Michael  Blotevogel

Attorney Michael T. Blotevogel has devoted his career to fighting for the rights of injured individuals. He has helped his clients win jury verdicts and secure significant settlements across the United States. He has argued before the Fifth Circuit, Seventh Circuit, Eighth Circuit and Tenth Circuit within the United States Courts of Appeals. He has also argued before the Illinois Supreme Court, the Missouri Supreme Court, courts of appeals in Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and Florida, and the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. He drafted the appellate briefing that led to victories in two cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

He has an AV PreeminentTM Rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, which is the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. He is a member of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and The National Trial Lawyers: Top 10 Railroad Accident Trial Lawyers Association. He has also been selected to the Illinois Super Lawyers.

After graduating from law school, Mike turned down a prestigious position in the U.S. Department of Justice Honors Program, opting instead to devote his career to fighting for the rights of injured individuals.

Mike earned his JD at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis in 2003, where he graduated in the top five percent of his class, was a member of its Order of the Coif, and was one of the editors of its top law review (Washington University Law Quarterly).

Prior to law school, Mike obtained a master’s degree (MA, summa cum laude) in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota and worked for the United Way of Minneapolis. He completed his bachelor’s degree (BSBA, magna cum laude) at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri in 1995.

Education

• Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri
  • J.D.
  • Honors: Order of the Coif, Member
  • Honors: Top five percent of his class
• University of Minnesota
  • M.A.
  • Honors: summa cum laude
  • Major: Public Affairs
• Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri
  • BSBA – 1995
  • Honors: magna cum laude

Bar Admission

• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri
• U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Oklahoma
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Oklahoma
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Arkansas
• U.S. District Court Western District of Arkansas
• Illinois
• Missouri

Honors

• Martindale-Hubbell® Client Review RatingSM, Preeminent™
• The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
• The National Trial Lawyers: Top 10 Railroad Accident Trial Lawyers Association
• Illinois Super Lawyers

Past Positions

• Lakin Chapman, LLC/The Lakin Law Firm, Attorney, 2004 to 2009
• United Way of Minneapolis, Research & Writing, 1997 to 2000

Professional Associations

• American Bar Association, Member
• American Association of Justice, Member, Present
• The Missouri Bar, Member, Present
• Illinois State Bar Association, Member, Present
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, Member
• Tri-City Bar Association, Member, Present
• Alton-Wood River Bar Association, Member
• Madison County Bar Association, Member

Representative Cases

• Abernathy v. E. Illinois R.R. Co., 940 F.3d 982 (7th Cir. 2019) , Seventh Circuit
• Walters v. CSX Transportation, Inc., 754 Fed.Appx. 394, Case No. 17-6508 (6th Cir. 2018), Sixth Circuit
• Taylor v. Cottrell, Inc.., 795 F.3d 813 (8th Cir. 2015) , 8th Circuit
• Bruntjen v. Bethalto Pizza, LLC, 2014 IL App (5th) 120245, Illinois Appellate
• Campbell v. Autenrieb, 2018 IL App (5th) 170148, Illinois Appellate
• In re: Teamster Car Hauler Products Liab. Litig., MDL 2339 , 856 F.Supp.2d 1343, U.S. Jud. Pan. Mult. Lit.
• Yow v. Jack Cooper Transport Co., 2015 IL App (5th) 140006 , Illinois Appellate

Practice Areas:

Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA)

Jones Act

Wrongful Death

Products Liability

Nursing Home Abuse And Neglect

Trucking Collisions

Premises Liability

Retaliatory Discharge

Medical Malpractice

Automobile Collisions

Whistleblower Claims

Federal Railway Safety Act