Current Cases

2023

Environmental Class Action - Grasley et al v. Chemtool – We represent thousands of residents in a class action lawsuit arising over a catastrophic fire and explosion at a chemical manufacturing plant in Rockton Illinois that led to mass evacuations of thousands of local residents as a toxic plume of smoke and debris enveloped the neighborhood. Our lawsuit seeks recovery for property-related damages for over 19,000 community members.


Premises Liability / Personal Injury - We represent a young boy who was severely injured at the apartment building where he lives with his family when the second-floor walkway collapsed under his feet and he fell to the ground below. Our investigation has uncovered the fact that the local building inspector had been warning the apartment owner for several years of the danger of the improperly supported second-floor walkway.


Civil Rights Case - Reyes-Hernandez v. Monsanto Company et al - This is a civil rights case, interwoven with serious environmental issues. Our client, Elvira, is a single mother and long-time migrant farm worker who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) in 2019 after being exposed to glyphosate from Monsanto’s RoundUp in the fields where she worked for many years. In 2021, Monsanto offered to settle with Elvira. However, as the settlement paperwork was being processed, Monsanto learned that Elvira was not a US citizen and was unwilling to pay her any settlement because of it. Then, Elvira’s lawyers dropped her as a client and had her cancer lawsuit dismissed. To remedy this injustice, we and our co-counsel sued Monsanto and Elvira’s former lawyers in federal court, alleging a violation of her civil rights.


Medical Malpractice – The firm represents a woman who was permanently disabled when a surgeon improperly pierced and compressed her tibial nerve by mistaking it for her tibial tendon, during a tibial tendon repair surgery.


Birth Injury / Wrongful Death - We represent a young woman whose newborn baby died shortly after birth as a result of several hours of fetal distress and oxygen deprivation, which went ignored by physicians and staff.


Medical Malpractice / Wrongful Death – The firm represents the family of a man who, while undergoing radiation therapy for lung cancer, fell 6 feet from the radiation table, plunging to the floor breaking his neck, and suffering a serious brain bleed which ultimately caused his death. We learned that the hospital had failed to properly secure the patient to the table during the procedure.


Civil Rights Case – Our client, a Muslim student attending a west suburban Chicago university was raped by a fellow student. She filed a Title IX complaint with the university asking that the rapist be punished. The university found that the student had raped our client, but inexplicably found that his only “punishment” should be that he had to live off campus for a semester. Our client was devastated and appealed to the university’s Dean who told her that the outcome would have been different if she “had been a different kind of student”, which our client—a Dean’s List student—interpreted to mean “non-Muslim”. Our client then hired us, and we filed a civil rights case for her. In discovery, we learned that our client’s rapist had been accused of sexual assault by multiple other female students, but the university had dropped its investigation into those charges, and the man (an athlete at the school) had faced no consequences. Moreover, there was nothing done to warn or protect the female students who might be his future victims.


Medical Malpractice / Wrongful Death – We represent the children of a woman who died shortly after a routine abdominoplasty and liposuction, after physicians and anesthesiologists used an excessive amount of lidocaine and tumescent fluid during the procedure, which caused her to suffer lidocaine toxicity and go into cardiac arrest, causing her death.


Nursing Home Neglect / Wrongful Death – The firm represents the daughter of a woman who was neglected at a nursing home and developed bedsores which led to her death from sepsis. We also represent the family of a nursing home patient who died as a result of a fall while unattended.


Car Accident Cases – The firm also represents dozens of clients who were seriously injured in car accidents. These traffic accident cases include T-bone accidents, truck accidents, rear-end collisions and pedestrian accidents. The victims suffered traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, broken bones, and other injures, some of which necessitated surgery.

Client Reviews
★★★★★
Shawn Collins is a very talented lawyer, as are all the attorneys on his team. I've known and worked with Shawn for more that 30 years. Not only is he a top notch technical litigator but his communication skills are second to none. If anyone I know is ever in need of an attorney, Shawn is my very first recommendation. He gives very solid advice that goes beyond the law. He is someone you can trust to tell you the truth so you are not lead astray in the complex legal world. You really can't find a better advocate. E.M.
★★★★★
We were incredibly satisfied with our experience with The Collins Law Firm. We worked closely with Ed Manzke and found that he had a personal touch and truly got to know us in addition to being knowledgeable and effective in his field. The caring and individual attitude helped us tremendously throughout the entire process and we always felt like our case was in safe hands. We would highly recommend The Collins Law Firm for both its stellar work and dedicated employees. M.A.
★★★★★
My father recommended The Collins Law Firm to me after watching Shawn Collins and Ed Manzke at trial representing Lisle residents against Lockformer. For years, he told us courtroom tales about Shawn and Ed, citing their incredible skill as trial lawyers and how they put the huge Lockformer legal team to shame. So when my son was the victim of a wrongful death, they were my first and only choice. I can't say enough to truly express how grateful I am to The Collin's Law Firm for all that they did for me and my family. This amazing team advocated for me in my darkest moments, surpassing my expectations in every way. I will be forever grateful to Shawn and Ed. K.D.
★★★★★
I have worked with Rob, Shawn and The Collins Law Firm team in connection with both complex business transactions and litigation over the past several years. Shawn is far and away the best business litigation attorney I have worked with. Rob has been our lead attorney on M&A and corporate restructures, and he has delivered each time, and on time. I would highly recommend Rob to get the deal done! W.D.
★★★★★
Rob has been our out-side General Counsel for ten years. As a business with a global presence, it is important that we have the very best legal representation. Rob and the team have guided us through litigation battles, negotiating and drafting our important business contracts, and advising us in our business strategies. He has a great team of lawyers working with him. M.F.