News published on Cook County Record in January 2017

An attempt by sportscaster Erin Andrews to sue a Chicago-based company that managed an online reservation system for a Columbus, Ohio, hotel in which a stalker illegally recorded her from a neighboring room, appears to have ended.

A Cook County judge has ordered a Chicago dentist to pay an ex-employee, who is a Muslim woman, and her attorneys a combined sum of nearly $30,000 in fines, fees and damages, after the judge found the Chicago Council on Human Relations was correct to find the dentist had improperly ordered her to remove her hijab head covering while at work.

Changes to Illinois’ Personal Information Protection Act went into effect at the beginning of this year, adding new protections for Illinois residents, and more clearly defining what actions could trigger public notification following a data breach. The changes, enacted when Gov. Bruce Rauner signed HB 1260 in May, expand the definition of “personal information” to include usernames and email address when they are combined with information that would allow access to an individual’s online account.

The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned an appellate ruling, saying a onetime Peoria-area police officer lost his right to union grievance procedures in a misconduct matter when he first submitted to a police board hearing, which resulted in the termination of his employment. 

John J. Stamos, a former Illinois Supreme Court justice and Cook County State’s Attorney who authored the state high court’s landmark decision affirming attorneys are required to report misconduct by other lawyers, has died, the Illinois Supreme Court announced Monday.

A Calumet City alderman and state lawmaker at odds with Calumet's mayor has sued the city over a Freedom of Information Act disputes, involving, in part, his demand to see the mayor's phone records and text messages.

After filing a class action lawsuit against online personal information provider Spokeo, the legal team behind that lawsuit has brought at least three other class actions against similar online operators, claiming their web search advertising practices also have violated an Illinois privacy law by using a web search advertising trick to use people’s names to market their online people search products.

A Chicago federal judge has cleared the way for Holly Geraci, the wife of prominent Chicago bankruptcy lawyer Peter Francis Geraci, to proceed with her lawsuit against the association that manages the condo building in which she lives, saying Geraci has presented a strong enough case so far to be allowed to press ahead on her claims the condo association unleashed a plot to terrorize her by forcing her to potentially share the condo building’s elevators with dogs, despite her contentions the dogs triggered her diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from a dog attack years earlier.

A Chicago federal judge will allow the Securities and Exchange Commission to continue the bulk of its legal action against the former president and CEO of Navistar for allegedly misleading investors and the federal government by lying about Navistar’s development of a new diesel engine that met heightened emissions standards. 

A class action lawsuit alleging Donald Trump’s presidential campaign texted people without their permission has been dismissed, court documents show. And the plaintiff in the case has told The Cook County Record the case was setttled. 

While wage-and-hour litigation, and related regulatory actions were on the rise in 2016, the monetary value of top employment-related class action settlements were on the decline last year, among other trends identified in the latest Workplace Class Action Litigation Report issued by the Seyfarth Shaw firm.

A woman is suing Belcher Law Offices, as well as Aleksy Belcher, Matthew J. Belcher and Bryant M. Greening, alleging legal malpractice.

 At a meeting today of Chicago area business owners and leaders, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue said the country needs to "restart the growth engine" with capital and other financial products and services that businesses and consumers need.

CHICAGO — A professional soccer player is suing Grand Sports Arena LLC, d/b/a Chicago Mustangs Pro; MASL Soccer LLC, d/b/a Major Arena Soccer League and/or MASL Soccer Pro; and Mustangs president/CEO/head coach Armando Gamboa, with allegations against the various parties including failure to pay wages, retaliation and breach of contract.

A mother is suing The University of Chicago Medical Center, formerly known as The University of Chicago Hospitals, alleging negligence in the care of her infant son.

A patient is suing Chicago Center for Facial Plastic Surgery, SC, and Steven H. Dayan, M.D., alleging breach of contract.

A man is suing V&A Drywall Inc. and RAO Construction LLC, alleging they didn't do enough to prevent him from falling from a ladder while on the job.

A man is suing Letts Investment Realty Inc., J&A Investments LLC, and entities affiliated with each corporation, alleging he was injured when a ceiling tile fell on his head.

A representative of a deceased man's estate has filed a wrongful death claim against Lexington Health Care Center of La Grange and two nurses, alleging negligence in nursing home care.

A Chicago woman is suing an Oak Lawn resident, identified as Candace Clark, alleging financial exploitation of an elderly person, fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of Illinois Real Estate License Act.