Matthew Willens, J.D.
Highest Rated Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer and Medical Malpractice Lawyer – Voted “Best of the Best” by his peers, year after year
Matthew Willens is recognized by the Illinois legal community as the “Best of the Best” in personal injury law. In Illinois, he is rated best and voted best in personal injury and medical malpractice law by his fellow lawyers, year after year.
Attorney Profile
Mr. Willens has a unique understanding of the dynamics and strategies of serious personal injury and wrongful death cases because he has had experience from both sides of the aisle. Before starting his own firm, he was a partner at Clifford Law Offices where he successfully litigated and tried a wide variety of serious personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death cases on behalf of plaintiffs. Prior to that, he worked for a major insurance company where he coordinated and managed the strategic direction of million-dollar-plus personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death cases. His firsthand knowledge of exactly how the defense industry operates is extremely valuable for his firm’s clients who all have one thing in common – they have been victims of negligence.
He has been designated by his peers as a Top 100 “Illinois Super Lawyer” – an honor given to less than 1% of Illinois lawyers. He has an AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 peer review rating – the highest rating possible in personal injury and medical malpractice – in the highly distinguished Martindale-Hubbell® legal directory. He is recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” in Personal Injury Law and Professional Malpractice – based on a survey of legal peers conducted by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company’s Leading Lawyer Network. He has a 10/10 (Superb) Avvo Rating with the highest possible marks in all categories including experience, industry recognition and professional conduct.
Nationally, he has been selected for membership into the National Association of Distinguished Counsel – The Nation’s Top One Percent of Attorneys. He has been recognized as one of the “10 Best” Attorneys in Illinois by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys (AIOPIA) for having attained the highest degree of professional achievement in personal injury law and for impeccable client satisfaction ratings.
In 2004, he was named one of the ’40 Attorneys Under 40 in Illinois to Watch’ by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company – an honor given to less than 1% of the lawyers in Illinois. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum – where membership is limited to trial attorneys who have obtained million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements – where less than 1% of lawyers in the United States are members. He is also listed in Who’s Who in American Law and Strathmore’s Who’s Who, publications that honor some of the best lawyers in the country.
Honors & Awards
- Matthew L. Willens was selected to Top 100 Super Lawyers
- Matthew L. Willens was selected to Illinois Super Lawyers. each year since 2012
- Matthew L. Willens has an AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 peer review rating – the highest rating possible in personal injury and medical malpractice – in the Martindale-Hubbell® legal directory.
- Matthew L. Willens was selected to Illinois “Leading Lawyers” for Personal Injury Law: General and Professional Malpractice. This distinction has been earned by fewer than 5% of all lawyers licensed to practice in the state
- Matthew L. Willens has a “Superb” Avvo Rating with the highest possible marks in all categories including experience, industry recognition and professional conduct.
- In 2002, after several million dollar plus verdicts and settlements, Matthew L. Willens was appointed as a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum., 2002
- Matthew L. Willens featured in Chicago Lawyer magazine for his multi-million dollar settlement on behalf of a young man injured when a porch railing collapsed., Small Firms Nab Big Settlements, Chicago Lawyer Magazine, 2010
- Recognized by legal community as one of Chicago’s Top Lawyers as published in The National Law Journal
- In 2004, Matthew L. Willens was named one of the ’40 Attorneys Under 40 in Illinois to Watch’ by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company (an honor given to less than 1% of the lawyers in Illinois).
- Matthew Willens is listed in Strathmore’s Who’s Who.
- Matthew Willens is listed in Who’s Who in American Law.
- After a $16 Million Verdict, Matthew Willens was selected to be an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law where he teaches Advanced Trial Advocacy.
Bar & Professional Activity
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association – Member
- Chicago Bar Association – Previous Member of Judicial Evaluation Committee
- American Association For Justice – Member
- Illinois State Bar Association – Previous Member of Tort Law Committee and Solo and Small Law Firm Committee
Pro bono & Community Service
- Paul Revere Eastern Star Award Winner for Service to the Community
- He served as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law where he taught Advanced Trial Advocacy.
- He has written for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, the nation’s oldest daily legal publication.
- He has authored articles in legal periodicals and has been a regular speaker at legal seminars throughout the country on various topics related to trial advocacy.
- In addition to giving back to the legal profession, he donates his time and money generously to many good causes too numerous to list here.
Scholarly Lectures & Writings
- Starting Your Own Law Firm was published in March 2, 2012 Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Author, 2012
- Matthew Willens to speak to judges, lawyers and law students regarding Preparing and Presenting Expert Witnesses in Civil Trials, Speaker, 2011
- Matthew Willens presented to law students at Loyola University Chicago School of Law School, Speaker, What Lawyers Do, 2010
- Contributing author on Evidentiary Issues in Illinois Wrongful Death and Survival Actions, Contributing Author, Evidentiary Issues in Illinois Wrongful Death and Survival Actions, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1998
- “Transition From Working at a Small Firm To Starting Your Own” Matthew Willens featured in Blackacre, February, 2010
- “Alumni Spotlight” Matthew Willens featured in Loyola University Chicago School of Law Newsletter, February, 2010
- “Q & A” Matthew Willens featured in Chicago Lawyer Magazine, January, 2010
- “Career Choices” Presented to law students and lawyers at Loyola University Chicago School of Law School, Winter, 2010
- “90 Days Before Trial: The Final Countdown” Detailing Your Case for Trial – Presented to lawyers at the Chicago Bar Association, Fall, 2006
- “Traumatic Brain Injuries” Presented at the Lake County Center for Independent Living in Mundelein, Spring 2006
- “Liens – Contractual Reimbursements” Presented at two Illinois Trial Lawyer Association Seminars, Winter and Summer, 2006
- “Presenting Psychological and Neuropsychological Evidence in a Personal Injury Case” Presented to lawyers, academics and experts from around the country at the American Bar Association, Spring, 2005
- “Traumatic Brain Injuries” Illinois Trial Journal (republished in The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Journal, Issue 499, 2005), 12/01/2004
- “Top 10 Mistakes Made by Attorneys” Presented to lawyers in Illinois, New York, Texas, California, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, 2003
- “How Personal Injury Law and Workers’ Compensation Law are Related” Presented to law students at IIT, Kent Law School, 1998-2000
Verdicts & Settlements
- $15.8M Verdict – Car Accident (recognized by the National Law Journal as one of the top 100 verdicts in the country in 2007)
- $10M Settlement – Medical Malpractice
- $7M Settlement – Medical Malpractice
- $4M Settlement – Medical Malpractice
- $3.1M Verdict – Medical Malpractice (record verdict in failure to diagnose breast cancer case)
- $3M Settlement – Car Accident
- $2.25M Settlement – Truck Accident
- $2.01M Settlement – Porch Collapse
- $1.75M Settlement – Aviation Accident
- $1.7M Settlement – Medical Malpractice
- $1.5M Settlement – Truck Accident
- $1.36M Settlement – Pedestrian Accident
- $1.25M Settlement – Police Misconduct
- $1.04M Partial Settlement – Asbestos Exposure
- $1M Settlement – Medical Malpractice
- $880K Partial Settlement – Asbestos Exposure
- $775K Settlement – Nursing Home Negligence
- $750K Settlement – Construction Accident
- $725K Settlement – Nursing Home Negligence
- $625K Settlement – Motorcycle Accident
- $510K Settlement – Truck Accident
- $500K Settlement – Motorcycle Accident
- $500K Settlement – Car Accident
- $492K Verdict – Car Accident
- $460K Arbitration Award – Car Accident
- $400K Settlement – Truck Accident
- $378K Verdict – Premises Liability
- $375K Settlement – Truck Accident
- $374K Verdict – Bus Accident
- and more
Personal
Regardless of his awards and accolades achieved in his more than two decades as a trial lawyer, he’s unlikely to talk much about them. He’s more likely to talk proudly about his wife, his three children, and his dog.
Learn more about Matthew Willens – personal biography
A personal injury case refers to a legal dispute that results when an individual suffers harm or sustains an injury from an accident that someone else may be legally responsible for. Such cases are often caused by the carelessness or negligence of another. In some instances, multiple parties may be responsible, and so the victim may choose to sue all involved parties to recover the full amount of both economic and non-economic compensation needed for his or her injuries.
Auto accidents are among the leading causes of death in the United States, resulting in tens of thousands of fatalities each year and serious injuries in the hundreds of thousands. Rollovers, head-on collisions, rear-end collisions, and T-bone car wrecks can lead to life-changing injuries such as loss of limbs, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain damage, and severe burns.
When a passenger vehicle is involved in an accident with a massive truck, the damage can be catastrophic or even fatal due to the truck’s weight and size. Many factors can cause truck accidents to occur, such as truck driver fatigue, driver recklessness, driver inattentiveness, lack of driver training, following another vehicle too closely, speeding, unsecured cargo, poor truck maintenance, manufacturing defects, poor weather, or inclement road conditions.
Motorcycle accidents that happen all too often on U.S. roads and highways are often a result of negligent and careless drivers who do not recognize the road rights and privileges of motorcyclists. Some causes of this type of accident are speeding, distracted driving, failure to yield, driving while fatigued, road defects, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
When an accident with a motor vehicle and a bicycle takes place, disaster is likely to result—particularly for the rider who is more likely to sustain serious and even fatal injuries. Bicyclists can suffer injuries such as head trauma, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, internal injuries, damaged limbs, and road rash. The most common cause of bicycle accidents is the motor vehicle driver’s carelessness or negligence. Sadly, these accidents are often deemed minor incidents, and so local officials discount the cyclist’s side of the story.
With thousands of workers either sustaining serious injuries or being killed in construction accidents each year, it is no wonder that jobs in the industry are among the most dangerous in the country. Even with strict safety regulations and standards in place, construction workers must face high risks of injury every single day from accidents such as falling materials, excavation accidents, lifting injuries, scaffolding accidents, cutting and welding accidents, ladder accidents, machinery and heavy equipment accidents, explosions, and exposure to toxic materials. As a result, workers sustain injuries such as fractured or broken bones, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injury, electrocution, burn injuries, and wrongful death.
No matter how friendly a dog may be, it is important to remember that any dog breed can attack a human. Hundreds of thousands of victims are brought to the hospital each year due to dog bites—though thankfully most injuries from this type of accident are not fatal.
Property owners have a duty to ensure the safety of all their guests and visitors and must therefore keep their premises in a reasonably safe condition. This includes fixing dangers or warning visitors of slippery floors, uneven surfaces, and icy walkways. Liability may also extend to dog bites, elevator or escalator accidents, accidents due to insufficient security, poor lighting, or poor ventilation.
Assisted living facilities and nursing homes are meant to be safe havens for the elderly—a place where they can be given quality short-term or long-term care, protected from all types of harm, and treated with utmost dignity. Unfortunately, all too many nursing homes are focused on earning a profit as opposed to providing the quality of care required by their patients. As a result, nursing home patients suffer from serious illnesses or injuries due to their caregivers’ negligent actions.
As a consumer, you have the right to assume that each product you purchase is safe and that it will function as it is intended to. However, thousands of individuals are injured from dangerous or defective products every year, including automobiles, toys, sporting goods, prescription drugs, medical devices, household appliances, machinery and workplace equipment, and so much more.
As a patient, you place your life into the able hands of medical professionals and healthcare facilities, rightfully expecting to be provided a certain standard of care. In some instances, however, the negligence or error of a medical professional may cause your condition to worsen or result in additional injuries.
The process of pregnancy and giving birth can be extremely challenging, particularly since there are numerous things that can go wrong. Sometimes, a baby is born with a life-altering condition that health providers had nothing to do with. Other times, however, a birth injury may result from a poor decision made by a health care provider during delivery.
