Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2024 
Carla Colaianni is a trial attorney at Smith LaCien LLP in Chicago, Illinois. She has practiced law for 15 years, representing plaintiffs in personal injury litigation, medical malpractice matters, appellate proceedings, and probate cases. Her recognized practice area includes Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs.
As a Chicago personal injury lawyer and Chicago accident attorney, Carla represents individuals and families seeking legal relief after serious injuries. She has represented plaintiffs before the Illinois Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court. Her practice also includes medical malpractice claims and other complex civil litigation matters.
The Chicago personal injury lawyers at Smith LaCien have reported securing more than $2.5 billion in settlements and verdicts, including more than 100 settlements and verdicts exceeding $1 million.
Before attending law school, Carla worked as a vocational training instructor at RefugeeOne, where she assisted refugees and asylum seekers with employment services. That experience highlighted the importance of legal protections for individuals and families and influenced her decision to pursue a legal career.
After law school, Carla joined a Chicago personal injury law firm where she had previously clerked as a law student. In 2014, she returned to her native New York to spend time with her family and established her own law firm. Drawing on her civil litigation experience, she continued representing individuals who had suffered catastrophic injuries.
In June 2019, Carla joined a plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm in Yonkers, New York. There, she represented families whose children had experienced catastrophic birth injuries and individuals who had been victims of childhood sexual abuse. Carla returned to Chicago in early 2022 and joined Smith LaCien LLP.
