Carla Colaianni - Chicago, IL
Attorney at Smith LaCien LLP
Personal Injury Lawyers in Chicago, IL
Three First National Plaza 70 West Madison, Suite 2250 Chicago, IL 60602
- Free Consultation
- 1 Super Lawyers®
-
19
Years
Experience
Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer
Updated: 10/01/2026
Areas of Practice
- Personal Injury
- Birth Injuries
- Medical Malpractice
- Brain Injuries
- Wrongful Death
Attorney Information
Overview
Carla Colaianni, a trial attorney at Smith LaCien LLP, has 15 years of practicing law as a plaintiff’s personal injury lawyer and Chicago accident attorney, concentrating in medical malpractice and personal injury combined with a probate and appellate practice. She has represented numerous plaintiffs at the appellate level in both the appellate courts of Illinois and the Illinois Supreme Court.
The Chicago personal injury lawyers at Smith LaCien have secured more than $2.5 billion in settlements and verdicts, and have more than 100 settlements and verdicts that exceed $1 million.
Carla began her professional career as a vocational training instructor at Refugee One, working closely with refugees and asylum seekers to help them gain employment. From that experience, she recognized the need for people to receive legal protections and left the organization to pursue a law degree.
After graduating from law school, she began working full-time for a Chicago personal injury law firm where she clerked as a law student. In 2014, she returned to her native New York to spend more time with her family. She started her own law firm, using her civil litigation experience to continue representing people who had suffered catastrophic injuries.
In June 2019, Carla joined a plaintiffs personal injury law firm in Yonkers, NY where she specialized in representing families whose children had experienced catastrophic birth injuries or who were childhood victims of sexual abuse. She returned to Chicago in early 2022 to join Smith LaCien.
For a free consultation, call Carla Colaianni or others on the Smith LaCien legal team at (312) 509-8900 or send an email to: info@smithlacien.com. Smith LaCien LLP is located at 70 W. Madison, Suite 2250, Chicago, IL 60602.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2025 - 2026
Other Sources of Feedback About Carla Colaianni
Included on the 2027 Illinois Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2026 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2025 Illinois Super Lawyers list
Education
Legal Education
-
DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 2007
J.D.
Honors: cum laude
Honors: Participated in DePaul’s Asylum & Immigration Clinic
Honors: CALI Award for Excellent in Trial Advocacy and Torts
Law Review: DePaul Law Review, Member
Non Legal Education
-
S.U.N.Y. New Paltz, 1995
B.A., Bachelor of Arts
Honors: magna cum laude
Major: Theater
Current Employment Position(s)
-
Attorney
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 2007
- New York, 2019
Other Affiliations
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
- American Association of Justice
- Chicago Bar Association
- Women’s Bar Association of Illinois
Photo
Contact
Three First National Plaza
70 West Madison, Suite 2250
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone Number: 312-815-6455
Email: Send a message
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