Drake, Narup & Mead, PC

06/10/2024

Shareholder Jeff Cocagne won a big verdict in Adams County, Quincy, last week. This was the retrial of a case Rick Narup won before he retired. It was reversed on appeal on a technicality. Jeff retried this wrongful death case involving a motor vehicle accident that occurred across the river from Quincy. Our client's car was disabled on the wrong side of the road following a collision with a deer. The client could not move the car and had no flashlight. One headlight still worked and the client was waving his cell phone around as a warning while trying to call for help, but the cell service was sketchy. Plaintiff's vehicle came from the opposite direction and struck another vehicle head on while trying to get around our client's disabled vehicle. Plaintiff died several days later in the hospital. The Plaintiff asked for over $1 million but the jury was persuaded by Jeff's advocacy that our client was not at fault. Congratulations Jeff!

04/28/2024

Congratulations on another verdict goes to Chris Biswell, President of Drake, Narup & Mead, PC, who, with the help of Jason Schutte, won a defense verdict in favor of a local orthopedic surgeon and his practice clinic. It was alleged that the surgeon had committed malpractice by failing to timely diagnose a cerebral spinal fluid leak after having previously performed surgery on the patient's lower spine. Chris was able to show the jury that the patient neither displayed nor complained of any symptoms that could lead to that diagnosis. The jury agreed because after a four-day trial, it returned a verdict in favor of the doctor on April 25, having deliberated less than one hour!

02/23/2024

Drake, Narup & Mead, PC won a major appeal in the Illinois Appellate Court in defense of a cardiologist wrongly accused of malpractice. Briefing and argument of this appeal was handled by Randall Mead. The case was tried by Richard Narup and Christian Biswell. The bar association reported the case as follows:

Wilson v. Dande, 2024 IL App (5th) 220552 (February 20, 2024) Coles Co. (CATES) Affirmed.
Plaintiff, as special administrator of an estate of a deceased individual, brought a wrongful death lawsuit for medical malpractice. A jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant and plaintiff appealed, arguing that the trial court erred when it allowed the defendant’s expert to testify about “possible” causes of death, when it refused to admit the decedent’s complete death certificate into evidence, and when it denied plaintiff’s motion for a directed verdict on the allegation that defendants failed to properly instruct the decedent. Plaintiff also argued that the verdict was against the manifest weight of the evidence. The appellate court affirmed, finding that the trial court did not err in the admission of evidence and that the jury’s verdict was not against the manifest weight of the evidence. (VAUGHAN and WELCH, concurring)

01/22/2024

Our office is physically closed today due to the ice storm. However, we are open remotely and can help via call or email.

01/02/2024

"I'm from the government and I'm here to help!" 64 new laws now in effect in Illinois.

According to a search of the Illinois General Assembly’s website, at least 318 laws have an effective date of Jan. 1, but of those, which ones could have the biggest impacts on the lives of state residents?

08/02/2023

Congratulations to Drake, Narup & Mead, PC partner, Jason Schutte, who won a verdict in Sangamon County today after a 1 1/2 day jury trial. Liability was admitted but in Jason's judgment, the Plaintiff were asking for way too much money. He was right, and the jury awarded less then the amount offered before trial. Plaintiff A was awarded only his medical bills and no money for pain and suffering and loss of a "normal life." Plaintiff B was awarded only part of her medical bills, the jury finding some of them unrelated, and only $2,000 for pain and suffering and zero for loss of a normal life.

01/19/2023

Congratulations to Chris Biswell who won a major malpractice defense verdict in Pekin, Illinois, yesterday, following an 8-day jury trial. Chris defended a Peoria-area orthopedic surgeon who was accused of not following up on an ankle surgery he performed as the on-call trauma surgeon, to reduce a severe ankle fracture following a motor vehicle accident. The patient's left foot was ultimately amputated. The plaintiff's lawyers asked the jury to award 18.5 million dollars. After 13 hours of deliberations spanning two days the jury returned a verdict in favor of the doctor. Chris was second-chaired by Randall Mead.

11/19/2022

Richard Narup’s retirement reception. L to R. Jason Schutte, Alyssa Haaker, Amanda Thomas, Tiffany Teuschler, Chris Biswell, Nicole Drake, Randy Mead, Rick Narup, Jeff Cocagne.

10/28/2022

Congratulations to Jason Schutte of Drake, Narup & Mead, P.C. who scored a big defense victory today after a week-long trial in Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois. It was a dog bite case with significant scarring to the back and shoulder of a young man. Plaintiff asked for $1.1 million. The verdict was $172,500. The last offer was $300,000.

07/09/2022

Drake, Narup & Mead, PC welcomes Jason Schutte.

Jason G. Schutte, has joined the civil litigation firm of Drake, Narup & Mead as a partner-level lateral from another law firm. Jason earned his bachelor's degree from Western Illinois University and his JD from Southern Illinois University in 2008. Jason has practiced primarily civil litigation defense and plaintiff's work, and family law, first in Quincy, Illinois and then in Springfield for the 14 year. He is licensed in both Illinois and Missouri. Jason brings significant trial experience to the firm. To contact Jason, please call 217-528-9776.

03/05/2022

Drake, Narup & Mead, PC scored another win in trial, in a medical malpractice case that was held from February 22-28, in Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois. Richard Narup, assisted by Chris Biswell, represented the cardiologist in this wrongful death case. The issue centered around whether the patient's condition required an emergency catheterization, rather then a routinely scheduled one. After a 3-hour deliberation, the jury found in favor of the doctor.