7:30 - 8:00 a.m.

Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:00 - 8:10 a.m.

Welcome & Introductions

• R. Mark Cosimini, Rusin Law, 2025-2026 IDC President

8:10 - 9:10 a.m.

From Illinois to the Nation: Trends in Damages and Nuclear Verdicts

• Facilitated by: Sommer Luzynczyk, Pretzel & Stouffer, Chartered
• Presented by: Rebecca Fozo, Zurich North America and Christopher Vlasich, Trisura Group, Ltd.

A panel of experienced insurance professionals will discuss the current litigation environment both in Illinois and across the country, their experience with jurors and plaintiffs’ counsels’ treatment of damages, and the risk of nuclear verdicts.

9:10 - 10:00 a.m.

The Mythical Medical Bills

• Presented by: Bret Coale, Hugheys Tenney and Thomas Geroulo, BBC Law, LLP

This session will address the most current issues in medical billing and projections made to support both past and future billed medical charges as items of economic damages.  The discussion will explore appropriate issues in discovery and motion practice for laying foundations to challenge medical bills as well as technical analysis on medical bills themselves with emphasis on current and realistic data sources. 

10:00 - 10:20

Break

10:20 - 11:10

Biomechanics on the Defense: Using Experts to Challenge Causation

• Presented by: Adam Carter, Esp Kreuzer Cores, LLP and Anne C. Mathias, P.E., ESi

This session will show defense counsel how and when to use biomechanical engineers to challenge causation in motor vehicle, construction, and other accident cases. Presenters will explain the fundamentals of biomechanics, how expert analysis differs from medical testimony, and how these tools apply in practice. The program will also address expert disclosures and strategies for responding to motions to bar.

11:10 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.

Challenging Plaintiff's Lifecare Plans

• Presented by: Dr. Ashley Grzybowicz, InQuis, and John F. Watson, Craig & Craig

This session focuses on dissecting and defending against plaintiff life care plans, from exposing unsupported assumptions to countering inflated projections. Presenters will share techniques for cross-examining life care planners, using defense experts effectively, and addressing these damages persuasively in closing argument to neutralize common plaintiff narratives.

12:10 - 1:20 p.m.

Luncheon

1:20 - 2:10 p.m.

Common Flaws in Damages Analyses and How to Challenge Them

• Presented by: Audrey Hopewell and Dr. Sam Lundstrom, Cirque Analytics

This session examines effective strategies for challenging plaintiffs’ economic loss claims, including vocational assessments, present value calculations, and claims for loss of services in wrongful death cases. Presenters will also analyze Passifuime and its implications for defending economic damages, offering practical insights on cross-examining experts and framing complex financial issues in ways juries understand.

2:10 - 3:00 p.m.

Addressing Damages in Closing Arguments

• Presented by: Robert Larsen, Cunningham Meyer & Vedrine, P.C.

As so-called nuclear verdicts, especially in the medical malpractice realm, become more common it is becoming increasingly important how damages are addressed at trial. While clients have, in the past, objected to offering alternative numbers or hiring experts who might set a “floor” on damages, we’ll discuss how to respond to some of the more common arguments being used by plaintiffs to tug at juror heartstrings and inflate verdicts, especially in closing argument.

3:00 - 3:20 p.m.

Break

3:20 - 4:10 p.m.

Through the Jury’s Eyes: Testing Damages with Mock Trials and Focus Groups

• Presented by: Dustin Karrison, Freeman, Mathis & Gary, LLP, and Daniel Wolfe, J.D., Magna Legal Services

How will a jury actually view a plaintiff’s claimed damages? This fast-paced session, led by a trial lawyer and an experienced jury consultant, shows how to use mock trials and focus groups to:

• Gauge juror perceptions of economic and non-economic damages.
• Test the effectiveness of competing damages narratives.
• Inform settlement strategy with real-world insights.
• Identify potential pitfalls and strengthen your trial presentation.

4:10 - 5:00 p.m.

Judicial Perspective on Damages

• Presented by: Hon. Frank Andreou, Circuit Judge, Law Division, Circuit Court of Cook County             

Hon. Frank J. Andreou, Circuit Court of Cook County, Law Division, Jury Trial Section, obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (Formerly the John Marshall Law School) in 1995. He started his career as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney in 1995 and in 1999 left for private practice. He was an associate attorney at Pretzel & Stouffer, Chtd., from 1999 through 2002 where he defended doctors and hospitals in medical malpractice cases. Judge Andreou was a principal attorney at Andreou & Casson, Ltd. from 2002 until assuming the office of Associate Judge in 2020. In 2024, Judge Andreou was elected to a full circuit judge position and currently sits in the Law Division, Jury Trial Section where he presides over matters involving personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice. Judge Andreou is the President Elect of the Hellenic Bar Association and a member of the Order of Themis. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Judges Association and the North Suburban Bar Association.

Adam C. Carter is a partner with Esp Kreuzer Cores LLP in Wheaton, where he has a diverse practice representing corporations and individuals in the defense of complex tort and commercial litigation, including construction injury and defect litigation, transportation litigation, catastrophic loss, premises liability, product liability, and professional liability litigation. He is experienced in state and federal courts and has been admitted pro hac vice in numerous courts across the country. In the past two years, he has tried bench and jury trials in both tort and commercial lawsuits.

Adam currently serves as the Secretary/Treasurer for the IDC, and previously served three terms on the Board of Directors, and five years as the Chair of the Civil Practice Committee. With the IDC, he has written and presented on multiple topics related to civil practice and procedure, including personal jurisdiction and forum non conveniens principles, proximate cause analysis, Illinois legislation, electronic discovery, and expert discovery. He has testified before the Illinois legislature, served as a frontline editor for the annual Survey of Law, and served on the instructors panel for the IDC Deposition Academy. In 2021, the Illinois Defense Counsel selected him for its Distinguished Member Award. Adam earned his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law and his Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Augustana College.

Bret Coale has been with Hughes Tenney Postlewait Coale, LLC, since 2013, focusing his practice on the defense of physicians. Prior to joining the firm, Bret practiced law for a firm in Decatur, Illinois, representing lenders in mortgage foreclosures and mediations. Mr. Coale earned his Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Illinois in 2002 and earned his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law in 2008. He has served as president of the Decatur Bar Association, and he currently sits on the board of directors of the Good Samaritan Inn, an organization providing a free hot meal to its patrons seven days per week.

Rebecca Fozo, is an AVP/Senior Consultant in Zurich North America’s Claims Judicial & Legislative Affairs team. The Claims Judicial & Legislative Affairs team provides education and public discourse on issues involving legal system abuse and works with industry partners and tort reform groups to grow a coalition addressing social inflation. Prior to joining Zurich’s Claims Judicial & Legislative Affairs team, Rebecca handled complex international claims, long tail chemical exposure claims, as well as multi-district litigation and class action claims for Zurich’s Mass Litigation team. Before joining the Zurich team, Rebecca was a Chicago based attorney, defending municipal entities and private corporations in the areas of municipal litigation, personal injury, toxic torts and employment law.

Dr. Ashley Grzybowicz was employed for 11 years at the Medical University of South Carolina in the High-Risk Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit after earning her nursing degree. In addition to caring for obstetric and gynecological patients in the hospital setting, Dr. Grzybowicz was an educator for the MUSC Prenatal Wellness Clinic and received several nominations for the nationally recognized Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Dr. Grzybowicz completed a 120-hour post-graduate training program in Life Care Planning through the Institute of Rehabilitation and Education Training and currently works as a Certified Life Care Planner and Forensic Nurse Researcher at Inquis Global. She was awarded her Doctorate in Nursing Practice, in 2025, focusing her residency training in Family Medicine and Pain Management. She was an MUSC Presidential Scholar and received the Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA) full academic scholarship for her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Dr. Grzybowicz received the Nina Smith, Anna M.K. Norton, and Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarships during her doctoral program. Dr. Grzybowicz is a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC), and a Certified Life Care Planner (CLCP).

Audrey Hopewell is a Senior Consultant at Cirque Analytics, where she supports testifying economists on matters including estimating damages in personal injury and wrongful death cases, such as lost earnings and non-wage benefits, non-market services, personal expenditures, and cost of future care. She has also supported experts on antitrust, wrongful termination, employment discrimination, and survey methodology cases. She has an M.A. in Economics from the University of Oklahoma.

Dustin Karrison is a Partner in Freeman, Mathis & Gary’s Chicago office and Vice-Chair of the Midwest Tort Practice Team. He defends complex tort, catastrophic loss, transportation, and construction claims. His practice also includes taking over the defense of high-exposure cases late in litigation, even at the time of trial.

Robert L. Larsen is an equity partner at Cunningham Meyer & Vedrine, and focuses his practice on medical and dental malpractice defense, appeals, and insurance and “bad faith” claims. Bob has successfully defended cases involving dentists, hospital liability, birth trauma, failure to diagnose cancer, surgical errors, radiology, pathology, neurology, cardiology, internal medicine, family medicine, emergency medicine, and other specialties. He has helped defend cases involving home healthcare personnel, medical staffing agencies (emergency room and others), physician medical groups, and traveling medical providers.

Dr. Sam Lundstrom Lundstrom has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Irvine, and is a Vice President at Cirque Analytics. He has extensive experience as both an economic consulting expert and testifying expert. His practice has centered on analyzing economic loss in cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, and wrongful termination. He has analyzed losses related to wages, business profits, non-wage benefits, non-market services, and cost of future care in catastrophic injury cases. Dr. Lundstrom previously worked at Litigation Analytics, Inc.

Sommer Luzynczyk is a partner at Pretzel & Stouffer, Chartered in Chicago where her practice includes Medical Negligence & Healthcare, Long-Term Care Liability, and Premises & General Liability. The majority of Sommer's practice is devoted to defending complex medical negligence matters. She has successfully defended cases involving various medical specialties. Sommer earned her J.D., cum laude, from The John Marshall Law School in 2009 and her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Memphis in 2005. Sommer’s bar admissions include the Supreme Court of Illinois and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She is a member of the Illinois Association Defense Trial Counsel and the Illinois State Bar Association.

Anne Mathias, PE, is the Director of Safety and Risk Assessment at ESi, specializing in biomedical and mechanical engineering. Her expertise includes safety, biomechanics, ergonomics, and injury analyses including human locomotion, slip, trip, and falls, slip resistance testing, and injury mechanisms and tolerance. She conducts human factors analyses considering human capabilities and limitations and how a person might interact with a machine or product and the surrounding environment. This includes 20 years of experience in evaluating and designing product safety labeling, warnings, and instructions. She conducts safety analyses and formal risk assessments of industrial machinery as well as consumer products including: children's products, sports and exercise equipment, playgrounds, fall protection equipment, and indoor and outdoor power equipment. Ms. Mathias regularly works with manufacturers, guiding them through the risk assessment and documentation process. Her work in accident reconstruction utilizes the scientific method to evaluate the interplay between the physical data, injury evidence, and human factors and biomechanical limitations for a given accident scenario. She applies this methodology to accidents involving industrial machinery, consumer products, falls, automotive, and railroad scenarios.

Christopher Vlasich, Trisura Group, Ltd., where he leads claims operations for the US and Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in insurance and litigation, including senior roles at Allianz Commercial and earlier practice as a trial attorney representing both plaintiffs and defendants. Chris holds a JD from Case Western Reserve and a BA from Michigan State.

John F. Watson has been an attorney with Craig & Craig, LLC since 1999. He became a Partner with the firm in 2003 and continues to practice out of the Mattoon office. Mr. Watson’s fields of practice include general civil litigation, medical malpractice defense, municipal liability defense, insurance coverage and insurance law, and intellectual property law. Mr. Watson graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Bradley University in 1990, and received his Juris Doctorate, with Honors, from The John Marshall Law School in 1993.

Dr. Daniel Wolfe is Senior Director of Jury Consulting at Magna Legal Services, a nationwide full-service litigation consulting and strategic communications firm. Dr. Wolfe has over 35 years of jury consulting research experience and has worked on over 3,000 cases. Dr. Wolfe is based in the Chicago office Magna Legal Services. Dr. Wolfe received his J.D., his Ph.D. in law and psychology, and his M.A. in psychology from the University of Nebraska. He holds his B.A. in psychology and sociology from Colorado State University. Dr. Wolfe also teaches advanced trial advocacy courses at Northwestern University Law School and Loyola University Law School. Dr. Wolfe works on high-profile and large-exposure litigation involving a range of areas. An expert in the fields of witness preparation, voir dire, and jury selection, he is also skilled in providing quantitative and qualitative analyses of venues through focus groups and mock trials. A jury consultant and researcher since 1986, he has been in the national spotlight on numerous occasions for his work on high-profile criminal and civil cases involving celebrities and professional athletes. He has appeared as a commentator on both local and national talk shows and has been quoted in a wide range of media. He has authored many articles and book chapters on the subjects of juries, juror perceptions, and ethics in trial consulting.