Lawyer Overview

Mr. Evola has practiced civil litigation since 1997.  He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of complex litigation including personal injury, products liability, insurance coverage, trucking, construction industry and commercial disputes throughout Illinois and Missouri.  Furthermore, Mr. Evola has extensive experience litigating toxic tort and environmental matters on behalf of plaintiffs.  His practice has included primary responsibility for preparing and arguing complex motions and appeals before federal and state courts.  Mr. Evola has practiced in the Illinois Supreme Court, including extensive interlocutory and motion practice, and he has argued multiple appeals before the Appellate Court for the Fifth District of Illinois and the Appellate Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.  In addition, Mr. Evola has practiced before the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL Panel).

Areas of Practice

• Personal Injury
• Product Liability
• Insurance Coverage
• Commercial Litigation
• Toxic Tort
• Class Action

Representative Cases

• Garza v. Valley Crest Landscape Maintenance, Inc, 224 S.W.3d 61 (Mo.App.E.D. 2007)
• Shelter Mut. Ins. Co. v. American Family Mut. Ins. Co, 210 S.W.3d 338 (Mo.App.E.D. 2006)
• Gvillo v. Stutz, 306 Ill.App.3d 766, 715 N.E.2d 285 (Ill.App. 5 Dist. 1999)
• Sether v. Agco Corp., 2008 WL 1701172 (S.D. Ill. 2008)
• Hendley v. American Standard, Inc., 2008 WL 824252 (W.D.Ky. 2008)

West Practice Categories

Class Actions -- Plaintiff, Construction Law, Construction Contracts, Construction Liens, Housing & Construction Defects, Litigation & Appeals, Bankruptcy Litigation, Complex Litigation, Federal Trial Practice, Multidistrict Litigation, Patent Litigation, State Appellate Practice, State Trial Practice, Personal Injury -- Plaintiff, Animal Bites -- Plaintiff, Aviation Accidents -- Plaintiff, Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff, Premises Liability -- Plaintiff, Property Damage -- Plaintiff, Railroad Accidents -- Plaintiff, Slip and Fall -- Plaintiff, Wrongful Death -- Plaintiff, Products Liability Law, Railroad, Trucking

Bar Admissions

• Illinois, 1997
• Missouri, 1999
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois, 1997

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Illinois State Bar Association, 1997 - Present (Member)

Honors and Awards

• American Jurisprudence Awards in Legal Writing and Research, 1994 - 1997
• Judge Richard E. Richman Award, 1995 - 1997
• Corpus Juris Secundum Awards in Contracts and Torts, 1994 - 1995

Education

• Southern Illinois University School of Law, Carbondale, Illinois, 1997
  J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence
  Honors: magna cum laude
  Honors: Dean's List
  
  Law Review: Southern Illinois University Law Review, 1995 - 1997
• Butler University, Indianapolis, IN, 1994
  B.A., Literature
  Honors: magna cum laude
  Honors: Dean's List

Offers Free Initial Consultation

Published Works

• Suing Your Pet Iguana: Equitable Apportionment, Indivisible Injury, and Comparative Fault, Illinois Bar Journal, Vol 87, No. 1, p.28 (Jan), 1999
• The Legislative Preemption of Social Host Liability in Illinois: Analysis of Charles v. Seigfried, Southern Illinois University Law Journal, Vol. 21, p. 635 (Spring), 1997

Address

300 Evans Avenue
PO Box 229
Wood River, IL 62095-0229

Office Hours

8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Phones

(618) 208-4240
(866) 839-2021

Faxes

(618) 254-0193

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.lakinchapman.com
http://www.lakinlaw.com