News from March 2016
Psychiatrists' class action says Advocate wrongly withheld refunds of FICA taxes doctors paid while residents
A group of former psychiatric medical residents who worked at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital have brought a potential class action lawsuit against the hospital and the operator of Illinois’ largest health system, contending Advocate has wrongly withheld federal tax refunds they were due from their time working at Lutheran General in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Deadly accident at concert at the Aragon Ballroom leads to lawsuit
CHICAGO — The independent administrator of the estate of her son is suing event organizers, alleging wrongful death in a fall that killed her son at Aragon Ballroom.
Woman blames nursing home for resident's fall, edema, pressure ulcers
CHICAGO — The independent administrator of a deceased man's estate is suing a nursing home, alleging neglect in the resident's care.
Couple's suit says doctor failed to properly address cancer signs
CHICAGO — A couple's lawsuit against a doctor and other health-care providers alleges that a case of prostate cancer went undiagnosed and untreated for at least 14 months because the physician failed to take proper action in response to excessively elevated PSA levels.
Harold Ramis' attorney sues Ramis' widow, saying she cut him off from his slice of Ramis' earnings
The longtime attorney of Hollywood luminary Harold Ramis, renowned for onscreen and off-screen roles in producing, directing, writing and acting in such classic films as Ghostbusters, Animal House, Caddyshack, Groundhog Day and much more, has sued Ramis’ widow, claiming that, since Ramis’ death, she has wrongly cut him off from a continuing stream of income he is owed for his work in helping build Ramis’ film businesses.
Employees working through lunch? Could cost employers in unforeseen ways, recent decision says
Employers need to become more conscious of whether their employees are working through break periods, as allowing them to do so could carry legal consequences, according to a labor law attorney, citing a recent decision by a federal judge to let stand a former IDOC employee's lawsuit asserting he racked up enough hours working through his lunch period to qualify for FMLA leave.
Senate Democrats OK $3.9 spending bill; Republicans: Without the cash, it’s a sham
SPRINGFIELD — Senate Democrats on Thursday passed a bill to OK nearly $4 billion in state spending while their GOP colleagues called the effort a hoax on the public and even on the institutions the money is intended to benefit.
Natural gas prices are low, but consumers could save more if companies could better educate consumers: NEMA president
While current natural gas prices often favor the consumer, natural gas companies also often face challenges when advertising to residential consumers. And the savings may not always make it to the consumer.
Chicago police union asks judge to put hold on administrative interrogations of officers over Laquan McDonald killing
The union representing Chicago’s rank-and-file police officers has asked a judge to intervene in the city’s administrative investigation into the events surrounding the killing of Laquan McDonald by Chicago Police, saying the city’s Inspector General’s refusal to put off administrative interrogations of the officers over the death has violated the collective bargaining agreement by not preserving the officers’ rights against self-incrimination.
Woman claims negligence during childbirth
CHICAGO — A Riverdale woman has sued a doctor and hospital, claiming negligence during childbirth.
Man claims lab destroyed frozen sperm
CHICAGO — A man claims he has lost the ability to conceive his own biological children because a medical laboratory wrongly destroyed his frozen sperm.
Nursing home faces wrongful death allegation
CHICAGO — The special administrator of a deceased woman's estate is alleging wrongful death in a lawsuit against a nursing home.
Class action says Student Transportation of America underpaid suburban Chicago school bus drivers
A group of school bus drivers has delivered a potential class action lawsuit to another school bus company, claiming the provider of transportation services to school students in Chicago’s suburbs has stiffed them on wages and overtime, by allegedly paying them only for the time they were on their routes, and not for the 15-45 minutes of work they claim they did each day before and after.
Family of NFL player Paul Oliver sue Riddell, blame equipment maker for Oliver's suicide linked to CTE
The family of former National Football League player Paul Oliver, who committed suicide in front of his wife and two young sons, has sued the company that made the helmets used by NFL players and other football players at many levels of the game, blaming the manufacturer for conspiring with the NFL and others to cover up its knowledge of the ineffectiveness of its helmets at preventing the kind of brain injuries the family said ultimately led to Oliver's mental illness.
Couple's suit claims negligence led to brain injury
CHICAGO — A couple's lawsuit against a doctor and hospital allege that negligence and violation of the standard of care led a man to suffer a severe brain injury.
Woman sues nursing home over injury, pressure ulcers
CHICAGO — A woman is suing a nursing home, alleging the facility violated the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act by failing to exercise due care and proper treatment and supervision.
Man's death cited in suit against nursing homes
CHICAGO — The independent administrator of a deceased man's estate has sued two nursing homes in a lawsuit alleging wrongful death.
Appeals panel puts debt collector back on hook for class action over potentially illegal lawsuits
A man who claimed someone had fraudulently run up more than $2,500 in debt on a credit card opened in his name without his knowledge has secured another chance to press a lawsuit against a suburban debt collection agency, after a state appeals panel found the agency may have broken federal debt collection laws by suing the man over the contested debt after the statute of limitations had expired.
Cook County voters select candidates for 11 circuit judge vacancies, 16 judicial subcircuit bench posts
Cook County voters began the process of electing permanent replacements for 11 departed circuit judges and 16 judges assigned to 10 of Cook County’s judicial subcircuits, casting ballots in the county’s primary election on Tuesday, March 15.
Arena Football One accuses Assurance Agency of breach of contract
CHICAGO – A Louisiana company with an office in Cook County is suing a Schaumburg business seeking a refund.