Biography of Timothy P. Rhatigan

Tim Rhatigan has concentrated his practice in the area of plaintiff’s personal injury trial work throughout his entire career. Tim is a 1989 graduate from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and remained at Notre Dame where he received his law degree in 1993. After a two-year stint working in his Alma Matter’s Athletic Department he came to Chicago to begin his career in the area of plaintiff’s personal injury litigation.

Throughout his career, Tim has handled a variety of cases including those arising from construction negligence, aviation, medical malpractice, automobile negligence, premises liability, product liability and wrongful death. He has worked on high-profile cases, including litigation resulting from the 1991 crash of United Airlines flight 585, and the Hancock scaffolding collapse in Chicago. During the flight 585 litigation, Tim received high praise from Arthur Wolk, a nationally known aviation attorney. In his nomination of Tim to the Law Bulletin’s 40 Lawyers in Illinois Under 40 to Watch in 2002, Mr. Wolk noted Tim’s common-sense approach to a case with many complex issues. Tim has handled cases throughout the state of Illinois including Adams, Boone Champaign, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Effingham, Grundy, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lawrence, McHenry, McLean, Macon, Madison, Marion, Ogle, Sangamon, Will and Winnebago counties.

Tim has obtained numerous settlements and verdicts totaling in the millions of dollars. Being instrumental in obtaining an eight-figure settlement on behalf of a businessman in a contract dispute, obtaining a multi- million dollar judgment on behalf of a construction worker who suffered a fracture of his right leg and playing a key role in obtaining a multi-million dollar settlement on behalf of a Chicago firefighter who died during a training exercise are just a few examples of his success. In 2002 Tim was named by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company as one of the top 40 Illinois attorneys under 40. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum which is recognized as the most prestigious group of trial lawyers in the United States. He has been given an AV rating by his peers as published by Martindale Hubbell. The AV rating represents “very high to preeminent legal abilities” and the highest ethical standards.

Tim is an active member in the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association.