Francis Patrick Murphy - Patrick Murphy - a Chicago personal injury lawyer, has been with the law firm of Corboy & Demetrio since 1983 and became a partner in 1991. He regularly handles complex personal injury and wrongful death cases involving porch and deck collapses, aviation negligence, construction negligence, product liability, premises liability and claims resulting from railroad, automobile, and other vehicular negligence.
Murphy is a highly sought after lawyer in porch and deck collapse cases due to his extensive experience and numerous successes. Murphy represented several victims of the 2003 Lincoln Park porch collapse and was instrumental in brokering a global settlement of $16.6 million. He secured a record-setting $4 million settlement for a young woman who fell from a porch when a railing broke away. It is the highest settlement in Illinois for an injury resulting from a defective porch railing. In another case, Murphy was successful in securing $2.15 million for a couple who were injured when a deck railing gave way and they fell to the ground. He also represented the surviving family of a young man killed when he fell through a porch railing at a New Year's Eve Party. The decedent's blood alcohol level was .345 when he fell. Murphy settled the case for $2.7 million. He also represented a McHenry County woman who fell one story as she stepped onto her deck from her kitchen, settling for $1 million.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2026 | Plaintiff Litigation, Aviation |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2025 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2025 | Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Porch & Deck Collapse, Aviation, Premises & Construction Liability |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers | 2025 | Global Plaintiff, Aviation |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2024 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2024 | Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Porch & Deck Collapse, Aviation, Premises & Construction Liability |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers | 2024 | Global Plaintiff, Aviation |
| The 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2023 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| The 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2023 | Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Porch & Deck Collapse, Aviation, Premises & Construction Liability |
| The 2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2022 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| The 2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2022 | Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Porch & Deck Collapse, Aviation, Premises & Construction Liability |
| The 2021 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2021 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| The 2021 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2021 | Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Porch & Deck Collapse, Aviation, Premises & Construction Liability |
| The 2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2020 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| The 2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2020 | Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Porch & Deck Collapse, Aviation, Premises & Construction Liability |
| The 2019 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2019 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2019 | Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Porch & Deck Collapse, Aviation, Premises & Construction Liability |
| The 2018 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2018 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| The 2017 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2017 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| The 2016 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2016 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| The 2014-15 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers | 2014-2015 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| The 2013 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers | 2013 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| The 2012 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers | 2012 | Plaintiff Litigation, inc. Wrongful Death |
| Lawdragon 500: The Legends (2018) | 2018 |
Murphy has more than fifty settlements and verdicts of $1 million or more. Among his many accomplishments is a $7.5 million settlement that was secured on behalf of his client, a nationally renowned oboist from the Chicago Lyric Opera and Grant Park Symphony, whose musical career was ended when she was struck by a Chicago Transit Authority bus while crossing a Chicago street. Murphy also obtained a record-high settlement of $2.5 million for the death of an 88-year-old woman, who was killed when the car she was riding in was hit from behind by another car. In another case involving senior citizens, Patrick secured a $6.8 million settlement for a 69-year-old woman and her 71- year-old husband for injuries she sustained when she was hit by a bus.
Murphy was profiled in Leading Lawyers Magazine - Consumer Edition for 2011, in an article entitled, "Gentleman Lawyer for Injury Victims." The article highlights Murphy's extensive experience and success in representing victims in porch collapse cases. The media often reports on Murphy's outstanding record of success and his extensive experience. His verdict in a high-profile railroad case was chronicled on "Good Morning America," ABC's national television morning news show. He was highlighted on "Inside Edition" for his handling of one of the cases from the Chicago porch collapse tragedy of June 29, 2003. In a show dedicated to child safety issues, Oprah featured Murphy’s wrongful death case of 12-year-old Catherine "Casey" Fish, who choked to death while playing a game of Chubby Bunny - stuffing marshmallows into one's mouth - in her grade school classroom. And recently, he was featured on Fox News for his representation of a woman seriously injured when her second story deck collapsed.
Murphy also served as a legal commentator for Fox News Chicago regarding a young man who fell to his death at a Chicago Bear's game at Solider Field.
Murphy is a designated member of Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, a distinction awarded to only 500 of the 1.2 million lawyers in the United States. Since 2019, Murphy has been selected to Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers. He was also selected to the 2026 edition of Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America.
The author of numerous legal articles, Murphy is a frequent lecturer for various bar associations and is an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he has regularly taught since 1987.
Murphy was appointed to the Board of Directors of Lawyers' Assistance Program by the Illinois Supreme Court, serving as President from 2013-14, 2014-2015, and 2019-2020. He served as Secretary from 2015-2016, Treasurer from 2017-2018, and Vice-President from 2018-2019.
In 2019, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago.
Murphy began his career as an Assistant Public Defender with the Cook County Public Defender's Office. Before becoming a lawyer, he worked for A.B. Dick Company in marketing and sales.