News from May 2016
Federal judge tosses privacy claim against LifeWatch fraud whistleblower
Noting that whistleblower laws exist specifically to protect whistleblowers from legal actions in retaliation for blowing the whistle on wrongdoing, a federal judge has tossed a lawsuit brought by heart monitoring company, Lifewatch, against one of its former employees, who the company attempted to argue broke federal privacy laws when he handed over documents containing patient information to the federal government to support his accusations that LifeWatch had defrauded Medicare.
Visitor blames Berwyn hospital for injuries
CHICAGO — A Chicago woman is suing a Berwyn hospital, alleging insufficient measures were taken to prevent injuries.
Railroad worker says Metra's negligence led to injuries
CHICAGO — An employee is suing a Metra, alleging the railroad's negligence led to him suffering injuries.
Family accuses health care provider of medical malpractice
CHICAGO — An estate administrator is suing a Harvey hospital, alleging negligence and medical malpractice caused a relative's death.
Metro Water Reclamation District: Working to filter phosphorus from water, despite lawsuits
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the organization responsible for treating much of the Chicago area's sewage, says it is working to reduce the phosphorus content of the treated water it releases back into local rivers and streams, in advance of decisions from judges hearing litigation brought by environmental groups who have alleged the district should be held liable for "unnatural" plant and algae growth in area waterways, fueled primarily by phosphorus.
Groupon says IBM stole tech to craft GPS-based targeted sales pitches to shoppers
Groupon has delivered a lawsuit against IBM, demanding the tech titan pay it untold millions for allegedly taking elements of location-based shopping technology Groupon developed for use in its own programs which it sells to retailers to use GPS to target offers and promotions at certain customers.
Shutterfly settles Illinois privacy class action over facial recognition tech
Shutterfly has settled a class action suit alleging the online photo sharing site violated Illinois privacy laws by creating a system permitting photos to be stored and searched using facial recognition technology. The amount of the settlement has not been disclosed.
Consumer alleges Quaker Oats misrepresents oatmeal items
CHICAGO — A Dolton consumer is suing Quaker Oats, alleging negligent misrepresentation of its oatmeal cereals.
Patient accuses Mercy Hosptial of negligent knee surgery
CHICAGO — A patient is suing Chicago health providers, alleging negligence in failing to properly assess the plaintiff's condition.
California federal judge: Facebook can face privacy class actions under Illinois biometrics law
A federal judge has ruled that even though a putative class-action suit against Facebook – which alleges the company lifted users’ biometric information without permission – was moved from Illinois federal court to California federal jurisdiction, Illinois law regarding privacy will apply in the case.
Teacher accuses Chicago charter school of sexual harassment
CHICAGO — A teacher is suing a Chicago charter school, alleging the school ignored her complaints of sexual harassment.
Daughter blames medical facility for mother's death
CHICAGO — A daughter is suing a Blue Island medical facility, alleging insufficient measures were taken to prevent her mother's injuries and death.
Cook County man accuses Japanese company of fraud
CHICAGO — An Cook County man is suing a Japanese company, alleging he is owed more than $200,000.
Illinois Public Access Bureau resolved majority of public records access disputes in 2015
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office resolved more than 3,330 requests from the public last year, for assistance in obtaining public records and meeting information under FOIA and the Open Meetings Act.
Big banks not on the hook for failing to stop $14 million embezzlement by doctors' bookkeeper
Three big banks will not be on the hook for millions allegedly embezzled by the former bookkeeper for a group of Chicago area medical practices, after a federal judge agreed the banks had no duty to detect and thwart the fraud, which the doctors said cost them more than $14 million.
Guardian accuses Jackson Square Skilled Nursing and Living Center of negligence
CHICAGO – A guardian alleges the negligence of a Chicago care facility cased injuries to a disabled man.
Nursing home administrator files defamation suit against Mount Prospect physician
CHICAGO – A nursing home administrator is suing a physician alleging damages to his reputation.
American Homeowner Preservation seeks to keep software license
CHICAGO – A Chicago company that offers foreclosure solutions is seeking the court's help to keep the license for an accounting software program it uses.
Man alleges he was injured when removed from Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
CHICAGO – An individual alleges that a medical health provider's employees used excessive force in attempting to remove him from the facility.
Mother blames medical providers for newborn's injuries
CHICAGO — A mother is suing an Arlington Heights hospital and health care providers, alleging insufficient measures were taken to secure the well-being of her newborn son.