Page not found
We're sorry, the page you were trying to find does not seem to exist.
Barker, Castro & Steinback, LLC is delighted to announce that four of our attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2024 Illinois Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. These attorneys are being recognized by their peers for their accomplishments in medical malpractice defense cases.
Super Lawyers
Rising Stars
Super Lawyers implements a multiphase selection process in which peer nominations, evaluations and research are reviewed to identify outstanding attorneys within each state. Only 5% of lawyers are selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers, and 2.5% for the Rising Stars list. To learn more about the research process, visit here.
Patricia Barker, Andrea Kott, and Jennifer Suttle have been recognized as “Top Women Lawyers” for 2023. Currently, only 39% of attorneys national are women, and we strongly believe in furthering equal representation in the legal field. This peer-selected honor celebrates influential women in law who have made a difference in the legal community. Please join us in celebrating our honorees.
Visit Leading Lawyers Magazine to learn more about how their peers selected Barker, Castro & Steinback attorneys for this top recognition.
Joseph Comer recently obtained an appellate victory in the Second District Court of Appeals following a recent oral argument in that court. The appellate court affirmed summary judgment in his hospital client’s favor, which he won in trial court.
The plaintiff in the case had alleged he was injured on the hospital’s premises in a fall, suffering a broken ankle among other injuries. The appellate court agreed with the trial court that the plaintiff failed to elicit evidence to show that the hospital had actual or constructive notice of the condition, a pothole, that plaintiff claimed caused his fall. The plaintiff had relied on photographs to claim the pothole had been present for a sufficient amount of time to provide notice. Mr. Comer had elicited testimony from the hospital’s engineer that the condition could have developed within a matter of days. Further, the plaintiff had failed to present evidence of how long the condition existed. The Second District agreed that this prevented the plaintiff from proving that the hospital had constructive notice of the condition and summary judgment was affirmed. The appellate court took less than 30 days to render its decision.
Barker, Castro & Steinback has been ranked as Tier 1 in the Chicago metropolitan area for Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants in 2024. “Best Lawyers,” the oldest and most respected purely peer review research and accolades company in the legal profession, today announced the release of the 14th Edition of the U.S. Best Law Firms rankings for 2024. Thank you to our clients and peers for this nomination and honor.
To learn more about Best Law Firms’ nominations and rankings,
please visit “Best Lawyers”.
Plaintiff filed suit against defendant long-term care facility, Generations at Regency, seeking recovery under the Wrongful Death Act for the death of an 82-year-old patient allegedly resulting from a fracture sustained at the facility. Plaintiff made a pre-trial demand of $1.75 million on a $1 million policy. At trial, Plaintiff asked for $4.1 million. The jury returned a defense verdict 24 minutes after receiving the case.
Andrea Kott and Joseph Comer recently won summary judgment on behalf of a hospital client. The plaintiff in the underlying case had been brought to the hospital’s emergency department following a motor vehicle accident. He alleged that the doctors in the hospital’s emergency department had failed to timely diagnose and treat a vertebral artery dissection. The plaintiff had later suffered a stroke and was seeking millions of dollars in damages as a result of alleged disability.
Ms. Kott and Mr. Comer presented a motion for summary judgment arguing that the hospital could not be liable for the alleged negligence because the physicians were independent contractors. This was supported by extensive testimony and evidence obtained by the attorneys during the discovery process. The plaintiff argued the doctors were apparent agents of the hospital based on the fact that several hours passed between the time of admission and the time when he signed agency disclaimer forms. He further argued after extensive briefing and oral argument, the judge granted the motion for summary judgment, agreeing that the defendant doctors were not the apparent agents of the hospital. The hospital was dismissed from the case, with prejudice.
Steve Steinback & Josh Sultan recently won a motion for summary judgment on behalf of a defendant hospital in a medical malpractice lawsuit wherein the hospital was sued on a theory of vicarious liability for the conduct of an individually named physician. The Court heavily relied upon Plaintiff’s testimony in granting the Motion. Specifically, the Court pointed to Plaintiff’s concession regarding the physician’s employment with a local medical group to find there was no genuine issue of material fact as to the lack of any alleged agency relationship. The Court further noted Plaintiff appeared to choose the hospital out of mere convenience, and not because of any “holding out” of justifiable reliance” by the hospital.
The Appellate Court analyzed the lower court’s decision under the abuse of discretion standard and concurred that it was reasonable to find that the majority of public and private interest factors favored transfer. The Court’s published opinion rejected the notion that just because providers live in Cook County, that does not mean that Cook County is a more convenient forum. The Court relied heavily on the affidavits of the providers in reaching its decision. The case will remain pending in the collar county, DuPage County.
The published opinion can be accessed here.
BCS is proud to announce that five firm attorneys have been selected to the 2023 Illinois Super Lawyers and Rising Star lists. Andrea Kott, Steven Steinback, and Jason Gluskin are all repeat winners of this award, while Alexandra Morelli and Josh Sultan and new recipients.
This announcement follows the recognition of Barker, Castro & Steinback, LLC as a 2023 Best Law Firm in the area medical malpractice defense by U.S. News and World Report.
The attorneys named to the 2023 Illinois Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists include:
Super Lawyers:
- Andrea Kott
- Steve Steinback
Rising Stars:
- Jason Gluskin
- Alexandra Morelli
- Josh Sultan
Attorneys in regions throughout the country are selected to the Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists through peer nominations, peer evaluations and extensive independent research. Selected attorneys hold a high degree of recognition and have made significant accomplishments in their field.
No more than five percent of the lawyers in each state are selected to the Super Lawyers list. Only 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state who have been in practice for 10 years or less or who are 40 years old or younger are highlighted in the Rising Stars list.
For more information about the selection process, visit superlawyers.com.
On November 18, 2022, Jason Gluskin & Josh Sultan led the discussion on the latest updates in Illinois case law at the annual Law Day for the Chicago Healthcare Risk Management Society (CHRMS).
CHRMS was established in 1980 with the mission of supporting members in the healthcare risk management and patient safety communities by providing tools to minimize risk and liability, enhancing skills & knowledge and establishing a collaborative networking environment. CHRMS is governed by a 12-member board of directors. Josh currently serves as board member and further aids the organization as the webmaster elect. BCS is a proud sponsor of CHRMS.