Burke, Timothy M.

Richard Burke is a tireless worker at Clifford Law Offices. He often is found at his desk at 5 a.m. and is still returning phone calls from his car on his way home late in the evening. Mr. Burke has earned the reputation among his colleagues as a quiet genius. He stays on task with the most difficult of cases—from establishing ground-breaking liability in sport utility vehicle rollovers to negligent product design and operation of jumbo jet passenger aircraft.

Mr. Burke explores every angle of his cases—whether it be researching case law across the country or garnering experts from the other side of the globe. Mr. Burke uncovers the answers to each issue, leading him to some very successful verdicts at trial. For instance, Rich tried the case of a private jet that crashed at Palwaukee Municipal Airport before a Cook County jury on behalf of the family of the pilot who was killed in the crash. Following a five-week trial, the jury handed down a $10.45 million verdict in just four hours, finding the airport 90 percent at fault for failing to provide a proper runway safety area. He also tried the case of a small plane that crashed outside Chicago and obtained a $6 million verdict on behalf of a female passenger who was a young retail sales manager.

He has experience in Canada where he handled a small plane crash case that occurred in Ontario. He filed suit in both the United States and Canada, successfully settling the case in Canada for $4 million. He also currently is litigating cases in Canada and the United States concerning the drowning of two Americans and a third who survived the tragic capsizing of a hunting boat in Quebec. Mr. Burke also represents the family of a successful financial adviser who was killed in a small plane crash in suburban Chicago.

Rich Burke has extensive trial experience in other transportation and product liability litigation. He obtained a $6 million verdict on behalf of the family of a six-year-old boy who was struck by a garbage truck while riding his bike. He also received a $3.45 million settlement on behalf of a girl struck by a police car who was rendered a quadriplegic.

Richard Burke learned his craft as an Assistant State's Attorney in Cook County for 12 years. He rose up the ranks among his peers to supervisor of felony trials. At that point, Mr. Burke decided to use those litigation skills in the civil arena, and he has been associated with Clifford Law Offices ever since.

The firm is proud of Richard Burke and his dedication to the profession and his clients.