Hardin, Victoria Gillispie

Richard D. Hannigan of Hannigan and Botha, Ltd. has practiced Workers' Compensation since 1973. From 1973 to 1991 he represented both employers and injured employees before the Industrial Commission. Now his practice is limited to serving the injured worker. Mr. Hannigan received his B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in Economics from the University of Dayton in 1970, and his J.D. from the John Marshall Law School in 1973. While at John Marshall Law School he was a member of the Appellate Defender Program.

He is a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Workers Compensation Lawyers Association, Chicago Bar Association and Lake County Bar Association. He has been a member of the Arizona State Bar since 1975 and is a member of the Arizona Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Section. He has been a member of the Illinois State Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Section Council from 1992 through 2001 and 2002 to date. In 1998 he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Workers' Compensation Section. In 1999 he was appointed Chairman of the Illinois State Bar Association Workers' Compensation Section Council. He is a past Chairman of the Lake County Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Section. Richard Hannigan served as President of the Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association in 1992, Vice-President in 1991, and Secretary from 1989 to 1990 and on the Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association Board of Managers from 1984 to 1988 and 1983 to 1985. Mr. Hannigan has been editor of the Illinois Bar Association Workers' Compensation Newsletter since 1998. As editor of the Newsletter he has been responsible for a minimum of 4 Newsletters per year. the Newsletter is used as a teaching tool for attorneys practicing in the area of workers compensation. He has recently been honored by the Illinois Bar Association with an award for his commitment to the Workers' Compensation Newsletter. This is the second honor and award for his Newsletter from the ISBA. He has also been honored by the Illinois Workers Compensation Lawyers Association for his service to the Association. He has been honored as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America for his effectiveness and accomplishments in the trial and appellate courts as well as his effectiveness in the art of advocacy and the highest ethical standards and integrity. He has also been selected by his peers to be a top lawyer in the Leading Lawyers Network.

Richard Hannigan has lectured and published articles on workers' compensation for the arbitrators and commissioners of the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission, Illinois State Bar Association, the National Business Institute, the Lake County Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association. the subject matter of said lectures have included heart attack and stress related injuries, average weekly wage, temporary total disability benefits, carpal tunnel and repetitive trauma cases, the application of the Petrillo Doctrine (physician/patent privilege) to workers' compensation cases, gathering evidence for workers' compensation cases, deposition of medical witnesses and Initial Client Interview/Initial Case Analysis. The presentations given since 2007 qualify for credit for the attendees toward their Minimum Continuing Legal Education requirements.

He has represented both employers and employees before the Appellate and Supreme Court in the State of Illinois. He attends medical seminars covering worker related injuries and occupational diseases yearly. He successfully argued that injured workers do not waive the physician/patient privilege simply because the worker was injured on the job (Hydraulics v. Anderson 329 Ill.App.3d 166). Zitzka v Industrial Commission (328 Ill.App.3d 844) dealt with the award of penalties against an employer for not promptly paying the uncontested portion of an Industrial Commission award. Mr. Hannigan also was the injured worker's attorney in the landmark case of Brady v. Ruffalo wherein the employer prevailed and reaffirmed that Illinois is not a "positional risk" state. In Vulcan Material Co. v. Industrial Commission 362 Ill.App.3d 1147, 842 N.E. 2d 204 (2005) Richard Hannigan reversed decades of case law that denied the injured worker interest on that portion of an arbitrator's award as it pertains to medical expenses. He was also involved in other published and non-published Appellate Court Cases.

Richard Hannigan practices law representing injured workers with primary coverage in Lake, McHenry, Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will counties, as well as Rockford. His staff and paralegal have over 70 years experience in handling the injured worker's case. Having represented insurance companies gives Richard Hannigan a unique insight into what the insurance company is doing to the injured worker and how to fight for that worker's rights.