Page 60 - August 2017

More than a lawyer
Ted McNabola takes his service to Chicago Police Officers personal
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
Officer Danny Hernandez in 019 faced an incredulous le- gal ordeal. His mother had gone into the hospital for a pro- cedure to remove a benign cyst, and 48 hours later she was fighting for her life because of a perforated bowel. Even the surgeons didn’t know their mistake until she went into sep- tic shock. She lost her battle right around Christmas 2011, and in addition to losing his mother to the wrongful death, Danny lost the primary caregiver for his sister, who has a learning disability.
He needed more than a lawyer to help him through this situation. He needed representation from somebody who understood how this would impact the police officer way of life. Somebody who could comb through mountains of evidence and build a case like a detective. Somebody who could rescue him from the lowest point in his life.
He needed Ted McNabola.
Now, Edward “Ted” McNabola would be the first to tell you that he is not the white knight riding in to deliver big settlements in medical malpractice, wrongful deaths and personal injury cases. But he is that guy who will put his arm around your shoulder, help you if you have been in- ured through the fault of others and work exhaustively with his vaunted team at McNabola & Associates to pro- vide hope, especially for first responders who don’t seem to get enough of that on a day-to-day basis.
“For somebody who experiences permanent injury through someone else’s fault or has a loved one suffer an injury or worse, it can be devastating and demoralizing,” McNabola explains. “It can be even more demoralizing for police officers who have enough challenges on the job and it can affect their ability to provide for their families. It’s re- warding to help injured people, and it’s even more reward- ing to help police officers because they put their lives on the line for us every day.”
McNabola has achieved notable results during the course of his 25-year career. He has lost only one trial representing plaintiffs in a realm where the defense wins nearly 80 per- cent of the time. One of those victorious efforts came on behalf of Hernandez, who later, when meeting him in the coffee room at the district, introduced McNabola to a CPD Officer named Kevin Graham.
That started an enduring friendship with both officers, which McNabola says has helped him understand the loy- alty among Chicago coppers and sparked a dedication in him to serve those who serve. A myriad of Lodge 7 mem- bers have been clients over the years, including one who was permanently injured in a trucking accident and an- other who was the victim of medical malpractice that left the officer unable to continue on the job.
All CPD Officers know this could happen to them at any moment, something that could result from personal inju-
60 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ AUGUST 2017
ry, defective products or medical malpractice. “Oftentimes, police officers are injured while driving a police vehicle and the injury occurs through the negli- gence of another driver,” McNabola asserts. “I love the op-
portunity and challenge of helping them get justice.”
If McNabola sounds like a copper, well, Hernandez thought the same when meeting the now 51-year-old at- torney who left the world of a big defense firm because he wanted to help the little guys fight the big corporations. After his mother’s passing, Hernandez’s case was turned down by another lawyer. Danny reached out to his close friend who was a surgeon and he recommended Ted Mc- Nabola. Motivated by the wrongful death and inspired to help Danny’s sister, McNabola didn’t hesitate to take the
case.
“He was like a friend to me through the whole process.
Even to this day I think of him as my friend more than my attorney,” Hernandez comments. “He was accessible and kept me updated through every step of the process. My mother’s chart was like six feet high, but Ted and his team took their time and went through every piece of evidence. They were detailed and precise. That gave me reassurance.”
McNabola’s detective work built a strong case for Her- nandez, he noticed another attribute that resulted in being in position to take care of his sister, which was his way out of this ordeal.
“It’s funny the way these things play out with depositions and how the defense makes you wonder, makes you ner- vous,” Hernandez recalls. “But whenever the defense came up with one thing, Ted countered with two. He was very focused. He didn’t rush and he made it a top priority based on my sister’s situation.”
His affinity to put other people first caught the eye of 100 Club of Chicago CEO Joe Ahern, who asked McNabola to join the organization’s board of directors about four years