Women's Injury Law Group, PLLC

03/26/2025

BEWARE THE PROTECTIVE ORDER

In med mal and personal injury cases, we often see defendants push for blanket protective orders over documents they label “confidential” or claim as trade secrets. Even when they insist they’re not limiting the plaintiff’s use, they routinely ask courts to block public access—often to policies and procedures from hospitals, elevator companies, or other regulated entities.

That should raise a red flag for every plaintiff’s lawyer.

These orders can have lasting consequences—not just for your client, but for future plaintiffs. We must push back, especially when the defense can’t show a clear, specific need.

Illinois courts disfavor blanket protective orders. Transparency is also a core public policy. The Clerks of Courts Act presumes public access, and the Illinois Supreme Court has affirmed that right under the First Amendment. Any restriction must serve a higher interest and be narrowly tailored. At minimum, protective orders must be the least restrictive means available.

I’ve challenged these orders—especially when used to hide more than the defense lets on. In one recent case, a major provider swore under oath that it had no policies in any department where the plaintiff was treated.

A simple FOIA request to the Illinois Department of Public Health proved otherwise.

Instead of addressing the false statement, the defendant moved for a protective order—not just to shield the records we uncovered, but to block anything else we might find. They claimed trade secret protections. They insisted they weren’t trying to block use in this case—just to prevent public access (or, as defense counsel put it, to keep them from being shared with “other plaintiffs’ attorneys on a listserv”).

The court rejected that argument. Documents in the public domain don’t become private just because the defense wants the cat back in the bag.

This is especially true where the defendant is a licensed ASTC provider receiving Medicare or other public funds. You can’t take public money and dodge the transparency requirements that come with it.

At its core, this was about breaking the informational advantage. When we moved to compel, the court—understandably—asked what it could do in the face of a sworn denial. Only after we filed our reply with FOIA documents did the court order compliance. And just like that, a stack of policies appeared.

Thanks to public access laws, we obtained policies directly tied to the care at issue. But not every plaintiff will be so fortunate.

We must stay vigilant. Protective orders shouldn’t be used to bury the truth or shield bad practices from scrutiny.

Public access laws give us the tools to challenge these tactics. Use them. Push back. Tear down the walls defendants rely on to block discovery and control the record. That advantage is slipping—let’s make sure it stays that way.

This isn’t just about one case. It’s about leveling the field—for this client, and the next.

For more about Principal Attorney Elise A. Waisbren and Women's Injury Law Group, visit https://womensinjury.law or contact us at 773-756-5716 or [email protected].

03/20/2025

FROM SUPPLY CLOSET TO COURTROOM: HOW I BUILT MY LEGAL CAREER

In 2011, landing a legal job felt like winning the lottery—except the prize was a supply closet and a $12/hour paycheck.

My big break? A classmate casually mentioned my name to a law firm’s managing partner—at a Starbucks. That got me in the door. But once inside? No office. No desk. No computer. Just an unspoken challenge: "Figure it out."

So, I did. I stacked banker’s boxes, laid a wooden plank across the top, and got to work. Then came pelvic mesh litigation—cases the firm wanted in on. How hard could it be, right?

Turns out, it was one of the most complex mass torts in U.S. history—multiple conditions, different materials, competing manufacturers, and federal court battles across the country.

I needed real guidance—fast. So, I put my meager paycheck toward a flight to Phoenix for a national mass tort convention, where the top attorneys in the field were gathering.

The sessions were helpful, but I needed off-the-record insights to tackle the real challenges waiting for me back home. I didn’t know any lawyers at the convention, but I did have a good friend in Arizona—a 5'11" working model dating a pro hockey player on the Phoenix Coyotes. She’s always up for an adventure, and when I suggested meeting for drinks at the Biltmore Hotel, where the conference was being held, she agreed without hesitation.

We met at the hotel pool, where the attorneys were gathered. Conversations sparked, connections formed, and before long, I found myself at a private steakhouse dinner with some of the best mass tort attorneys in the country. Those conversations turned into mentorships, which turned into game-changing knowledge.

That supply closet gig? It became a launchpad. I carved out a niche, took on major litigation, and learned to navigate complex federal cases—eventually trading the supply closet for an office with a view of the Sears Tower (but that’s a story for another day).

But more importantly, I found my passion—advocating for injured women.

Spending 10 years working on pelvic mesh cases opened my eyes to the unique challenges many women face after an injury—navigating trauma and recovery while juggling motherhood, career hurdles, financial strain, and, in some cases, a lack of support at home. Seeing these struggles firsthand shaped my career and ultimately led me to launch my own firm: Women’s Injury Law Group (though yes, we represent men too!).

Lesson?

Opportunities don’t come with a welcome mat. No one hands you a seat at the table—so stack some boxes, find a plank of wood, and build your own.

If you’re facing a serious injury case and need an experienced advocate, contact Women’s Injury Law Group today. https://womensinjury.law/

Full service Chicago personal injury law firm.

03/10/2025

THE KNITTING SPY-OUTSMARTING BIAS IN LAW AND LITIGATION

A message from Principal Attorney Elise A. Waisbren:

During World War II, some women used society’s gender biases to their advantage—knitting in plain sight while secretly spying on enemy movements. Dismissed as harmless, they operated undetected.

That same dynamic plays out in high-stakes litigation.

Take one of my early medical malpractice cases—a fractured wrist that went undiagnosed. The defense hinged on the claim that it was an "occult fracture" not visible on an X-ray.

So, a trap was set. I printed a series of textbook X-ray images of scaphoid fractures and mixed my client’s actual X-ray among them.

During the deposition, I casually asked the defendant doctor to identify fractures in each image—to help little old me understand what a fracture looked like.

He didn’t hesitate. When he reached my client’s X-ray, he confidently circled the fracture, signed his name, and moved on—never considering, even for a second, that he’d just dismantled his own defense. His attorney didn’t catch it either. I kept my poker face and kept on knitting.

The realization came later—too late. With his own testimony undermining the defense, the case collapsed, settling for $1 million just days after I left the firm.

Like those WWII knitting spies, the real advantage isn’t in demanding recognition or waiting for validation. It’s in knowing exactly when to strike—and letting their own biases do the work.

Women’s Injury Law Group is proud to launch this new online series, pulling back the curtain on the strategy, creativity, and relentless advocacy behind the big numbers. Because in a practice where the odds are stacked against you, winning takes more than the law—it takes outsmarting the system itself.

If you or someone you know has been injured, contact Women's Injury Law Group today.

Call: 773-756-5716
Visit: womensinjury.law
Email: [email protected] | [email protected]

Full service Chicago personal injury law firm.

10/21/2024

10/15/2024

SETTLEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

We are pleased to announce a $1,250,000 settlement on behalf of a young woman injured by a friend’s dog during a social gathering.

Special thanks to co-counsel Ian Alexander who joined me with just 13 days' notice to try the case, and to my husband, Johnny Schatz, for assisting with a focus group presentation.

The defense argued provocation under the Animal Control Act and challenged the extent of our client’s injuries, including hearing loss and balance issues from blunt force head trauma, emphasizing her preexisting bilateral congenital hearing loss.

In the final days before trial, we deposed the defendant’s medical and canine behavior experts and secured critical testimony through an evidence deposition of the sole eyewitness, which significantly strengthened our case. The matter was successfully resolved the evening before trial, achieving justice for our client.

For more information about Women’s Injury Law Group, please visit our website: https://womensinjury.law/

07/20/2024

Proud to be recognized alongside my co-counsel, Ian Alexander from Goldberg & Goldberg for achieving the top settlement in Civil Rights cases. Thank you to the Jury Verdict Reporter for highlighting this result.

05/21/2024

SETTLEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

A big thanks to our co-counsel, Ian Alexander at Goldberg & Goldberg. We are incredibly proud of this outcome.

10/12/2023

SETTLEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

Women's Injury Law Group, PLLC is pleased to announce a $750,000.00 medical malpractice settlement for a 73-year-old woman who had tissue loss following a cosmetic breast reduction surgery at a Chicago hospital.

The case settled before a lawsuit was filed. We are glad for our client and look forward to continuing to serve our community.

For more information about attorney Elise A. Waisbren and Women’s Injury Law Group, please visit

Women’s Injury Law Group is dedicated to fighting for injured people harmed by others. Principal attorney Elise A. Waisbren has secured millions of dollars for her clients.

09/14/2023

05/06/2023

As many of you know, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans signed General Administrative Order No. 2023-05 reopening Cook County court operations, effective May 14.

As we prepare for in-person court appearances, Women’s Injury Law Group will be opening an office at 33 N. Dearborn on June 1. We will maintain satellite offices and prior service and mailing addresses.

A special thanks to our friends and co-counsel at the law firm of Goldberg & Goldberg for welcoming us into their space.

We are excited for this new chapter and look forward to continuing to serve the Chicago community.

For more information about Women’s Injury Law Group, please visit

Women’s Injury Law Group is dedicated to fighting for injured people harmed by others. Principal attorney Elise A. Waisbren has secured millions of dollars for her clients.

04/07/2023

A Plaintiff Does Not Automatically “Assume The Risk” of a Dog Attack.

Last month, the Appellate Court revived a case under the Illinois Animal Control Act brought by woman who was bitten by a dog she volunteered to help. The case is Scollard v. Williams, 2023 IL App (1st) 220464. There, the Court held there was a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the plaintiff assumed the risk of a dog bite.

“Assumption of risk” is not, as some may believe, an easy defense to maintain under the Animal Control Act.

In October 2022, principal attorney Elise A. Waisbren won a motion in the Circuit Court of Cook County to strike the assumption of risk defense in a case involving injuries from a dog attack. Ms. Waisbren argued that the defense could not stand without facts demonstrating either express consent by the plaintiff or a contractual or employment relationship between the parties.

The court agreed. In striking the affirmative defense, the Honorable Catherine A. Schneider held, in relevant part:

“…based on the defendant's pleading, the only action plaintiff took to assume the risk was being close to the defendant's dog. Illinois courts have held an innocent bystander who sustains an injury from an animal is not deemed to have assumed a risk pertaining to the animal. Beggs v. Griffith, 393 Ill. App. 3d 1050, 1058 (5th Dist. 2009) (holding a woman whose occupation did not pertain to the horses, was not riding the horses, and had no contractual relationship involving the use of the horses-injured by a horse while inspecting the barn was an innocent bystander, and not deemed to have assumed the risk). Accordingly, plaintiff's motion to dismiss is granted and the affirmative defense of "assumption of risk" is stricken.” (Citation omitted while case is pending).

Ms. Waisbren takes special pride in applying the nuances of the law to successfully pursue her client’s rights.

For more information about Attorney Waisbren or Women’s Injury Law Group, please visit:

Women’s Injury Law Group is dedicated to fighting for injured people harmed by others. Principal attorney Elise A. Waisbren has secured millions of dollars for her clients.