New Illinois law grants immunity for those reporting a drug overdose

Just before Justin Tokar died of a drug overdose last January in unincorporated Will County, his panicked friend texted people questioning what to do, rather than call 911. A new law signed by Gov. Pat Quinn Monday would allow people like him to call 911 and report an overdose without fear of facing criminal charges […]

Did Hospital Settle Malpractice Case to Spite Its Chief of Surgery?

Hospital conspired to defame surgeon, says lawyer. Published: February 8, 2012 How bad was the rift between hospital officials at the University of Illinois at Chicago and its one-time chief of surgery? So bad that when the hospital heard that both it and colorectal surgeon Herand Abcarian, MD, were about to be sued for malpractice […]

Judge’s ruling clears way for workers’ comp medical records release

A Cook County judge on Friday ruled that medical tests involving Menard Correctional Center guards who received disability settlements at taxpayers’ expense must be turned over to the public. Circuit Judge Michael B. Hyman heard arguments from the three parties involved — Central Management Services, the Illinois attorney general’s office and the Belleville News-Democrat. As […]

Workers accuse Capital Grille of racial discrimination

Reuters 7:35 a.m. CST, January 31, 2012 A restaurant workers group said it will sue Darden Restaurants Inc. in federal court in Chicago on Tuesday, accusing the company’s high-end Capital Grille steakhouse chain of racial discrimination and violations of state and federal labor laws. The action will pit Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, a vocal advocate […]

The Obama Memos: The Verdict on Malpractice

Posted by Ryan Lizza Today, I’m posting a memo to the President that includes Barack Obama’s handwritten decision at the end of the document. The memo—one of several I obtained for a piece in this week’s New Yorker—was sent to Obama on July 1, 2009, and came back from the Oval Office the following day. […]

Wrongful death lawsuit filed after fatal high-rise fire

Mother says her daughter’s life would have been saved if building had sprinklers, proper elevators January 19, 2012 The mother of a woman who was killed in a North Lake Shore Drive high-rise fire this month has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the owners and managers of the building. The lawsuit by JoAnn McCoy […]

Community Protests Autistic Teen’s Death

Stephon Watts was shot twice by officers in his Calumet City home on Wednesday An outraged community gathered Thursday evening to protest the death of 15-year-old Stephon Watts, shot dead in his own home by Calumet City police officers a day earlier. About 75 to 100 people, family members and civic and religious leaders, gathered […]

Taking aim at college sex crimes

New coalition works to get abuses reported By Tabitha Hurley and Ashley Huntington One out of 4 undergraduate women will be sexually assaulted before they graduate, according to a 2010 Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) study. The study also found that 1 in every 6 American women will be sexually assaulted at some […]

Shipwreck Suit Filed In U.S.; Judge May Send It To Italy

In an apparent race to the courthouse, the first U.S. lawsuit has been filed based on the Jan. 13 disaster off the coast of Tuscany. Surprisingly, the named plaintiff is a crewmember, rather than a passenger, who is a resident of Lima, Peru, rather than of the United States. The case also seems oblivious to […]

What Claim Do I Have After a Collision? : Wrong Way Driver

Mike BryantAttorney (866) 735-1102 Ext 555Posted by Mike BryantJanuary 26, 2012 This month, we will be looking at the issue of what claims are available in a Minnesota collision. We have used real examples from stories in the recent news as a basis for the discussion. What claims are available is not always obvious and […]

Dante Autullo Shoots 3.5 Inch Nail Into His Head: Illinois Man Didn’t Notice Injury

A suburban Chicago man is recovering at a local hospital after accidentally shooting himself with a nail gun – and not noticing the 3 ½ inch nail lodged in his brain for more than 24 hours. Dante Autullo, 32, was working in his garage Tuesday when he fired a nail gun and one of the […]

3 injured in snowmobile crashes

CASSOPOLIS — Weekend snowmobile crashes in Pokagon and Howard townships injured three people. • Cass County Sheriff Joseph M. Underwood Jr. reports that, on Sunday, his office investiaged a personal-injury snowmobile crash that occurred on the snowmobile trails near the intersection of Frost Street and Sink Road in Pokagon Township. Huntertown residents Justin Reed, 41, […]

Family of slain Beverly teen sues accused, family

The parents of a Chicago teenager who police said was killed after another Chicago teen punched him at an Indiana beach July 4 filed a wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday against the teen accused of throwing the punch, his sister and his mother. James Malecek, of Chicago, is charged in LaPorte County, Ind., with aggravated battery, […]

Corboy & Demetrio Secures $2 Million for Chicago Pedestrian Struck by Garbage Truck

CHICAGO, Jan 13, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Corboy & Demetrio has secured a $2 million settlement on behalf of a Chicago woman who was hit by a garbage truck in the city’s River North neighborhood. The truck was driven by Augustus Dortch, who along with his employer Lakeshore Waste Services, were defendants in the lawsuit. […]

IDOT unveils life-saving Yellow Dot program

CHICAGO — The Illinois Department of Transportation today unveiled the Illinois Yellow Dot program, a life-saving, traffic safety initiative that provides first responders with critical information to improve emergency care for persons involved in vehicle crashes. IDOT along with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Illinois Department of Aging (IDOA) and county health departments […]

Two Pit Bulls Attack, Seriously Injure Chicago Lakeside Jogger

January 6, 2012 Nicole Howley Chicago, IL — The owner of two pit bulls is facing fines after his dogs attacked a lakefront jogger at Rainbow Beach Park, before the dogs were shot by a Chicago police officer on Monday, January 2, 2012, the Chicago Tribune reported. The owner of the dogs, Jimmy Johnson, 57, […]

Mouse in Mountain Dew case goes viral

1/4/2012 1:53 PM By Ann Maher A Madison County personal injury lawsuit involving a dead mouse and a can of Mountain Dew has drawn international headlines. Since yesterday, nearly 100 news outlets have picked up on plaintiff Ronald Ball’s lawsuit against PepsiCo, as first reported in the Madison County Record. Ball alleges that he bought […]

Don’t Let Your Personal Injury Claim Slip and Fall This Winter

Winter slip and fall claims in Illinois could depend on whether the dangerous condition was naturally or unnaturally accumulated. December 30, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ — For the people of the Midwest, the change of seasons, from fall to winter, means the return of snow and outdoor activities such as snowshoeing, sledding and skiing. And, while snow […]

Asda pays compensation to worker injured in slip

03 Jan 2012 Asda has agreed to pay personal injury compensation to a former employee who was badly hurt in an accident in which she slipped on a spillage. Irene Heslop had worked at the store in Hulme for seven years when the accident occurred in March 2007. She had been going about her duties […]

Damages Are Taxable, Even for “Political Discrimination” Says IRS

If you sue for physical injuries like a slip and fall or car accident, your damages are tax-free (except for punitive damages and interest). The tax-free treatment applies even if you sought lost wages because you couldn’t work after your injuries. Before 1996, “personal” damages were tax-free, including emotional distress, defamation, etc. But since 1996, […]

Psychiatric Drugs Used for Dementia Patients in Nursing Homes Cause Undue Risk

Says Briskman Briskman & Greenberg CHICAGO, IL, Dec 30, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Families with a loved one in a nursing home that has dementia should be vigilant about their care. Government inspectors from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently found that dementia residents are often being prescribed strong psychiatric […]

Ill. restaurant settles sexual harassment lawsuit

The Associated Press CHICAGO — A company that owns a KFC and Taco Bell restaurant in Mendota has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit. In a news release Thursday, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says it filed a lawsuit that alleged a store manager harassed female employees for […]

Parents Sue After Teen Dies During Wisdom Tooth Surgery

By KATIE MOISSE | ABC News – Wed, Dec 14, 2011 The parents of a Maryland teen who died earlier this year during wisdom tooth surgery have sued the oral surgeon and the anesthetist for medical malpractice. Jenny Olenick, a 17-year-old junior at Marriotts Ridge High School in Woodstock, Md., died in April from complications […]

The dangers of concussion in the young

HOUSE CALL: The dangers of concussion in the young Dr. Hunt Batjer serves as chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago. Posted December 12, 2011 at 9:28 p.m. SAN ANGELO, Texas — Concussions shouldn’t be taken lightly, particularly in youngsters. Unlike adults, children and adolescents are […]

Prince Harry Car Crash Photographer Seeks Compensation

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 A photographer, who suffered serious personal injury after being run over by an unmarked police car, believed to be transporting Prince Harry, has launched a claim for car accident compensation. Fifty four year old Tony Margiocchi an ex-policeman and former soldier, was hit by a Ford Galaxy people carrier outside the […]