Biography

Brian Hurst grew up in Chicago, the son of a Chicago Police Officer and a mother who stayed at home to raise him and his sister, and has served the city and surrounding communities as an attorney for twenty-five years. He has been recognized by various organizations for his exemplary legal services, talent as a trial lawyer, and commitment to the community.  Among the various honors, awards and recognitions he has received throughout his career, Mr. Hurst is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, has been consistently named a “Top Illinois Lawyer” by Super Lawyers, and is recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as a “Top 100 Trial Lawyer”.

Prior to embarking upon his career in law, Mr. Hurst played football in college, quarterbacking his team to the 1988 Midwest Bowl Championship his freshman season. He was named second-team all-conference at quarterback his sophomore season. His athletic career ended after a back injury and two back operations following his sophomore season. He subsequently enrolled at Eastern Illinois University to continue his education where he obtained his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude (with highest honors) in 1992. He then attended the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he obtained his law degree in 1995.

Mr. Hurst is married with two small children. His son, Grayson, suffers from profound cerebral palsy and requires full-time care. A lifelong resident of Chicago, Mr. Hurst and his family now live in the western suburbs and are actively involved in supporting several charities including Feed My Starving Children, The Salvation Army, the Brain Injury Association of Illinois and Almost Home Kids. Mr. Hurst previously served on the College of Sciences Advisory Board of Eastern Illinois University.

Mr. Hurst has extensive trial experience in his twenty-five year career as a civil litigator, litigating cases in front of juries on behalf of injured people and the families of wrongfully deceased people. Mr. Hurst has tried numerous medical malpractice cases before civil juries in various counties across the State of Illinois, including Cook County, DuPage County, Kankakee County, Sangamon County and Will County, and has tried medical malpractice cases in other states, including New Jersey and Georgia. Mr. Hurst has obtained several millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts on behalf of injured people in cases involving medical malpractice and wrongful death.

Among his many successes, Mr. Hurst has obtained medical malpractice jury verdicts of $8.7 Million (See Story Here), $7 Million and $5 Million (See Story Here). The $7 Million DuPage County verdict in 2019 set an Illinois record for verdicts in cases involving the failure to timely diagnose breast cancer. In Booker v. Lal, 312 Ill.App.3d 170, 726 NE.2d. 638, 244 Ill. Dec. 663 (1st Dist. 2000), leave to appeal denied, 731 N.E.2d 762, 246 Ill. Dec. 913, Mr. Hurst successfully represented the heirs of the estate of a deceased woman whom the defense had sought to exclude as wrongful death beneficiaries. Mr. Hurst authored the main and reply briefs and argued the case before the 1st District Appellate Court, Justice Cahill, presiding.

Mr. Hurst has lectured extensively on health care law and personal injury law, including medical malpractice and liability of managed care providers. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice, and has served on the Chicago Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Committee. Mr. Hurst has been admitted to the bar in Illinois and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois.

Education

• Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology,Chicago,Illinois
• Eastern Illinois University

Bar Admission

• Illinois
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois

Appellate Cases

• Booker v. Lal, 312 Ill.App.3d 170, 726 NE.2d. 638, 244 Ill. Dec. 663 (1st Dist.),2000

Honors

• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• Top Illinois Lawyer, SuperLawyers.com
• Top 100 Trial Lawyer, National Trial Lawyers
• National Association of Distinguished Counsel

Past Positions

• Eastern Illinois University College of Sciences Advisory Board
• Chicago Bar Association, Judicial Evaluation Committee
• College of Sciences Advisory Board

Professional Associations

• American Bar Association,Member
• Chicago Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association,Member
• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association,Member
• American Association for Justice,Member
• Chicago Bar Association, Judicial Evaluation Committee,Member
• The National Trial Lawyers Top 100,Member

Practice Areas:

• Medical Malpractice
• Catastrophic Injury
• Wrongful Death