Timothy Cavanagh
877-215-0517 (Toll-Free)
312-315-2554 (Cell)
Timothy Cavanagh is founder and partner of Cavanagh Law Group in Chicago, Illinois. He concentrates his practice in plaintiff's personal injury trial work and handles catastrophic injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death cases. Mr. Cavanagh has obtained over $400 million in verdicts, settlements and judgments in his career including the following recent results:
$55 million railroad crossing verdict (recognized by the National Law Journal as one of the top 100 verdicts in the country in 2002);
$14 million medical malpractice settlement;
$13.7 million wrongful death verdict;
$9.1 million railroad crossing settlement;
$7.5 million medical malpractice settlement;
$6.3 million wrongful death settlement;
$5.7 million auto-pedestrian settlement;
$5.55 million wrongful death settlement;
$4.5 million product liability settlement;
$4.1 million automobile crash settlement;
$3 million premises liability settlement;
$3 million product liability settlement;
$2 million verdict against the City of Chicago in a police pursuit case;
$1.9 million motorcycle/auto crash settlement;
$1.8 million railroad derailment settlement;
$1.2 million auto crash settlement;
$1.02 million automobile crash settlemen;t
$1 million truck-car crash settlement;
$1 million car crash settlement; and
$1 million medical malpractice settlement.
Mr. Cavanagh was named one of the top 500 plaintiffs' lawyers in the United States by Lawdragon magazine in 2007. In 2010-2012, he was named to the prestigious "Irish Legal 100" by The Irish Voice Newspaper, which recognized him as one of the top 100 Irish attorneys in America. Cavanagh was named a Super Lawyer by Key Professional Media, Inc. through the research of Law & Politics in the years 2005-2013. He is a member of the Board of Managers of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and an invited member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In 2001, he was selected by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company as one of the "40 Illinois Attorneys Under the Age of 40 to Watch". Leading Lawyers Network, a division of Law Bulletin Publishing Company, has named Cavanagh a "Leading Lawyer" every year since its inception in 2003—an honor that is limited to the top 5 percent of lawyers in Illinois. Leading Lawyers also named him one of the top 100 consumer lawyers in Illinois in 2010.
Media Appearances
- NBC's Today Show
- The O'Reilly Factor-Fox Network
- The Abrams Report---MSNBC
- Cable Program "Illinois Issues in Review"
- CBS Channel 2 News
- CLTV News
- NBC Channel 5 News
- ABC Channel 7 News
- Channel 66 News
- WGN News
- Fox Local News
Areas of Practice
- Personal Injury
- Medical Malpractice
- Catastrophic Injury
- Wrongful Death
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1987
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1987
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar, 1989
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1991
Education
- Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
- J.D. - 1987
- John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio
- B.A. - 1984
Published Works
- "Section 2-1117: Modified Joint and Several Liability in Illinois", Illinois State Bar Association, 1995
- "Supreme Court Hands Victory to Railroad Industry in Crossing Case", Illinois State Bar Association, 2000
Classes/Seminars
- Lecturer, "Wrongful Death and Dead-Man's Statute", Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, January 25, 2013
- Lecturer, "Handling and Winning a Railroad Case", Louisiana Association for Justice, December 14, 2012
- Lecturer, "Jury Selection" , Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, October 10, 2011
- Lecturer, "Railroad Crossing Cases" , Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, January 27, 2011
- Lecturer, "Making Your Case: Courtroom Visuals" , Law Bulletin Seminars, April 21, 2010
- Lecturer, "Negligence" (Anatomy of a $13.7 Million Verdict), Chicago, Illinois, November 17, 2009
- Lecturer, "Damages", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, October 12, 2009
- Lecturer, "Winning the Verdict and Protecting the Record", May 20, 2009
- Lecturer, "Cross-Examination Techniques", April 23, 2009
- Lecturer, "Trains", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, February 16, 2009
- Lecturer, "Winning Strategies (Case Studies)", May 16, 2008
- Lecturer, "Uninsured-Underinsured Motorist", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, February 18, 2008
- Lecturer, "Railroad v. Vehicle Crashes", Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE), October 31, 2007
- Lecturer, "Key Considerations in Evaluating a Case at the Engagement Stage, Settlement Stage and Trial: Case Studies", October 24, 2007
- Lecturer, "Governmental Immunity: The current case law", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, February 15, 2005
- Lecturer, "Proper Parties to Lawsuit", Illinois State Bar Association, January 9, 2004
- Lecturer, "Damages Evidence", Lorman Education Services, December 17, 2003
- Lecturer, "Railroad Evidence", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, October 13, 2003
- Lecturer, "Presenting the Expert for Deposition", Chicago Bar Association, October 3, 2002
- Lecturer, "Opening and Closing Statements", Chicago Bar Association, May 8, 2001
- Lecturer, "Evidence Seminar", Moderator, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, May 5, 2001
- Lecturer, "The Art of Maximizing Damages", Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, December 13, 2000
- Lecturer, "Litigating a Civil Case in Cook County", Illinois State Bar Association, December 9, 1999
- Lecturer, "The Plaintiffs' Attorney's View of Current Medical Malpractice Issues", Hospital Insurance Risk Managers, May 5, 1999
- Lecturer, "Illinois Issues in Review", Television Program Panelist, February 19, 1999
- Lecturer, "Trial Techniques", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, January 9, 1999
- Lecturer, "Litigating a Civil Case in Cook County", Illinois State Bar Association, December 10, 1998
- Lecturer, "Aggravation of a Pre-Existing Condition - Plaintiff's View", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, May 9, 1998
- Lecturer, "Arbitration", Chicago Bar Association, January 22, 1998
- Lecturer, "Litigating a Civil Case in Cook County", Illinois State Bar Association, December 11, 1997
- Lecturer, "Trial Objections and Effectively Responding to Objections", Chicago Bar Association, December 4, 1997
- Lecturer, "Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Claims", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, September 6, 1997
- Lecturer, "Jury Deliberations and After the Verdict", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, May 3, 1997
- Lecturer, "Litigating a Civil Case in Cook County", Illinois State Bar Association, December 12, 1996
- Lecturer, "Trial Techniques" - Program Planning Chair, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, October 14, 1996
- Lecturer, "Litigating a Civil Case in Cook County", Illinois State Bar Association, May 31, 1996
- Lecturer, "Civil Pre-Trial Practice Seminar "Slimming Down", Illinois Trial Lawyer Association, February 3, 1996
- Lecturer, "Litigating a Civil Case in Cook County", Illinois State Bar Association, November 30, 1995
- Lecturer, "Life Before and After House Bill 20 - Premises Liability Reforms", Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, May 6, 1995
- Lecturer, "A Plaintiff's Counsel's Perspective on Joint & Several Liability and Section 2-1117", Chicago Bar Association, January 25, 1995
- Lecturer, "Litigating a Civil Case in Cook County", Illinois State Bar Association, December 2, 1994
- Lecturer, "Litigating a Civil Case in Cook County", Illinois State Bar Association, November 11, 1993
- Lecturer, "Public Service", Illinois State Bar Association, November 5, 1992 - November 15, 1992
Honors and Awards
- Community Service Award, John Carroll University, December 12, 1999
- 40 Illinois Attorneys Under the Age of 40 to Watch, Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2001
- Making a Difference Award, John Carroll University, 2001
- Super Lawyers, www.superlawyers.com, 2005 - 2013
- Leading Lawyers, www.leadinglawyers.com, 2003 - 2013
- Named one of the Top 500 Plaintiff Attorneys in the Country by LawDragon Magazine (www.Lawdragon.com), 2007
- Named to the Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Board of Regents, 2010
- The Irish Legal 100, Irish Voice Newspaper, 2010 - 2012
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Foundation (TLPJ), Member, 1998 - Present
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Member, 1997 - Present
- Chicago Bar Association (CBA), Judicial Evaluation Committee, Member, 1996 - 1999
- Chicago Bar Association (CBA), Tort Litigation Committee, Member, 1999 - 2003
- Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), Assembly Member, 1999 - 2001
- Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), Civil Practice & Procedure Section, Council Member, 2001 - 2003
- Assembly Rules and Bylaws Committee, Member, 2001 - 2003
- Illinois State Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, Counsel Member, 1993 - 1995
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), Board of Managers, 2001 - Present
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), Member, Board of Advocates, 1996 - 2001
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), Legislative Committee Member
- American Association of Justice (AAJ), Member
- Western Golf Association, Director of Evans Scholarship
- The Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA), Member
- The Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago, Member
