Dana Herra News
Photographer says big local Coldwell Banker brokerage wrongly shared photos with Zillow, others
A photographer has sued one of the state’s largest real estate groups, claiming at least two of its agents violated copyright law by sharing his photos for use by Zillow and other online real estate-related sites.
Judge sinks bid by cruise line to use Spokeo to thwart class action over telemarketing disguised as surveys
A cruise line and other companies being sued for allegedly cloaking telemarketing calls under the guise of nonprofit surveys lost an attempt to use the recent U.S. Supreme Court Spokeo ruling to defeat a class action against them.
Exotic dancers' wage lawsuit vs Pink Monkey club dismissed; included too little detail, judge says
A trio of former exotic dancers was foiled in an attempt to recover money they claim is owed to them by the South Loop club where they worked, after a federal judge dismissed the women’s wage lawsuit against the Pink Monkey.
Appeals panel says firefighter can press work comp claim for PTSD
The state’s workers’ compensation commission will need to take a second look at a Homewood firefighter’s claim for coverage for post-traumatic stress disorder, after a state appeals court ruled legal precedent exists to support his claim and the commission was too hasty to toss his claims.
Judge: IL State Police needed only offer other jobs to escape ADA suit brought by ex-trooper with diabetes
A former state trooper placed on restricted duty after a diabetic episode caused her to crash a squad car – and to whom the state offered three alternative positions - has failed in her bid to sue the Illinois State Police for discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
School nursing vendor claims CPS helped competitor poach nurses, but judge tosses lawsuit
A federal judge has agreed to dismiss a lawsuit brought against the Chicago Public Schools by a school nursing contractor who accused the city’s school district of helping a competitor poach their employees after CPS awarded a new contract for its special needs school nursing services. But the judge left the door open for the plaintiffs to rewrite their complaint and resume their lawsuit, if they could.
Wording of hotel tax rules doom most suburban collection suits vs Expedia, other online room renters
The village of Lombard is the only one of more than a dozen municipalities suing 13 online travel sites to come out a winner, after a federal judge ruled that the sites do not need to pay additional taxes to the other villages and cities.
Daimler lawsuit: IL board won't allow it to cut off dealership that admitted to hacking Daimler's system
Calling a state agency’s recent decision akin to “saying a criminal is innocent of burglary if he breaks into a house but does not succeed in stealing anything,” truck maker Daimler Trucks North America has asked a Cook County judge to determine the Illinois Motor Vehicle Review Board was wrong to determine Daimler was not justified in cutting off a dealership group which admitted to stealing information from Daimler to gain a competitive advantage over a rival Daimler dealer.
Theater group hooks insurer into growing legal actions over sinking of 'haunted barge' at Navy Pier
Another lawsuit has been added to the pile of legal actions already filed in the 2014 sinking of a “haunted barge” attraction at Navy Pier.
State agency wrong to yank doctor's license because he was suspended by Medicaid, panel says
A state appellate court upheld a lower court’s decision that a doctor’s inability to participate in Medicaid was not adequate grounds for a state licensing agency to suspend his license.
IL law doesn't require ComEd to grant net metering benefit to community solar projects, panel says
A state appellate court has rejected a claim by the Citizens Utility Board that ComEd should extend the special metering it allows customers who generate their own green energy to groups of people supporting community green energy projects.
Appeals court: Cook County has lawful power to regulate trash, recycling transfer stations
A state appellate court has ruled that Cook County has the authority to regulate solid waste and recycling facilities, upholding a summary judgment by the Cook County Circuit Court against the National Waste and Recycling Association.
Arabic-speaking man says didn't understand signed forms, but still can't sue Palos hospital
Palos Community Hospital’s clear and repeated notices that doctors are contractors, not employees, proved the undoing of a man’s medical malpractice suit, even though he claimed he could not read the notices.
Cruise line, timeshare seller who tacked pitches to phone surveys likely broke law, judge says
A federal judge has ruled a group of companies that used promises of free cruises to entice people to take telephone political surveys appeared to have broken federal law, clearing the way for a class action to continue against a cruise line and seller of vacation timeshares.
Hospital council asks court to stop IT vendor from wiping patient data when it goes out of business
A council of more than 30 Chicago-area hospitals has sued its IT provider over the tech firm’s plan to destroy patient data from its servers, saying the action would severely impair the council’s ability to operate a patient-data sharing exchange.
Class actions alleging DirecTV didn't pay its service techs overtime can proceed, judge says
DirecTV and its installation contractors will need to continue to defend itself against a pair of lawsuits brought in Chicago federal court by service technicians who claimed the satellite television provider owes them unpaid overtime.
Judge douses consumer fraud class action vs Mondelez over whether belVita biscuits need milk
A northwest suburban woman who claimed she was duped by the advertising slogan on a box of breakfast biscuits lost her attempt at filing a class-action lawsuit when a federal judge dismissed her claim.
Appeals panel upholds $22 million verdict to family of carpenter injured in McCormick Place crash
A state appellate panel has upheld a $22 million verdict awarded to a former carpenter who was seriously injured while constructing booths for a trade show at McCormick Place.
IL law doesn't entitle salespeople to commissions outside terms of their pay agreement, judge says
A judge has slammed the door on a pitched class action brought by a pair of salespeople who claimed Illinois wage laws entitled them to more money than they received from the medical equipment supplier that employed them because, they said, the company used both sales declines and increases to calculate their commissions.
Just beachy: Appellate panel says Winnetka couple not obligated to let neighbors use property to get to Lake Michigan
An appellate court panel has waded into a dispute between Winnetka neighbors, affirming a lower court’s ruling that a couple whose home borders the Lake Michigan shore has no legal obligation to allow neighbors to cross their property in order to access the beach.