Dennis VanDerGinst
VanDerGinst Law
Dennis VanDerGinst is the President/CEO of VanDerGinst Law, one of the most successful personal injury law firms in the country. He has been a tireless advocate for his clients and a stalwart ambassador for his profession. As a result, he has been recognized as one of the best in the country by clients, peers, and other professionals.
Dennis received his law degree from DePaul University in Chicago. He is licensed to practice in Illinois, Iowa, Washington D.C., and the federal courts. During his career he has represented clients in almost every state of the country. The focus of his practice has been on helping injured people. The law firm which bears his name has represented over 50,000 injury victims during his career, in all areas of personal injury law including but not limited to: motor vehicle accidents, product liability, premises liability, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse and neglect, worker’s compensation, mass and class actions, and all types of negligence cases.
His dedication to his clients has earned Dennis and his firm the prestigious Torch Award for Ethics, awarded by the Better Business Bureau, marking the first time this honor was ever bestowed upon a lawyer or law firm in the region. Dennis has also been awarded the Client’s Choice Award from AVVO Lawyer Rating Service and Client Champion recognition from Martindale-Hubbell, the most established attorney rating service in the profession. In 2018 and 2020, Dennis was voted as the Best Attorney in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois in a survey conducted by the Quad-City Times. He was runner-up for that honor in 2019.
His success in the field of personal injury law is illustrated by his inclusion in the Multi-Million-Dollar Advocates Forum, whose membership is limited to those attorneys who have secured multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements, which he has done dozens of times in his career.
- DePaul College of Law
- J.D. (1989)
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- President/CEO
- VanDerGinst Law
- - Current
- Practice focused on all areas of personal injury law including, but not limited to: motor vehicle accidents, product liability, premises liability, construction accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, wrongful death litigation, mass and class actions and all cases where negligence has caused injury.
- Managing Partner
- VanDerGinst, Roche and Westensee
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- Practice focused on all areas of personal injury law including, but not limited to: motor vehicle accidents, product liability, premises liability, construction accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, wrongful death litigation, mass and class actions and all cases where negligence has caused injury.
- Managing Partner
- Braud, Westenssee and VanDerGinst
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- Practice focused on all areas of personal injury law including, but not limited to: motor vehicle accidents, product liability, premises liability, construction accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, wrongful death litigation, mass and class actions and all cases where negligence has caused injury.
- Partner
- Braud/Westensee, Ltd
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- Practice focused on all areas of personal injury law including, but not limited to: motor vehicle accidents, product liability, premises liability, construction accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, wrongful death litigation, mass and class actions and all cases where negligence has caused injury.
- Adjunct Professor
- Black Hawk College
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- Torts and Insurance Law
- Senior Associate
- Braud/Warner, Ltd
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- Practice focused on all areas of personal injury law including, but not limited to: motor vehicle accidents, product liability, premises liability, construction accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, wrongful death litigation, mass and class actions and all cases where negligence has caused injury.
- Associate Attorney
- Wylie, Mulherin, Rehfeldt and Varchetto
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- Practice focused primarily on insurance defense litigation and insurance coverage issues.
- Associate Attorney
- Elliot Samuels, Ltd.
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- Practice focused on general civil litigation, criminal defense and appellate practice
- Student Attorney
- Depaul Legal Clinic
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- Responsibilities included client interviews, research, motion and trial practice in the areas of divorce, adoption, and bankruptcy.
- Law Clerk
- Elliot Samuels, Ltd.
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- Practice focused on general civil litigation, criminal defense and appellate practice
- Busting Myths About Personal Injury
- VMail
- Certified Arbitrator
- State of Illinois Fourteenth Judicial Circuit
- Avvo Client's Choice
- Avvo
- Avvo is a Lawyer Ratings Service. In addition to being rated 10/10 Dennis has been awarded the Client's Choice Award in Personal Injury. Dennis has earned this distinction since 2014
- Lawyer of Distonction
- Lawyers of Distinction
- Lawyers are nominated by peers. Then an independent review is done on indicators of professional achievement and peer recognition. Next, an ethics review is completed. Less than 10% of attorneys qualify
- Member
- Super Lawyers
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers
- The National Trial Lawyers
- The National Trial Lawyers accepts nominations from peers as to premier trial lawyers across the country who exemplify superior qualifications. Dennis has been so honored since 2013
- Top 1%
- National Association of Distinguished Counsel
- Honorees are thoroughly vetted by a research team, selected by a blue ribbon panel of attorneys with podium status from independently neutral organizations, and approved by a judicial review board as exhibiting virtue in the practice of law. Dennis has been so honored each year since 2015.
- Association of Plaintiff Interstate Rucking Lawyers of America
- National Advisory Board Member
- Current
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- National Crime Victim Bar Association
- Former National Board of Directors
- Current
- Activities: Former National Board of Directors
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- Pound Civil Justice Institute
- Former Board of Trustees
- - Current
- Activities: Former Board of Trustees
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- Brain Injury Association of Illinois
- Member
- - Current
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- Brain Injury Association of America
- Member
- - Current
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- Scott County Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
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- American Association for Justice
- Iowa State Delegate
- - Current
- Activities: Current Iowa State Delegate, former Illinois State Delegate, Leader's Forum, President's Club, Attorney Information Exchange Group, Birth Injuries Litigation Group, Birth Trauma Litigation Group, Committee on Lawyer Marketing and Client Services, Former Chairman Sub-Committee on Internet Marketing and Client Services, Insurance Section, Interstate Trucking Litigation Group, Motor Vehicle Collision, Highway & Premises Liability Section, Nursing Home Litigation Group, Product Liability Section, Professional Negligence Section, Railroad Law Section, Small Office Practice Section, Toxic, Environmental & Pharmaceutical Torts Section.
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- Iowa Association for Justice
- Board of Governors
- - Current
- Activities: Iowa State Delegate to AAJ, CLE Committee, Sponsorship Committee, Legislative Committee
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- Iowa State Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Law Panels Committee, Litigation Section, Services to the Elderly Committee
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- Rock Island County Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Bar Assn. Liaison to Young Lawyers Committee, former Board of Managers
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- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
- Former Board of Managers
- - Current
- Activities: Board of Advocates 2000-2002, Civil Practice & Rules Committee, Continuing Legal Education Committee, Former Illinois State Delegate, ATLA, Insurance Law Committee, Legislative Committee, Medical Negligence Committee, Membership Committee, Product Liability and Insurance Law Committee, Product Liability Committee, Publications Committee, Young Lawyers Committee
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- Illinois State Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Civil Practice & Procedure Section, Elder Law Section. Insurance Law Section. Tort Law Section.
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- Chicago Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Class Litigation Committee, Insurance Law Committee, Tort Litigation Committee
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- American Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Automobile Law Committee, Litigation Section, Medicine & Law Committee, Products, General Liability & Consumer Law Committee, Tort Law & Insurance Section.
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- Academy of Trial Professionals
- Member
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- Wisconsin Academy of trial Lawyers
- Member
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- Winnebago County Bar Association
- Member
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- Activities: Continuing Legal Education Committee. Editorial Board. Legal/Medical Committee. Professional Responsibility Committee. Trial Section
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- Dupage County Bar Association
- Member
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- Cook County Bar Association
- Member
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- Illinois
- Supreme Court of Illinois
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- Iowa
- Supreme Court of Iowa
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- 7th Circuit
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- Free Consultation
- Personal Injury
- Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
- Insurance Claims
- Bad Faith Insurance, Business Insurance, Disability Insurance, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Motor Vehicle Insurance, Property Insurance
- Medical Malpractice
- Birth Injury, Medical Misdiagnosis, Pharmacy Errors, Surgical Errors
- Products Liability
- Drugs & Medical Devices, Motor Vehicle Defects, Toxic Torts
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Asbestos & Mesothelioma
- Veterans Disability
- English: Spoken, Written
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