When Belleville residents look for a skilled lawyer following a serious accident, the name John Hipskind attorney often stands out. A personal injury attorney with Hipskind & McAninch, LLC, he has earned a strong reputation for standing up for injured people and their families across Belleville, pairing meticulous case preparation with real courtroom skill. Over the years, he has become known not just for the results he delivers, but for the way he treats every client who walks through his door.
Belleville Roots Shape His Approach to Injury Law
John Hipskind’s bond with Belleville goes well beyond his law practice. Raised in Belleville, Illinois, he has stayed rooted in the area throughout his professional life. He currently resides nearby with his wife, Wendy, and their daughters, Hayley and Hadley. That kind of hometown connection isn’t something every attorney can claim, and it shapes the way he approaches his work. Prospective clients researching his background online often come across his Avvo profile alongside these community ties, giving them another way to get a sense of who he is before ever picking up the phone.
Because of these long standing community connections, he brings a firsthand understanding of both the local area and the workings of the St. Clair County court system. He knows the judges, the courthouse staff, and the local insurance defense attorneys he regularly goes up against. For accident victims, having an attorney who knows the local courts and community can offer extra peace of mind during an already stressful and uncertain time. It also means clients are working with someone who genuinely cares about the outcome for their neighbors, not just another case number.
Public Defender Background Sharpened His Trial Skills
Before shifting his focus to personal injury cases, John Hipskind worked as an attorney for the St. Clair County Public Defender’s Office. In that role, he took on a broad range of criminal cases, from minor misdemeanors to serious homicide trials, building trial skills that still serve his injury clients today. Few personal injury lawyers can say they cut their teeth on cases with those kinds of stakes, and that background gives him a level of comfort in the courtroom that many attorneys never develop.
He graduated from Althoff Catholic High School, then went on to complete his undergraduate studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, followed by a law degree from Oklahoma City University. Since then, he has focused his career on helping people recover compensation after being harmed by someone else’s carelessness. That early public defender experience taught him how to think on his feet, how to prepare thoroughly for trial, and how to advocate for people during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Those lessons carry directly into his personal injury practice today.
Thorough Investigations Have Uncovered Millions in Hidden Coverage
Over the course of his career, John Hipskind has secured more than $10 million on behalf of injured clients. Many of these results came from careful digging that revealed evidence or insurance coverage that wasn’t obvious at first glance. He has built his practice around the idea that the first version of a case is rarely the whole story, and that real value often comes from asking one more question or chasing down one more lead.
In one case, a head on crash initially seemed to involve only $100,000 in available insurance coverage. Further investigation by his team found that the driver at fault had been delivering newspapers at the time of the crash, which opened up an extra $2 million in coverage that wouldn’t have been discovered without persistent digging. The case was eventually resolved for $2.1 million, a dramatically different outcome than what appeared possible at the outset.
In a separate incident, a woman dining at a restaurant was seriously injured when a chair she was sitting in collapsed beneath her, hurting her neck and shoulder. Because his legal team acted quickly to obtain surveillance video before it could be lost or deleted, they preserved evidence that proved critical and helped secure a $900,000 settlement. That kind of quick action often makes the difference between a strong case and one built on nothing but conflicting accounts.
Another case centered on a renter who fell through a rotting front porch at a rental property. Investigators discovered that repair crews had recycled old, worn out materials instead of performing legitimate, code compliant repairs. That claim ended in a $450,000 settlement once the pattern of neglect became clear.
John Hipskind also represented someone who needed neck surgery after a ceiling caved in at a rental home. Even though responsibility was contested early on, further investigation pinned liability on both the landlord and the maintenance contractor, leading to a $400,000 settlement. Cases like this show how disputed liability doesn’t have to mean a dead end, especially when an attorney is willing to dig deeper.
Each personal injury case has its own set of circumstances, but these outcomes show how much careful investigation, evidence preservation, and thorough preparation can matter before a claim is ever resolved. It’s a pattern that shows up again and again throughout his case history.
Peer Recognition Reflects a Career of Strong Results
John Hipskind’s efforts have brought him acknowledgement from multiple respected legal organizations over the years. He has appeared on The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 40 Under 40 and Top 100 lists, and he has repeatedly been named to Illinois Rising Stars and Illinois Super Lawyers, honors reserved for a limited percentage of attorneys in the state. Expertise.com has also included him among the top personal injury and car accident attorneys serving the Belleville area.
He additionally holds memberships with the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce, the St. Clair County Bar Association, and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. These affiliations keep him connected to both the broader legal community and the local business community he serves.
Clients Value His Communication Throughout Every Case
Clients who have worked with John Hipskind often point to his clear communication, quick responses, and patience in walking them through the legal process from the very first phone call to the final settlement. Since injury cases usually involve medical treatment, insurance back and forth, and real financial stress, staying informed at every step can make a meaningful difference for clients trying to hold their lives together.
His years of trial experience mean he prepares every case as though it might go in front of a jury, even while working toward a fair, negotiated settlement whenever that path makes sense for the client. That dual approach, being ready for trial but always open to resolution, tends to put insurance companies on notice that they can’t lowball a claim and expect it to go unchallenged.
A Trusted Advocate for Belleville’s Injury Victims
For well over a decade, John Hipskind has stood by individuals and families throughout Belleville who were hurt because of someone else’s negligence. His deep community roots, courtroom background, and history of favorable outcomes have made him a respected and trusted personal injury attorney within the area he calls home.
Anyone wanting to learn more about John Hipskind or Hipskind & McAninch, LLC, can visit the firm’s website or stop by their Belleville office at 3201 W. Main Street to learn more about the firm’s personal injury practice and the legal services available to residents throughout the community.