a familiar site in the grocery store aisle: a pallet of boxes filled with jars, cartons, and canned goods, ready to be stocked on the shelves. Oftentimes, these pallets are wrapped with strong, slick plastic to keep the boxes from falling over. Although seemingly harmless, this plastic wrap actually poses a significant hazard for shoppers and employees alike.
Such was the case in December 2007 at a Food 4 Less store in Burbank, a small suburb just south of Chicago. Customer Ruby Banks was headed to the checkout aisle with a container of ice cream when she slipped on a piece of this plastic wrap.
Ms. Banks sustained painful injuries from her fall, including a tear to her rotator cuff that required surgery to repair. Shortly after the accident, she retained Pullano & Karnezis to represent her. In June 2011, Pullano attorneys secured a $220,000 settlement, four times the amount originally offered by the store.
“In this case, Food 4 Less employees caused the dangerous condition to be present, failed to clean it up and failed to warn customers, such as Ms. Banks, that plastic was in the aisle,” said Mat Siporin,lead attorney. “Walking in an aisle in a grocery store should not be like walking through a field of land mines. The employees were careless and Ms. Banks suffered as a result. I am very happy that Ms. Banks can now move forward with her life and focus on her recovery.”
The defendants, Food 4 Less and the Kroger Co., were represented by Menges & Molzahn, LLC. The trial was scheduled to be heard by Judge William Maddux in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Accidents can happen anywhere. If you’ve been injured in an accident, contact Pullano & Karnezis to determine if negligence may have been a factor.
$1 million settlement for woman struck by speeding police car in Melrose Park
January 14, 2011
A Melrose Park woman who was hit by a speeding police vehicle will receive $1 million from the Village of Melrose Park and a former part-time village police officer. The settlement was secured on January 4, 2011 by Richard Pullano and Mathew Siporin of the law firm Pullano & Karnezis.
On September 15, 2006, part-time police officer Christopher Calloway wrongfully engaged in a high-speed chase that originated in neighboring Franklin Park. While in pursuit, Officer Calloway entered the intersection at North Avenue and 15th Street against a red light and at a speed of up to 70 miles per hour, according to transportation experts involved in the case.
Officer Calloway struck Kimberly Baskerville’s car on the driver’s side as she entered the intersection. Ms. Baskerville, a 43 year-old single mother of three children, sustained numerous injuries including fractures to her pelvis and ribs, bilateral lung contusions, a lacerated spleen, and a lacerated liver.
Melrose Park police regulations forbid all officers to engage in high-speed chases unless it is clear the perpetrator had engaged in a violent crime. Chases need to be authorized by commanding officers, and pursuing officers must dramatically reduce speed when approaching and traveling through intersections.
“Not only was Officer Calloway unauthorized to engage in the chase, Officer Calloway drove recklessly on a roadway in the community he was employed to serve,” said Mr. Siporin. “He ignored the training he received in his ten years on the force, and the common sense that should have told him not to speed through a busy intersection when he had a red light.”
Chicago law firm Brenner Ford Monroe & Scotts, Ltd. represented Mr. Calloway. The Village of Melrose Park was represented by Mulherin, Rehfeldt & Varchetto, P.C. of Wheaton. Cook County Judge Jeffrey Lawrence presided over the case.
About Pullano & Karnezis
Pullano & Karnezis is a leading personal injury firm in Chicago. The firm’s partners have successfully represented clients in complex cases involving medical negligence; automobile, truck, motorcycle, aviation, boat and other vehicle accidents; construction site accidents; premises and product liability; and other forms of negligence. At Pullano & Karnezis, intense preparation and a competitive spirit combine to provide clients with superior representation and significant awards.
Pullano & Karnezis Mourns the Loss of John Karnezis
October 25, 2010
John Theodore Karnezis, partner in the Chicago law firm Pullano & Karnezis, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, October 24 at LaGrange Memorial Hospital in LaGrange.
“John was a highly skilled lawyer, but what made him an outstanding attorney was his compassion and empathy for his clients. He always put his clients first and would do whatever was necessary to make sure they received the best result,” said Richard Pullano, partner, Pullano & Karnezis. “John loved his work, but the one thing he loved most in life was going home at the end of the day to his wife, Dena, and his twin boys, Michael and John. We will miss him greatly.” (more…)
Photos from the 2009 launch of Pullano & Karnezis
October 24, 2010
Hundreds of colleagues, friends and family joined us last year as we opened the doors to Pullano & Karnezis. Please enjoy these photos from our launch party at the Union League Club last November.
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