News from March 2016
Couple allege misdiagnosis led to abortion
CHICAGO — A couple's suit against a doctor, a hospital and a medical practice alleges that a pregnancy aborted on grounds that it was ectopic was found to be consistent with an intrauterine pregnancy.
Man sues over alleged beating by club security
CHICAGO — A man is suing a Chicago nightclub over allegations including battery and negligence, claiming he was beaten by the venue's security agents after being ejected in the early hours of Jan. 26, 2014.
Appeals panel: IL pollution board wrong to uphold permits for Metro Water District sewage plants without stricter phosphorus limit
Environmental action groups have secured a legal victory in their efforts to force the region’s largest treater of wastewater to limit the amount of phosphorus – a fertilizing chemical that can cause destructive algae blooms in rivers and streams – put into local streams by its sewage treatment plants, as an Illinois appellate panel said state regulatory bodies were wrong to grant permits for three of the region’s largest treatment plants without more stringent phosphorus limits in place.
HSBC to pay $470 million for mortgage abuses, but not enough, says foreclosure defense law association
A leading foreclosure defense attorney said a recent regulatory settlement with mortgage lender HSBC is only a slap on the wrist.
Restaurant patron sues over injuries
CHICAGO — A woman is suing a restaurant/brewery, claiming she was injured in a fall on a wet floor.
Water Reclamation District board candidate illegally placed robocalls to cell phones, lawsuit says
The political campaign for a candidate seeking a seat on the board of commissioners overseeing sewage treatment and stormwater management in Chicago and most of Cook County has been hit with a class action lawsuit, alleging the campaign violated federal law when it placed pre-recorded robocalls to cell phones.
Electrical work leads to lead-exposure lawsuit
CHICAGO — An employee of an electrical contractor and the employee's wife are suing a utility and others, claiming the electrical worker suffered from lead poisoning as a result of the defendants' negligence.
Man sues nursing home in claim of wrongful death
CHICAGO — The independent administrator of a deceased woman's estate has sued a nursing home, alleging negligence that contributed to a wrongful death.
Chicago State must pay millions to whistleblower jury found was fired for releasing documents that cost president pension money
Chicago State University will need to pay a whistleblower more than $3.3 million in damages after a state appellate panel said the jury didn’t err in finding the whistleblower was fired for refusing to bottle up public documents that may have cost the incoming president of the public university on Chicago’s South Side the chance to draw a pension along with his salary.
Catholic Charities lawsuit: Chicago OK'd marijuana dispensary too near shelter with child care service
Catholic Charities has asked a Cook County judge to overrule the Chicago Zoning Board’s permission for a medical marijuana dispensary to open near a Lakeview shelter for women and children it operates, saying the Zoning Board improperly overlooked the shelter’s unlicensed child care service when determining there were no day care centers or schools within 1,000 feet of the planned dispensary site.
Symphony Countryside LLC accused of negligence
CHICAGO – An Aurora nursing facility is being sued over allegations of negligence.
Democrats fail to override Rauner MAP grants veto; Compromise effort may be next
SPRINGFIELD — Democrats on Wednesday came up two votes shy of overriding Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill to authorize $721 million to fund tuition grants and community colleges.
Cook County judge tosses lawsuit brought by Pfleger, other activists vs suburbs over gun shop regulation
A Cook County judge has abruptly ended an attempt by a coalition of Chicago community activists, including Fr. Michael Pfleger and others, to use an Illinois civil rights law to force suburban communities to more stringently regulate gun shops operating within their borders, who the activists say are responsible for a disproportionate share of the firearms used by criminals and gangbangers to terrorize Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods.
Truck driver sues firm over lime waste accident
CHICAGO — A truck driver who worked in waste hauling is suing an energy firm, claiming lime waste overflowed his truck and landed on him, causing severe and permanent injuries.
Lender holds accounting firm responsible for loss
CHICAGO — A Cook County capital funding company is suing a Montana accounting firm for more than $5 million, claiming the defendant provided false information about the net worth of a borrower who defaulted on a loan from the Illinois company.
School board sued over alleged evidence destruction
CHICAGO — The administrator of a deceased man's estate is suing the Board of Education of the City of Chicago, citing alleged destruction of evidence.
Costco customer sues company over fall
CHICAGO — A woman is suing over a fall in a retail store that she claims caused "a severe shock to her nervous system" and permanent injuries.
IL ballot access rule requiring new parties to field full slate of candidates struck down as unconstitutional
A Chicago federal judge has sided with a suit brought by the Illinois Libertarian Party against the Illinois State Board of Elections, ruling state election law offends the U.S. Constitution by requiring a new party to list a full slate of candidates on nominating petitions in order to get on the ballot the first time.
Chicago pet shop owners say Puppy Mill Project prez wrongly smeared them as supporters of 'animal cruelty'
The owners of two Chicago pet stores who recently failed to overturn a city ordinance prohibiting the sale of pets obtained from so-called “puppy mills” have set their sights on a non-profit organization that helped spearhead passage of that ordinance, saying the president of the Chicago-based Puppy Mill Project hurt their businesses by spreading falsehoods and smearing their names by associating them with animal cruelty.
Homeowner sues interior design firm
CHICAGO — A Cook County man has sued an interior design company over an alleged breach of contract.