By Bill Bird wbird@stmedianetwork.com Apr 5, 2011 OTTAWA — A near-$24 million wrongful death and personal injury award has been upheld, almost seven years to the day after a 10-vehicle traffic crash on Interstate 55 that killed two men from Naperville and Seneca and permanently injured a man from Aurora. A 3rd District Illinois Appellate […]
Category Archives: IL
Hospital patient safety under a spotlight Medicare releases first report on hospital-acquired conditions By Judith Graham, Tribune reporter 7:56 p.m. CDT, April 10, 2011 Over strong objections from the hospital industry, the government has published data about things that can go wrong in hospitals — falls, objects left behind during surgeries, bloodstream or urinary infections […]
Associated Press The parents of a baby who died after getting an incorrect dosage of nutrients in an IV are suing the suburban Chicago hospital where the infant was born. Lawyers for Fritzie and Cameron Burkett say the Chicago couple’s six-week-old son, Genesis, died after mistakenly receiving about 60 times the prescribed dose of sodium […]
By Nate Anderson Multiple federal judges in Chicago have absolutely ripped the tactics of the state’s only attorney filing mass P2P file-sharing lawsuits in recent weeks. Now, two new rulings directly contradict a ruling from Judge Beryl Howell, an RIAA lobbyist-turned-federal-judge in Washington, DC, who said that mass subpoenas against alleged file-swappers were proper. Last […]
More deaths identified at North Side nursing facility for disabled kids Equip for Equality investigation details pattern of neglect at Alden Village North, now slated for shutdown by state By Sam Roe, Tribune reporter A federally backed watchdog group says it has identified at least five more deaths involving poor care at a troubled Chicago […]
Ameet Sachdev Chicago Law The federal court of appeals in Chicago reprimanded a lawyer for unprofessional behavior during a lawsuit and fined him $5,000. In an opinion released Tuesday, the court cited Michael Greco, 47, who has a private practice in Chicago, for repeatedly missing filing deadlines and ignoring phone calls from court officials. Judge […]
Advocacy group says untracked collisions are most common Jon Hilkevitch Traffic laws were recently strengthened in Illinois to create safety buffers for bicyclists who share streets with drivers, but state transportation officials are rejecting pleas from cycling advocates to keep records on what they consider the most common type of vehicle-bike accident. It involves, surprisingly, […]
Family sues restaurant over seventh-grader’s fatal food allergy Chinese food at school’s end-of-year party had peanuts or peanut oil, lab says March 18, 2011|By Joel Hood, TRIBUNE REPORTER The family of a Chicago Public Schools seventh-grader who died last year after an allergic reaction to peanuts at a school party has filed a wrongful-death suit […]
March 16, 2011|By David Jackson and Gary Marx, Tribune reporters Chris Walker, Chicago Tribune Federal authorities are moving this week to terminate Medicaid funding to the troubled Wincrest Nursing Center on the city’s North Side after state and federal inspections documented residents engaged in bloody fights and drug abuse that spilled from the facility out […]
Kensley Hawkins, 60, has saved $11,000 by working in a Joliet prison since the 1980s, making about $75 a month. The state says he owes them for the cost of his stay. Ameet Sachdev Chicago Law Kensley Hawkins is a deadbeat, according to the state of Illinois. He owes $455,203.14 to cover the costs of […]
At 28, the Michigan native has written two books. His first, Lawyer Boy: A Case Study On Growing Up, tells of his adventures in the land of law school, where, having given into what is apparently a genetic imperative that he go into the family business of law, he gave up his dream of becoming […]
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — A lawsuit that led to a $10.1 billion verdict against cigarette-making Philip Morris USA before it was tossed out by the Illinois Supreme Court has been revived by a lower court, sending the case back to the county once tagged as among the nation’s most lawsuit-friendly turfs. The unanimous ruling Thursday by […]
The spreading of misinformation about tort reform continues unabated in public forums across the country. Things are no different in this part of the nation as some special interests continue to argue that certain types of legal cases, including Illinois nursing home lawsuits are causing a healthcare “crisis.” The only solution, say these proponents, is […]
Chicago, IL (Law Firm Newswire) February 28, 2011 – The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is making great inroads in stamping out sexual harassment in workplaces. “Sexual harassment is never acceptable in any form in the workplace. Anyone that feels they have been the victim of such inappropriate behavior needs to contact a […]
Published: February 28th, 2011 The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that plaintiffs can pursue product liability lawsuits against automakers that used lap-only seatbelts, despite federal regulations designating the design as meeting minimum safety standards. The decision, handed down on February 23, will allow a wrongful death lawsuit against Mazda Motor Corp. to move forward, and […]
If you have been injured at work, then it is likely that you can bring a claim under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. But you may have other claims as well, such as if your injury was caused by another person who is not employed by your company. This is often the case when an […]
Having returned from the funeral of a dear friend in Richmond, I am reminded by the time I spent with her in her last months of life of the importance (and scarcity) of courage in today’s society. As pointed out by Reverend Brown of the Fifth Baptist Church in Richmond, this woman had courage up […]
By Jim Morris and Chris Hamby and M.B. Pell The Center for Public Integrity One evening last April at the Tesoro Corp.’s refinery in Anacortes, Washington, Matt Gumbel and six co-workers cautiously returned to service a stack of giant, radiator-like tubes filled with volatile hydrocarbons. The tubes, known as heat exchangers, tended to leak, especially […]
Slip and Fall Cases – Chicago Lawyer Jeffrey Friedman, P.C.
January 11, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) — Five Chicago area patients are suing the maker of an artificial hip implant device. The patients accuse DePuy Orthopedics of ignoring evidence the device was flawed and moving too slowly to recall it. Wear and tear within the artificial joint allegedly released dangerous cobalt and chromium ions into the […]
A national tort-reform watchdog group calls Cook County fifth worst in the nation for “unfair and unbalanced” awards to plaintiffs in civil cases. But noted Chicago personal injury lawyer Thomas Demetrio spoke only partially tongue in cheek when he called the ranking by The American Tort Reform Association “a badge of honor” for Cook County […]
Outsourcing gaining standing in legal profession Alternative suppliers of sophisticated legal services becoming more attractive as corporate legal departments look to cut costs Two recent mergers in the legal industry speak volumes about the forces reshaping the business of law at its highest levels. What’s also notable is that neither deal involved large law firms. […]
Associated Press Authorities in Chicago say a 26-year-old law student has died from injuries he suffered when he fell two stories at the Union League Club on Christmas Eve. The Cook County medical examiner’s office says Eric Fatla died Monday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Police say his death appears to be an accident. via Law […]
Posted: 12/25/2010 SAN RAFAEL, Calif.—A Marin County jury has awarded $11.7 million to an elevator mechanic who claimed he suffered serious injuries during construction of a San Rafael hotel three years ago. David Travis accused the general contractor, Spokane,Wash.-based Bison Builders, of failing to maintain a safe work environment at the Extended Stay hotel construction […]
Slip and fall cases, often referred to as premises liability cases, require a careful understanding of the interplay between the facts and Illinois law. If you have fallen on someone else’s property, that doesn’t mean they are responsible for your damages. You still have to establish why you fell, and show that the property owner […]
John Browning Legally Speaking The Zope Gazette Mon Dec 20, 2010, 07:00 AM CST ROCKWALL — Around this time of year, it’s fairly common to see lists of holiday gift suggestions – for the sports fan in your life, the techie, the music buff, and so on. But what about your friendly neighborhood lawyer? Whether […]
We have all heard of the Miranda warning. It requires police to advise criminal suspects that if they talk, their words can and will be used against them. This rule does not apply in civil cases. If you have been in a car accident, and the insurance company for the other driver calls you, you […]
(US NEWS SOURCE) December 20, 2010 – If you car has damage that appears to make it unsafe to drive, call a tow truck. If it has any rubbing, squeaking, leaking, or doesn’t roll straight, call a tow truck even though it may not look like a total loss. Driving your car away from the […]
Top administrator replaced better cleanliness, more programs for kids in the works December 18, 2010| By Sam Roe and Jared S. Hopkins, Tribune reporters A Chicago care facility where a high number of disabled children have died in recent years said it has taken numerous steps to improve care, including replacing the top administrator, hiring […]
By: Joseph B. Cahill and Todd J. Behme December 16, 2010 (Crain’s) — Peoples Energy sued high-profile Chicago lawyer Theodore Tetzlaff on Wednesday for malpractice, alleging he authorized the destruction of documents in a class-action suit in violation of a court order. The lawsuit, which also names Mr. Tetzlaff’s firm, Ungaretti & Harris LLP, seeks […]