Boris G. Samovalov - a Chicago, Cook (IL) General Litigation Lawyer

Chicago General Litigation Lawyer

Updated: 03/25/2026

Areas of Practice

General Litigation
Medical Malpractice
Personal Injury
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Condominium/HOA Law
Landlord Tenant/Evictions
Civil Rights Litigation
Foreclosure Defense
Trucking Industry Law & Litigation

Attorney Information

Overview

Boris G. Samovalov is an experienced trial attorney concentrating his practice in complex civil litigation, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, civil rights, and serious motor vehicle and trucking collision cases. He has played a critical role in litigating high-exposure matters that have resulted in millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements, including a 2023 jury verdict exceeding $10 million in a police-chase wrongful death case, as well as millions of dollars in recoveries in medical malpractice, trucking, and motor vehicle death cases.

In 2025, Boris played a critical role as part of a litigation team that achieved a $22 million settlement against the City of Chicago arising from a fatal police pursuit. The City admitted liability, and the matter resolved just days before a scheduled damages-only jury trial. This settlement was formally approved by the City of Chicago in January of 2026 and was separate and distinct from the earlier police-chase case, where Boris was one of the trial lawyers, along with Zane D. Smith, that proceeded to trial and resulted in a verdict in excess of $10 million. After trial in said case, the trial judge ordered a new trial, and her order was appealed, although the trial judge’s ruling was upheld on appeal, Boris and Zane strategically partnered with another firm, Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C. and a settlement in the amount of $27,000,000.00 was ultimately reached for the decedent’s family with the City of Chicago. Said settlement was approved in March of 2026.

Boris routinely handles cases involving complex factual records, institutional defendants, and substantial damages exposure. His practice encompasses all phases of litigation, including pre-suit investigation, dispositive motion practice, expert discovery, trial, and post-trial proceedings. He has extensive experience handling wrongful death and catastrophic injury claims arising from motor vehicle crashes, trucking accidents, and other transportation-related fatalities, as well as medical malpractice actions, police misconduct and pursuit liability cases, commercial disputes, condominium and common-interest community matters, building-code disputes, premises liability claims, and landlord-tenant litigation in both commercial and residential settings.

Throughout his career, Boris has represented a broad range of clients, including injured individuals and families, business owners, real-estate investors, condominium associations and board members, and corporate entities. He is known for his strategic approach, meticulous preparation, and ability to manage cases where defendants face significant exposure to excess verdicts. While he emphasizes early evaluation and cost-effective resolution when appropriate, he is fully prepared to take cases through trial when accountability cannot be achieved otherwise.

Boris is admitted to practice in Illinois and before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Spanish. He received his Juris Doctor from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, graduating in the top 10 percent of his class, and served as an editor on the law review.

In addition to English, Boris is fluent in Russian and Spanish, allowing him to effectively represent clients from diverse backgrounds.

Education

Legal Education
- Cooley Law School
  J.D.
  Honors: Top 10% of the class
Non Legal Education
- University of Illinois at Chicago
  B.A.

Current Employment Position(s)

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Attorney
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Languages

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English
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Spanish
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Russian
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Representative Cases

Seals v. Rush Univ. Med. Ctr., Walgreen Company and Melamed, 2021 IL App (1st) 200558, App Ct; Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Vol. 167, 118, 2021
$27,000,000.00 settlement in a police chase case.
$22,000,000.00 settlement in a police chase case.
$10,153,284.00 verdict in a police chase case.
$1,450,000.00 settlement in a wrongful death case involving a truck.
$1,250,000.00 settlement negotiated at trial in a wrongful death case involving medical malpractice pertaining to failure to diagnose lung cancer.
$1,215,000.00 settlement in a medical/pharmaceutical negligence involving improper prescription and distribution of medication to an infant.
$1,000,000.00 awarded at trial in a wrongful death/medical malpractice case involving improper discharge of a patient from a hospital.
$875,000.00 settlement in a case involving a suicide in a jail facility.
$835,000.00 settlement negotiated during trial in a medical malpractice case involving plastic surgery.
$625,000.00 settlement in a medical malpractice case involving administration of contraindicated medication to a patient.
$350,000.00 premises liability settlement in a case involving a shooting at an establishment.
$350,000.00 settlement in a medical malpractice lawsuit involving infection that resulted in settlement.
$200,000.00 settlement in a dental malpractice case involving failure to obtain informed consent prior to extraction resulting in nerve damage.
$175,000.00 settlement in a slip and fall at a church case.
$160,000.00 settlement in a dental malpractice case involving failure to inform the patient of the risk of permanent nerve damage.
$135,000.00 settlement in slip and fall at a hardware store case.

Bar Admissions

Illinois
U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar

Other Affiliations

Illinois State Bar Association (Member)

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Contact

Chicago, IL

100 N. LaSalle St.
Ste 910
Chicago, IL 60602

Directions

Phone: 312-245-0031

Email: Send a message

Website: https://www.zanesmith.com

Free Consultations

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Boris G. Samovalov - Chicago, IL