Tara A. Ryniec focuses her practice on the defense of litigated claims involving civil rights and municipal liability, commercial transportation, motor vehicle collisions, premises liability, construction negligence, and subrogation. An experienced litigator, Tara has frequently tried cases to verdict, and is extremely adept at resolving matters through alternative dispute resolution.
Throughout her career, Tara has successfully defended numerous transportation clients, including motor carriers, trucking brokers, and truck drivers in cases involving significant injuries and wrongful death. She has also represented construction companies, including general contractors and subcontractors in construction negligence suits, as well as defended snow plowing contractors and property owners in snow and ice slip and fall cases.
In addition to handling and resolving a variety of general and commercial negligence cases, Tara has also successfully litigated cases related to first- and third-party insurance coverage cases, including successfully arguing an appeal before the Fifth Appellate District of Illinois.
Tara represents a variety of clients in response to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)and Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) charges in cases alleging discrimination, including Title VII, retaliation, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and failure to provide reasonable accommodations. She also provides legal consultation to her clients regarding employment practices, disciplinary procedures, and termination practices.
Tara is actively involved in litigation of matters in both state and federal court, frequently practicing in Cook County and its surrounding districts, as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
- American Bar Association
- Chicago Bar Association
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Tara tried a rear-end collision case with two injured plaintiffs. The settlement demands together exceeded more than $500,000. Once trial began, the defense won a series of critical motions in limine, resulting in the plaintiffs settling for a fraction of the demand.
- Tara successfully defended a school bus company and its driver before a Grundy County jury in a case involving allegations of inappropriate behavior between two minors. The plaintiff’s demand was $1,000,000 and the case settled at trial for a confidential amount. Once the trial had concluded, the jurors expressed that they were highly impressed with the defense, and that they were unlikely to award the kind of verdict the plaintiff was seeking.
- In a jury trial, Tara successfully defended a trucking company and its driver in a consolidated case in Cook County, Illinois involving a rear-end policy limits demand with three injured plaintiffs. Leliamae Mitchell v. William Brown & Pompilio Trucking, Inc., et al., Circuit Court of Cook County Case No. 15 L 8574 (Consolidated w/ 16 L 3313).
- For more than ten years, Tara litigated a complex, wrongful death case in Madison County, Illinois, which included extensive discovery, motion practice, an appeal, oral arguments presented to the Fifth Appellate Court resulting in an affirmed decision of the trial court granting summary judgment in favor of the client. USF Insurance Company; Teresa Stephens v. USF Insurance Company, et al., 5th Dist. Appellate Court Case No. 5-14-0227 on Appeal from the Circuit Court of Madison County, Case No. 04 L 1318.
- Tara litigated all aspects of a rollover motor vehicle case involving a quadriplegic plaintiff through all stages of discovery, including expert discovery before reaching a favorable resolution for the insured. Jesse Michael Franklin v. Schaumburg Auto Sales, et al., Circuit Court of Macon County Case No. 05 L 22.
- In multiple trials, Tara successfully defended her clients as first and second chair, including a wrongful death case in the Circuit Court of Cook County involving a truckdriver and its motor carrier who struck and killed a City of Chicago worker and defense of a nightclub following a slip and fall accident with questionable injuries. Kiky Flynn, as Special Administrator for Estate of Julian Mitchell v. Monica’s Trucking, et al., Circuit Court of Cook County Case No. 09 L 7468; Joan Reilly v. Baco Cab, et al., Circuit Court of Cook County Case No. 09 L 14869; Joanna Tielke v. 3124 N. Central, LLC, et al., Circuit Court of Cook County Case No. 13 L 11557.
- Tara affirmed three favorable trial court rulings on dispositive motions entered by the trial court after responding to appeals in the First and Fifth Appellate District Courts, including Josephine Vazquez v. Erica Carlson, et al., pt Dist. Appellate Court Case No. 11-2608 on Appeal from the Circuit Court of Cook County Case No. 09 L 10690; James Solorio, Jr. v. Zahan Shatat, et al., pt Dist. Appellate Court Case No. 12-1282 on Appeal from the Circuit Court of Cook County Case No. 10 L 3486; Teresa Stephens v. USF Insurance Company, et al., 5th Dist. Appellate Court Case No. 5-14-0227 on Appeal from the Circuit Court of Madison County, Case No. 04 L 1318.
- In a case involving a dispute on coverage for a fire loss, Tara achieved summary judgment on behalf of her client. Therese Monks v. Safeco Insurance Company; Circuit Court of Cook County Chancery Case No. 03 CH 12495.