Illinois Attorneys Granted Summary Judgment for Municipality Client

Chicago Partner Brian C. Hoppe and Attorney Ryan M. Connelly successfully defended our municipal government client in a Circuit Court of Cook County wrongful death lawsuit.

This case stemmed from an accident in which an individual contractor was electrocuted while working on a variable frequency drive (VFD) system and passed away as a result of their injuries. Plaintiff, the estate of the decedent, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against our client, among several other defendants, asserting claims that our client was liable and their actions or inactions contributed to the contractor’s fatal electrocution.

Our defense attorneys Brian Hoppe and Ryan Connelly filed a Motion for Summary Judgment arguing that our client had neither control over the worksite where the electrocution accident occurred, nor prior knowledge of any dangerous conditions that could have prevented the accident.

In March 2026, the Circuit Court granted our Motion, dismissing all claims against our client with prejudice.

Brian handles various personal injury claims involving auto accidents, premises liability, FELA claims and other general torts. He has experience serving as general counsel for Illinois municipalities managing litigation and counseling clients regarding employment decisions, policy-making collective bargaining matters, contracts and grievance arbitrations.

Ryan focuses his practice on defending clients against general liability and toxic tort claims. He represents clients in a wide range of legal matters, including cases involving premises liability, property damage and motor vehicle accidents.