News from February 2017
New whistleblower suit signals arrival of litigation under new federal food safety rules
Less than a year after federal regulators established new rules under the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), a whistleblower suit has been filed by an employee of Mead Johnson Nutrition Company, potentially signaling more attention for that company and others under the FSMA.
Church wins OK to continue to jury with claims Burbank discriminated by denying permit for sanctuary
A church will be allowed to press its claim that a southwest suburban Cook County government owes it some money for allegedly discriminating against the congregation and torpedoing the church’s deal in place to buy land for a new sanctuary.
Judge: Comcast 'refusal to deal' on local TV ad sales not 'anticompetitive'; Viamedia to continue suit
Comcast has not violated federal anti-monopoly law by refusing to allow the competitor of one of its subsidiary companies to act as a middleman on the sale of local cable advertising, a federal judge has ruled.
Man claims doctor, Presence St. Mary's Hospital didn't do enough to save his daughter's life
A man is suing Presence St. Mary's Hospital and a doctor, saying the health care providers didn't do enough to prevent a woman from suffering cardiac arrest.
Man says TC Pub manager assaulted him, threatened him at gunpoint
A man is suing the owners of two Chicago bars, saying they should be held responsible after a manager at one of the bars allegedly attacked him, confined him in a car and threatened him at gunpoint for undisclosed reasons.
Patient sues Rush University Medical Center for prescribing drug that reduced his eyesight
A patient is suing Rush University Medical Center and a doctor, saying they should pay for prescribing him a drug he blames for his diminished eyesight.
Son claims Symphony of Bronzeville failed to prevent father's intestinal bleeding, choking
A man's son is suing a nursing facility, saying personnel there didn't do enough to prevent his father from suffering several maladies, including pressure ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding and resultant choking.
Construction worker alleges property owner failed to remove accumulated ice
A construction worker is suing a property owner, saying the owner didn't do enough to either remove or warn about ice on the ground, leading the worker to allegedly suffer injuries when he allegedly slipped and fell on the ice.
Couple alleges doctor, Mercy Health System, Advocate failed to properly diagnose wife's cancer
A husband and wife are suing Mercy Health, Advocate Health and a doctor, alleging they were negligent in a late diagnosis of cancer.
Supreme Court delay leaves employers in the dark regarding class action waivers
The United States Supreme Court's decision to delay its review of the legality of mandatory class action waivers will mean more uncertainty for employers in the near future.
New platform allows litigants to raise money for legal costs through crowdfunding
NEW YORK – A legal battle over voting rights pending before the Seventh Circuit Appeals Court in Chicago has turned to a new crowdfunding-based model to pay for its upcoming court battles.
Judge: Feds can keep lock on online credit report biz over Craigslist rental ads fraud charges
A federal judge in Chicago has decided to allow federal regulators to continue to lock down an online company accused of working with others who listed fake rental properties on Craigslist to dupe customers into signing up for a credit monitoring service.
IL Supreme Court: Worker can't collect from U.P. for injuries under federal law unless railroad at fault
The Illinois Supreme Court has derailed a Downstate appellate ruling, saying a railroad employee, who sued his employer under a federal liability law for injuries suffered in an accident, cannot collect damages from the railroad if a third party was completely at fault.
Lemonis responds to lawsuit over Bow Truss, accuses Tadros in countersuit of withholding key info
Less than three weeks after being targeted in a $26 million lawsuit over a soured acquisition, celebrity investor Marcus Lemonis has countersued his erstwhile business partner, Chicago businessman and the founder of Bow Truss Coffee, Phil Tadros.
Illinois now ringed by right-to-work states after Missouri joins trend
This month, Illinois found itself surrounded by right-to-work (RTW) states when Missouri's new Republican governor completed the encirclement by signing into law legislation that riled the state’s unions.
IL DCFS misled teacher seeking to defend herself against state abuse findings, state high court says
The Illinois Supreme Court has upheld a Lake County judge's decision to clear the name of a local school teacher accused of abusing her own child, saying the lower court judge was correct to allow her to have her day in court to challenge a state agency's finding against her.
Judge: Man can sue McDonald's for not allowing legally blind to order late night food at drive-thru on foot
A blind man has been cleared to pull forward with a class action vs McDonald’s, alleging the world’s leading purveyor of fast food discriminates against those with visual disabilities and others who cannot drive by leaving only their drive-thru lanes open for service late at night, and declining to serve anyone who is not in a car.
Judge: Class action OK vs Stericycle over medical waste disposal billing fraud accusations
A federal judge has cleared the way for a nationwide class action to proceed against Stericycle over allegations the Lake Forest-based regulated waste disposal giant for years used an automatic price-increasing scheme to defraud customers out of hundreds of millions of dollars.
New Trier H.S. board clears school to 'proceed' with racism seminar; 700+ pack meeting
After an at-times raucous meeting that stretched well into the night before a crowd hundreds of parents, students, teachers, community members and others, the New Trier High School Board of Education has endorsed the high school administration’s plans to proceed with an all-day student seminar on civil rights criticized by many as political indoctrination.
IL Sup. Ct.: City must give proper notice to collect fines; appearance by non-lawyer 'immaterial'
Illinois’ highest state court has sidestepped delivering a definitive answer to the question of whether non-lawyers can represent corporations in administrative law proceedings. But justices of the Illinois Supreme Court have let stand an appellate court’s finding that the city of Chicago can’t sidestep the need to properly send ordinance violation notices by citing the appearance at an administrative hearing by just anyone purportedly on behalf of a company the city may be seeking to fine.