News from May 2016
Attorney: Judge would put Chicago Public Schools' bankruptcy on 'short leash'
Should the historic budget cuts being planned by Chicago Public Schools not prevent it from going bust, the idea of bankruptcy looms as a possibility.
Cook County judge tosses 200 qui tam suits vs out-of-town liquor retailers over unpaid taxes
CHICAGO – Lawful taxation — and the avoidance of such — is at the heart of an action taken Monday by Cook County Circuit Judge James Snyder, who dismissed more than 200 third-party lawsuits filed to collect sales tax on liquor sold to residents of Illinois from retailers elsewhere.
Executor files wrongful death suit against Affordable Community Housing Trust-Epsilon
CHICAGO – An estate executor alleges that a health care facility failed to protect her decedent from falls.
Woman alleges she suffered injuries at Alden Wentworth Rehab & Health Care Center
CHICAGO – A woman alleges she failed to receive proper medical care at a Chicago health care facility.
Woman files suit against Silver Cross Hospital, staff over care
CHICAGO – A Park Forest woman alleges a hospital and medical staff provided improper medical care.
Class action vs legal directory Avvo to stay in Chicago federal court, after judge allows lead plaintiffs' swap
Faced with the possibility the class action lawsuit could be transferred to a court more than 2,000 miles away in the Pacific Northwest, the lawyers suing online attorney directory Avvo have swapped in a different Chicago attorney, who also is the son of a once-powerful Chicago alderman, to replace the original named plaintiff, whose history with Avvo could have triggered provisions in Avvo’s user agreement, which could have kicked the case to a federal court in Seattle.
7th Circuit: City's peddling rules may ban Cubs vendors, as well as magazine sellers, outside Wrigley
The publishers of a baseball magazine still haven’t connected in their fight for the right to sell their product on the sidewalk outside of Chicago’s Wrigley Field.But a federal appeals panel said arguments raised by Left Field Media did deliver a strike in questioning why even the Chicago Cubs organization itself should be allowed under the city’s rules to sell things on the sidewalks outside the Friendly Confines.
Widow blames motorist for husband's death
CHICAGO — An Illinois woman is suing a Chicago motorist, alleging her negligence caused the defendant to run over the plaintiff's husband.
Customer blames Elmhurst bar for assault
CHICAGO — A customer is suing an Elmhurst bar, alleging its negligence allowed him to be assaulted by another patron.
Family blames Chicago nursing care facility for patient's death
CHICAGO — An estate representative is suing a Chicago nursing care facility, alleging negligence led to a patient's death.
Social service agencies' motion: State must pay now, or risk statewide 'public emergency'
Three weeks since filing suit to ask a Cook County judge to order Illinois’ state government to pay their organizations what they believe they are owed, a coalition that has now grown to more than 80 Illinois social service agencies have decided the situation has now become a “public emergency across the state” requiring emergency action from the courts to order Springfield to cough up the money to allow the agencies to continue functioning.
City of Chicago: Huge lead water pipes class action can't prove injuries, impinges city sovereignty
Saying the Chicago city residents who brought the legal action can’t prove they were injured by lead in their water and arguing the lawsuit comes directly against the city’s rights under the law to set its own governmental policy, Chicago city attorneys have asked the court to toss a class action demanding the court order the city to replace lead water pipes leading to homes throughout the city and pay for medical monitoring for a large number of Chicagoans who may have been exposed to lead.
IL Supreme Court to tackle hospital property taxes, rights of protesters in Grant Park
The Illinois Supreme Court will weigh in on the question of whether Illinois law can constitutionally exempt hospitals from paying property taxes, and whether the city of Chicago can use curfew laws to keep protesters out of Grant Park over night.
Patient accuses Northshore University Healthsystem of negligence
CHICAGO — An Illinois patient is suing a Skokie health care system, alleging negligence caused her to suffer injuries.
Daughter blames medical provider for mother's death
CHICAGO — An estate administrator is suing a group of health care providers, alleging their negligence caused the death of her mother.
Motorist blames another driver for causing fatal crash
CHICAGO — A motorist is suing another driver, alleging the defendant's negligence caused a crash that ultimately killed the plaintiff's wife.
Mother blames medical group for baby's health troubles
CHICAGO — A mother is suing an Evanston hospital and other health care providers, alleging negligence caused her newborn baby to sustain injuries.
Lawsuit says Ticket Reserve execs misled investors into paying in for cut of anticipated ticket business
A Texas-based investment group has sued the executives in charge of Ticket Reserve Inc., a Wheeling-based company helping organizers of sporting events and other live performances create online markets for anticipated ticket sales, saying the managers deceived them and other investors into sinking money into the debt-plagued venture, on the mistaken belief the company was on firmer financial footing than it actually was.
ESPN: Stephen A. Smith's rant on Jackie Robinson West protected from lawsuit by 1st Amendment, IL law
Cable TV sports network ESPN and the network’s prominent on-air pundit Stephen A. Smith have responded to a lawsuit brought by the parents of players of controversy-plagued Chicago Little League baseball team, Jackie Robinson West, asking a Cook County judge to dismiss the litigation because the parents’ lawsuit does little more than attempt to punish ESPN and Smith for reporting news and expressing opinion on prominent events, simply because the parents found the news and Smith’s opinion “upset
Cook County Home Rule Tax Ordinance reform aimed at simplifying certain tax payments
CHICAGO – The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a package of Home Rule Tax Ordinance reforms on earlier this month that the board said is aimed at providing individuals and businesses with a simplified process while improving the efficiency of the Cook County Department of Revenue.