News from October 2015
Private at-will employees not shielded from termination for supporting unions, appeals panel says
Two men who supported an attempt to unionize an Illinois railroad company are not protected by the law from being fired for their support for organizing their coworkers, a state appeals panel has ruled.
Job applicant's class action says Sprint's employment credit report disclosures don't comply with federal law
A Chicago man believes Sprint violated federal law in disclosure forms it provided him before checking his credit when he was applying for a job. And since he believes the company has done the same with others, he has asked a judge to allow him to bring a class action against the telecommunications company.
Appeals panel upholds $12 million malpractice verdict for family of man who died while waiting 6 hours for emergency blood treatment
A state appeals panel has upheld a $12 million medical malpractice award to the family of a father of three children who died of a rare blood disease after a chain of misdiagnoses and other problems left him with failing organs, and a nurse who had been specially dispatched to provide a potentially lifesaving specialized emergency treatment took more than six hours to travel to the hospital where he died.
Son sues Blue Island, Alsip, alleging wrongful death in mother's passing
A Cook County man is suing Blue Island and Alsip, alleging malpractice and wrongful death in a dispute involving their emergency medical responders.
Cook County couple sues Rush University Hospital, alleging mapractice
A Cook County couple is suing a hospital and doctor, alleging malpractice.
Couple sues St. Alexius Medical Center, alleging malpractice in medical emergency
A Cook County couple is suing the wife’s health-care providers, alleging malpractice.
Son sues health care providers, alleging neglect caused father's death
A Cook County man is suing a nursing home and other health care providers, alleging neglect caused his father's death.
Ousted controversial College of DuPage president sues, says firing was result of political 'witch hunt' conspiracy
Robert Breuder, recently fired president of College of DuPage, whose final days on the job were marked by a storm of controversy, has sued four members of the college's board, alleging he was fired, not for performance reasons, but as a result of a conspiracy among board members and outside political groups to target him to further a contrived political agenda.
Son sues Chicago apartment owner after mother dies in fire
A Cook County man is suing the owner of a Chicago apartment building, alleging violation of safety laws led to a fatal fire.
Tenant class action: Presbyterian Homes broke law, leases, by threatening to evict elderly residents who held leases "for life"
Six women have brought a class action against Presbyterian Homes, alleging the company violated the terms of their leases, as well as Chicago and Illinois law, when the property management company announced its buildings had been sold to developers and threatened with eviction tenants who, until the announcement, believed the terms of their leases entitled them to a subsidized apartment “for life.”
Lawsuit tossed vs IL GOP over use of photo in satirical ad which mistakenly identified wrong man as incumbent lawmaker
The Illinois Republican Party and several related political action organizations were within the law to lift a photograph and satirize it for use in a political advertisement against a Democratic state legislator, despite not first securing the photographer’s permission, a federal judge ruled in tossing a legal action brought against the political organizations by the photographer and the unwitting subject of the photo at the heart of the controversy.
IL Supreme Court: Law caps liability for rental car companies, no matter if self-insured
Predicting a double standard would result if it allowed an appeals court’s decision to stand, the Illinois Supreme Court said a lower court erred in ordering a self-insured Chicago-area car rental business to pay the victim of a car crash $600,000 – far more than what would have been required under the law if the company had purchased an outside insurance policy.
Onetime Chicago police officer sues city, alleging wrongful termination
A retired Chicago police officer is suing the city, alleging wrongful termination.
Patient sues Northwestern CDH, two doctors, alleging surgical malpractice
A DuPage County woman is suing a hospital and two doctors, alleging malpractice related to bowel surgery.
Son sues Forest Park nursing home, alleging negligence in father's death
A Cook County man is suing a Forest Park nursing home, alleging wrongful death in the passing of his 83-year-old father.
Teamsters OK to proceed with action to force arbitration with Rush Medical Center for newly unionized patient care techs
A federal judge will allow a labor union representing patient care technicians at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago to continue its legal action to force Rush to the bargaining table, even as the hospital’s appeal of the unionization action itself remains pending before a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C.
Commodities trader alleges Fifth Third ignored signs that could have prevented firm employee's $1 million theft
An Indiana commodities trader is suing Fifth Third Bank in Cook County Circuit Court after losing more than $1 million in an employee theft scam. Ronald Manaster has alleged former employee Joseph Tagler stole more than $1 million from his company by “forging account paperwork adding himself as an authorized signer on Manaster’s Fifth Third checking account, and then forging and cashing checks and fraudulently initiating wire transfers from that checking account.”
Daughter blames Palos Heights nursing home for father's death
A Cook County woman is suing a nursing home, alleging wrongful death in a case involving her 85-year-old father.
Buyer sues vendor, auction company, alleging negligence caused injuries
A Cook County man is suing a vendor and an auction company, alleging negligence.
Patient sues two dentists, alleging faulty work
A Cook County woman is suing two dentists and a dental practice, alleging malpractice.