William T. Gibbs is a partner at the Chicago personal injury and medical malpractice law firm of Corboy & Demetrio and concentrates his practice on cases arising from railroad negligence, automobile collisions, participation in sports, unsafe pharmaceuticals or medical devices, construction negligence, medical negligence, premises liability, product liability and aviation litigation.
For more than a decade at Corboy & Demetrio, Gibbs has obtained numerous record-setting and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. His list of representative clients demonstrates the diversity of his practice.
Gibbs was part of a team that secured a $29.6 million verdict on behalf of a woman who was brain damaged in the derailment of a speeding train in Chicago. The verdict is the largest in Illinois for an individual injured in a mass transit crash.
In a Federal District Court case, Gibbs obtained a $6.6 million verdict for a family injured in an automobile collision. It was the largest verdict ever in that Court. In another case, Gibbs and Thomas Demetrio secured a $6.75 million settlement for the family of Justyna Palka, who was a pedestrian killed by a tour bus in Chicago.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2026 | Plaintiff Litigation, Class Actions |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2025 | Plaintiff Litigation |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers | 2025 | Global Plaintiff, inc. Aviation |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2025 | Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Railroad Negligence, Auto, Aviation, Mass Tort, Sports Liability |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2024 | Plaintiff Litigation |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers | 2024 | Global Plaintiff, inc. Aviation |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2024 | Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Railroad Negligence, Auto, Aviation, Mass Tort, Sports Liability |
| The 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2023 | Plaintiff Litigation |
| The 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2023 | Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Railroad Negligence, Auto, Aviation, Mass Tort, Sports Liability |
| The 2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2022 | Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Railroad Negligence, Auto, Aviation, Mass Tort, Sports Liability |
| The 2021 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2021 | Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Railroad Negligence, Auto, Aviation, Mass Tort, Sports Liability |
| The 2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers | 2020 | Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Railroad Negligence, Auto, Aviation, Mass Tort, Sports Liability |
Some of his high-profile cases involve the representation of amateur and professional athletes. Gibbs was appointed to the Plaintiff's Executive Committee by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson in Minnesota in litigation involving the National Hockey League and brain injuries.
In addition to this leadership role in the multi district litigation, Bill represents the Estates of Steve Montador and Todd Ewen, deceased NHL players who died with CTE. Additionally, Gibbs currently represents numerous retired NFL players, including the family of former Chicago Bear Dave Duerson, in claims against the NFL stemming from concussions.
Also, Gibbs and Thomas Demetrio represented Hall-of-Fame White Sox player Frank Thomas in a medical malpractice action and the matter was "resolved amicably."
Gibbs has appeared on national and international television networks discussing sports and C.T.E., including CNN, FOX Business News, Al Jazeera and Canadian National TV. He has been quoted numerous times by national and international media, including the New York Times, ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
Gibbs serves as Co-host of the Corboy & Demetrio's video podcast, Masters of Trial Law.
He has previously served as a regular contributor to the Sporting Judgment section of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin where he wrote the column, Sports Torts.
In 2020, Gibbs was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve on its Committee for Jury Instructions in Civil Cases.
Gibbs received a 2017 Trial Excellence Award from the Law Bulletin Publishing’s Jury Verdict Reporter for having the Highest Reported Verdict or Settlement in Jackson County.
Since 2020, Gibbs has been selected to the elite national legal guide, Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers. Since 2023, he has been selected to Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, comprising the 500 top legal minds in the country.
In 2008, Gibbs authored an article, "A Quick Guide to the Illinois Dead Man’s Act," which was published in the Illinois Bar Journal, a publication of the Illinois State Bar Association. Gibbs is a frequent panelist and lecturer to local and state bar associations, CLE seminars and law schools throughout the country.
Active in many community organizations, Gibbs is a member of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation Advisory Board.
In 2018, Gibbs was appointed to the Advisory Board of The Mike Adamle Project: Rise Above, an initiative created to provide tools, resources and support to patients living with symptoms of CTE.