Charles Candiano

• Free Consultation
  You and I will discuss your claim until I am satisfied that I can help and your questions are answered, WITHOUT cost or obligation.
• Contingent Fees
  Our fee on Personal Injury cases is 1/3 of the recovery and costs. Our fee on Workers' Compensation cases is set by statute at 20% of Settlement or Award and costs

Illinois

Since 1995

Indiana

Since 1996

Federal Circuit

Since 1995

Owner

Candiano Law Office

2013 - Current

Trial Attorney

The Margolis Firm, PC

2004 - 2013

Trial Attorney

Margolis & Velasco

2001 - 2004

Trial Attorney

Rusin, Patton, Maciorowski & Friedman

2000 - 2001

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney

Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Lake County Indiana

1996 - 1999

The John Marshall Law School

J.D. (1995)

Chicago Bar Association

Chair Professional Fees Committee

2017 - Current

Indiana State Bar

Member

2006 - Current

Illinois Trial Lawyers Association

2001 - Current

Q. Workers' comp case delayed for over 10 years, need advice.

February 26, 2025

A: You talk about "ongoing injuries" and the need for "more surgeries." Are these ongoing injuries also work injuries, even if they are unrelated to the open worker's compensation claim? Many employers prefer to settle all open claims at once. Nothing in law or medicine is so complicated that a practitioner who thoroughly understands the process cannot explain it to you in plain English. Worker's Compensation law has a number of idiosyncrasies but it is not "rocket science." If an attorney is explaining your case in terms that you cannot understand, either the attorney doesn't know what they're doing or the attorney doesn't want you to understand. In Indiana, once you reach MMI, your treating physician assigns a permanent partial impairment rating (PPI). If you have your medical records or you have access to your medical records, you can easily find that number. If you go to the website maintained by the Indiana Worker's Compensation Board, it provides examples to illustrate how you use the PPI rating to calculate the value of your claim. It's that simple. Always remember that your attorney is working on a contingency basis. In other words, your attorney is paid absolutely nothing until your claim is settled or tried. Your attorney has absolutely no incentive to continue your case. If you really want answers, make an appointment to meet with your attorney in his/her office. If you don't like or don't understand the answers that your attorney provides, the Indiana Worker's Compensation Board maintains ombudsmen who are thoroughly familiar with the Indiana Worker's Compensation Act. You can find an 800 number to contact them on the board's website. Good luck. ... Read More

Q. Can I sue multiple hospitals for negligence in Illinois for failing to diagnose septic arthritis?

February 24, 2025

A: By all means, consult medical malpractice attorneys. Much will depend upon your present physician's ability to testify as to the ADDITIONAL harm that you sustained as a result of your delayed diagnosis. If the delay in your diagnosis resulted in no additional harm ( beyond your continuing to experience your discomfort), the case is probably not viable. That means that even though you would win, it may cost you more to win than any reasonable jury would award you. Again, it is best that you discuss the specific details with a medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. Good luck.

Q. Can the other driver go over $25,000 settlement cap without DUI proof?

February 24, 2025

A: Let's get something clear. When you have an accident, you are either at fault or not at fault. Beyond that, for the purposes of calculating the value of the claim nothing else matters. You could be a nun, driving sisters to a convent or you could be a junkie, with an open bottle of liquor, puffing on a blunt, and trying to inject yourself with heroin. It doesn't matter for purposes of determining value. Once fault is established and apparently this accident was your fault, the only question that determines value of the claim is: "How badly was the driver injured?" If the Motorcyclist suffered a broken bone, it is worth your policy limit. If the motorcyclist did not suffer any broken bones, it is probably worth less.

Here's the thing. the motorcyclist will never file suit against you. Here's why. If your insurance offers to tender the limits of your insurance, the motorcyclist cannot sue you unless he refuses to accept that money. Then, the motorcyclist and his attorneys would need to spend at least $5000-$10,000 to prepare your case for trial. Then, If a jury returns a verdict for $300,000, your insurance company will write the same check for $25,000. Now, instead of receiving more than $16,000, the motorcyclist will be lucky to get $5000 and will have to come after you for the rest. In turn, you would go to a bankruptcy attorney, spend $1500 to discharge the $300,000 debt. Then, the $300,000 verdict isn't worth the paper it's printed on and the Plaintiff received less than 1/3 of what he would have received by settling. I hope this made sense.

It is worth noting that increasing your policy limits is the right thing to do NOT because you're worried about causing injury to someone else but because you're worried about someone causing injury to you. If another car caused you to be injured in an accident and that car only had minimum limits of $25,000/$50,000 or it had no insurance at all and you sustained serious injuries that merited $250,000, the other driver would tender his policy limits of $25,000 and your attorney could make an under insurance claim with your own carrier for the additional $225,000. The additional coverage probably wouldn't cost you more than $100 per year. Look into it. Good luck. ... Read More

View More Answers ›