David E. Rapoport
312-445-9160
David Rapoport is a dedicated trial attorney with more than 30 years of experience. His practice focuses exclusively on obtaining justice for the victims of personal injury and wrongful death incidents. He represents people who have been harmed by commercial and general aviation negligence, semi-truck and motor vehicle negligence, medical malpractice, product liability, recreational and commercial boating accidents, premises liability, work injuries and construction accidents. David provides customized services to every client he represents, offering the compassion and skill they need to get results.
David and his fellow attorneys at Rapoport Law Offices have successfully represented clients in countless personal injury and wrongful death cases. David has obtained multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements in cases involving airplane crashes, semi truck accidents, medical malpractice, car collisions, defective products and more. David has been appointed by federal judges to serve on plaintiffs’ steering committees in airline disaster cases. He is known nationally for his work representing injured victims and the families of those killed in fatal accidents. By helping individual victims of negligence and wrongdoing and by holding the negligent parties responsible for the harm they do, David helps make the community safer for everyone.
In 2012, Mr. Rapoport marked his 20th Anniversary year of receiving the AV® Preeminent™, from Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings™, the highest professional rating possible. This is a testament to his abilities as a lawyer and to his commitment to maintaining the highest ethical standards. David was selected by Thompson Reuters for the 2013 edition of Super Lawyers, an honor reserved for no more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state. He has been selected as a Super Lawyer in every edition since the program’s inception in 2005.
David is board certified* in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, the oldest and largest not-for-profit American Bar Association accredited trial attorney certification board in the United States. He is also board certified in Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification. He has been board certified by the NBTA for more than 20 years and currently serves as President Elect. He is also an Associate Member of the invitation only American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and is a Fellow of the ABOTA Foundation. ABOTA is dedicated to preservation of the right to trial by jury in civil cases. The requirements for election are rigorous and members consist of the most experienced personal injury trial lawyers in America. He is a President’s Club level member of the American Association for Justice. The firm is a part of the elite Leaders Forum for the AAJ. David is also a member of the state trial lawyer associations in Illinois, Wisconsin and Kentucky.
* Board certification is not required to practice law in Illinois, and the Illinois Supreme Court does not recognize specialties in the practice of law.
Areas of Practice
- Aviation
- Construction Injuries
- Medical Malpractice
- Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Personal Injury
- Product Liability
- Trucking Accidents
- Wrongful Death
- Litigation & Appeals
Litigation Percentage
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Certified Legal Specialties
- Civil Trial Advocacy, National Board of Trial Advocates (original certification), 1990
- Civil Trial Advocacy, National Board of Trial Advocates (recertification), 1995
- Civil Trial Advocacy, National Board of Trial Advocates (recertification), 2000
- Civil Trial Advocacy, National Board of Trial Advocates (recertification), 2005
- Civil Trial Advocacy, National Board of Trial Advocates (recertification--current), 2010
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1981
- U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois, 1994
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1981
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois, 2002
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar, 1983
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1984
- Wisconsin, 1995
- Supreme Court of the United States of America, 2000
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1996
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2000
- U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin, 2006
Education
- Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
- J.D. - 1981
- Honors: With High Honors
- Law Review: Chicago-Kent Law Review, Member, 1979 - 1981
- Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois
- B.S. - 1978
- Honors: Dean's List
- Major: Finance
Published Works
- The Pre-Abdullah Consensus That Federal Law Does Not Preempt the Field of Aviation Safety in Tort Law Should Remain the Law, Issues in Aviation Law and Policy, Spring, 2009
- Trial and Evidentiary Considerations in Wrongful Death Actions, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education Book "Wrongful Death and Survival Actions in Illinois", 2007
- Small Talk in the Cockpit is a Big Problem Requiring More Than Just Lip Service, Issues in Aviation Law and Policy, Spring, 2007
- Cockpit Image Recorders: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, Issues in Aviation Law and Policy, Spring, 2005
- Attention All International Airlines and Flight Crews: Choosing Inaction Over Action No Longer Flies, Issues in Aviation Law and Policy, Spring, 2004
- Punitive Damages After State Farm v. Campbell: The First Year, American Bar Association Aviation Litigation Section Meeting, New York, N.Y., 2004
- Will Boeing's Recent Move to Chicago Mean That More Commercial Airliner Crash Cases Will be Litigated There?, Issues in Aviation Law and Policy, 2003
- Trial and Evidentiary Issues in Wrongful Death Actions, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education Book "Wrongful Death and Survival Actions in Illinois", 2003
- A 73-Year Odyssey: The Time Has Come For a New International Air Liability System, Issues in Aviation Law and Policy, 2002
- Wrongful Death Trials, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education Book "Wrongful Death and Survival Actions in Illinois", 1996
- Wrongful Death Trials, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education Book "Wrongful Death and Survival Actions in Illinois", 1993
- The Erosion of Secrecy in Air Disaster Litigation, DePaul Law Review Issues in Aviation Law and Policy, Spring, 2011
- Wrongful Death and Survival Actions Chapter "Trial and Evidentiary Considerations in Wrongful Death Cases", Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Spring, 2011
- Babies Have a Right to a Safe Seat With Proper Restraints - The Infant Seat Exception Should be Abandoned, DePaul University College of Law, International Aviation Law Institute; Issues in Aviation Law and Policy, Volume 12, Autumn, 2012
Representative Cases
- Bausch v. Stryker Corp., 09-3434 (US Ct of Appeals for the 7th Circuit 2010)
- In re Air Crash at Lexington, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69421 (US Dist Ct for the E.D., Ky. 2010)
- Hanson v. Unnamed Trucking Company (2009)
- Bales v. United States, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 115405 (US Dist Ct for the C. D. of Ill. 2009)
- Thakore v. Universal Mach. Co. of Pottstown, 670 F. Supp. 2d 705 (USDC ND Ill 2009)
- Lindner et al v. Millis Transfer, Inc. (US Dist. Ct. N. D. Ill. 2008)
- Stanczyk v. Chicago Osteopathic (Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois 2008)
- Bennett v. Southwest Airlines Co, 493 F.3d 762 and 484 F.3d 907 (US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit 2007)
- Bonney v. CRST Malone, Inc., , 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36786 (USDC SD Ill 2007)
- Reliance Nat'l Ins. Co. v. Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36794 (USDC CD Ill 2007)
- J.B. Hunt Transp., Inc. v. Bolton, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42195 (USDC ED Wis 2006)
- Griffin v. Mark Travel Corp, 2006 WI App 213; 296 Wis. 2d 642; 724 N.W.2d 900; 2006 Wisc. App. LEXIS 854 (Wisconsin Court of Appeals 2006)
- In re Air Crash at Belle Harbor, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27387 (USDC SD NY 2006)
- Kemp v. Western Oilfields Supply Co., , 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8670 (USDC ND Ill 2005)
- In re Air Crash near Nantucket Island, 307 F. Supp. 2d 465; 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3625 (USDC ED NY 2004)
- Rivas v. Doering, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9535 (USDC ED Ky 2002)
- In re Air Crash Disaster near Peggy's Cove, 210 F. Supp. 2d 570, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3309 (USDC ED Pa 2002)
- Verbance v. Altman, 324 Ill. App. 3d 494; 754 N.E.2d 856 (Illinois Appellate Court Second District 2001)
- Michaud v. Fairchild Aircraft, 2001 Del. Super. LEXIS 482 (SUPERIOR COURT OF DELAWARE, NEW CASTLE 2001)
- In re Air Crash at Little Rock, Arkansas v. Am. Airlines (USDC ED Ark 1999)
- Miller v. Empress Casino Joliet Corp., 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3531 (USDC ND Ill 1999)
- In re Air Crash near Morrisville, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21827 (USDC MD NC 1997)
- In re Air Crash at Charlotte, 982 F. Supp. 1092 (USDC DSC 1997)
- Forshew v. USAir, Inc. (US Dist. Ct. N. D. Ohio 1994)
- Jackson v. Back of Yards Neighborhood Council, 240 Ill. App. 3d 128; 608 N.E.2d 124 (Illinois Appellate Court 1993)
- St. Louis v. Rockwell Graphic Systems, Inc., , 153 Ill. 2d 1; 605 N.E.2d 555 (Illinois Supreme Court 1992)
- McKee v. Brady, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19151 (USDC WD Ill 1990)
- In re Air Crash Disaster at Sioux City, 734 F. Supp. 1425; 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2813 (USDC ND Ill 1990)
- Houston v. Quincy Post 5129, 188 Ill. App. 3d 732; 544 N.E.2d 425 (Illinois Appellate Court Fourth District 1989)
- Courtney v. Allied Filter Engineering, Inc., , 181 Ill. App. 3d 222; 536 N.E.2d 952; 1989 Ill. App. LEXIS 368; 129 Ill. Dec. 902 (Illinois Appellate Court for the First District 1989)
References
- Available upon request
Classes/Seminars
- Consortium on Trial: The Comair Case, Kentucky Justice Association, April 22, 2010
- Board Certification in Law, JUF Young Lawyers Division, April 15, 2010
- What Every Union Leader Needs to Know About Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Cases, UAW Local 2488, November 9, 2006
- Legal System Truths and Urban Legends, Professor Waterbrook, University of Illinois, October 26, 2006
- Trial and Evidentiary Considerations in Wrongful Death Actions, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, February 7, 2008
- Third Party Actions (one class once per year most years), Professor Eagle, IIT-Kent College of Law, 1984 - 2006
- Punitive Damages After State Farm v. Campbell: The First Year, American Bar Association Aviation and TIPS Sections, 2004
- The Effect of Tort Litigation on the Airline Industry, DePaul Business Law Journal Symposium on Terrorism, Security and Competition and The Future of the Airline Industry, 2002
- Use of Demonstrative Evidence in the USAir Flight 1016 Trial, South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, 1997
- Sunrise Seminar Short Presentation, Association of Trial Lawyers of America Midwinter Convention, 1996
- Moderator for New Discovery Rules Program, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 1995
Honors and Awards
- AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell
- Illinois Super Lawyer rating by Thomson-Reuters' Illinois Super Lawyers, 2005 - 2011
- Illinois Leading Lawyers by Law Bulletin Publishing
- "10-Superb" rating by Avvo
- Elected Associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates ("ABOTA")
Professional Associations and Memberships
- American Association for Justice, 1981 - Present
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1981 - Present
- American Bar Association, 1981 - Present
- Chicago Bar Association, 1981 - Present
- Lawyer Pilots Bar Association, 1994 - Present
- Wisconsin Association for Justice, 2009 - Present
- Kentucky Association for Justice, 2009 - Present
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, 1994 - Present
- Roscoe Pound Foundation, 1994 - Present
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Associate, 2009 - Present
- National Board of Trial Advocacy, Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate , September 15, 1990 - Present
Past Employment Positions
- Katz, Friedman, Schur & Eagle, Associate, November 20, 1981 - September 1, 1988
- Katz, Friedman, Schur & Eagle, Income Partner, September 2, 1988 - March 15, 1990
- Becker, Baizer & Rapoport, Partner, March 16, 1990 - April 1, 1995
Pro Bono Activities
- Board of Directors, National Board of Trial Advocates/National Board of Legal Specialty Certification, July 25, 2009 - Present
- Illinois State Coordinator, National Board of Trial Advocacy, June 1, 1996 - Present
- Board of Directors, Geneva Lake Association, August 20, 2009 - Present
- Board of Directors, Congregation Beth Judea, September 1, 1997 - September 1, 2000