Hugh C. O’Donnell
serving clients in Chicago and surrounding suburbs
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senior associate
Hugh C. O’Donnell is an attorney at Whiteside & Goldberg, Ltd., dedicating his practice to representing individuals and families in plaintiff personal injury, medical malpractice, and product liability matters. Admitted to the Illinois bar in 1989, Hugh offers clients nearly four decades of seasoned courtroom experience and sharp, strategic advocacy.
Hugh brings a distinct and invaluable perspective to plaintiff work. Earlier in his career, he spent years handling high-stakes corporate defense and tort litigation. Because he knows firsthand how insurance companies evaluate claims, manage risk, and construct defense arguments, Hugh uses that insider knowledge to deconstruct defense strategies, build bulletproof cases, and level the playing field for injury victims.
A trusted fixture in the Midwestern legal community, Hugh is admitted to practice across state lines in both Illinois and Indiana. He is also admitted to the federal bar before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois. Known for his creative and thoughtful approach to advocacy, Hugh is a trial-ready attorney fiercely committed to securing fair settlements and landmark verdicts for those injured by negligence.
Education:
- Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana – Bachelors of Science, 1998
- Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles, California – Juris Doctorate, 2003
Bar Admissions:
- State Bar of California, 2003
- United States District Court, Central District of California, 2003
- State Bar of Illinois, 2009
- United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2011
- United States District Court, Central District of Illinois, 2015
- United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana, 2017
Professional Associations:
- American Association for Justice (AAJ), 2006 to the Present
- Illinois Trial Lawyer Association (ITLA), 2009 to the Present
- Illinois State Bar Association, 2009 to the Present
- Chicago Bar Association, 2009 to the Present
Notable Cases:
- $3,700,000: Wrongful Death – Apartment fire kills woman in an elevator.
- $3,500,000: Workplace Injury – Worker injured by falling elevator.
- $3,000,000: Automobile versus Biker- Drunk driver crushes man on a bicycle.
- $2,450,000: Wrongful Death – Security shoots and kills a man leaving an apartment complex.
- $2,000,000: Wrongful Death – Man struck by vehicle during a high-speed police pursuit.
- $1,687,500: Premises: Slip and fall injury causing a pulmonary embolism leading to death
- $1,500,000: Workplace Injury – Worker suffers permanent injury to finger preventing him from returning to work in his field.
- $1,500,000: Automobile versus Semi-Truck – Semi pulls out of a driveway in front of motorist.
- $1,125,000: Premises Liability: Resident struck by a loose section of building’s roofing shingles.
- $1,100,000: Wrongful Death – Man died after arrest and taken into police custody.
- $900,000: Automobile versus Semi-Truck -
- $890,000: Workplace Injury-Man struck by metal pipe and develops neuralgia.
- $600,000: Automobile versus Pedestrian – Police vehicle strikes man walking on the sidewalk.
- $490,000: Premises Liability: Store customer was struck by a falling metal rod.
- $164,638: Workplace Injury – Man struck on the head from cargo falling from a semi-trailer.
