News from March 2022
Judge: Waukegan teacher voluntarily joined union, can't claim union misled her, violated constitutional rights
A Waukegan high school English teacher said she believed she had been misled into joining the local teachers union. The union refunded her dues, plus $500, when she resigned and filed suit.
Appeals panel restarts class action vs Chicago over bogus Central Business District parking tickets
The lawsuit has accused the city of Chicago of wrongly issuing at least 30,000 parking tickets with enhanced penalties for illegally parking in the city's downtown Central Business District, when they weren't parked in the District
More transparency needed for criminal courts judges in Illinois
The time has come for the general public to easily access information about court cases online, so judges can be adequately evaluated by voters and held accountable for their actions, says Matt Rosenberg, of Wirepoints.
Class action against McDonald's claims PFAS chemicals in packaging migrate into food
McDonald's is facing a multi-state consumer class action lawsuit over its use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances in packaging because of alleged migration of those chemicals into food products.
Rosa Tumialán Joins Tressler's Insurance Practice Group
Rosa Tumialán Joins Tressler's Insurance Practice Group.
Appeals panel agrees auto insurers not forced by law to cover tax and title fees when replacing totaled cars
Policyholders must formally request reimbursement, otherwise insurers may just cover cash value of new car
Barack Ferrazzano Welcomes New Associates
Barack Ferrazzano Welcomes New Associates.
Appeals panel: Underground vault could mean Lyric, opera house owners must pay for woman's sidewalk trip-and-fall
Three state appellate justices have ruled a city permit allowing the Lyric Opera to use a storage vault under a sidewalk adjoining the Civic Opera House allows City Hall to pursue the Lyric and owners of the opera house for coverage in a lawsuit brought by a woman who tripped on that city sidewalk
IL High Court says county clerks are administrators, not judges, when it comes to checking the legality of proposed referendums
The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled in a McHenry County case that a county clerk has no right to look beyond the face of a proposed referendum question, in deciding whether to put the matter on the ballot, saying such an examination is the job of a judge, not an administrator.
The Role of Public Adjusters In Property Insurance Claims on March 30, 2022
The Role of Public Adjusters In Property Insurance Claims on March 30, 2022.
Equity firm GTCR, formerly headed by Rauner, says it never owned, operated Sterigenics, should exit EtO suits
Lawsuits accusing Sterigenics' emissions of causing cancer have long included GTCR as a co-defendant, which enabled current Gov. JB Pritzker to blame former Gov. Bruce Rauner in the 2018 campaign. GTCR says it only advised other investors associated with Sterigenics' parent
Judge: No IL biometrics class action vs American Airlines over customer 'voiceprints'
A federal judge says customers can't use Illinois' biometrics privacy law to sue American Airlines for creating identifiable "voiceprints" for customers calling its customer service hotline, because a federal law prohibits states from imposing new regulations on airlines
Independent Sponsors of Chicago Networking Breakfast on March 30, 2022
Independent Sponsors of Chicago Networking Breakfast on March 30, 2022.
Appeals panel says arbitrator will decide if minor can sign contract, lead IL biometrics class action vs Snapchat
Snapchat facing class action over user face scans led by a minor, whose lawyers are trying to keep the dispute in court, and out of arbitration
Judge says online college test proctor Respondus can't ditch IL biometrics class actions over student facial scans
A federal judge said the Student Terms Respondus required students to agree to before they took online tests doesn't substitute for written consent, and doesn't mean Respondus can force students to try to sue under Washington state law, rather than Illinois' stringent biometrics privacy law
Antitrust class actions mount accusing Deere of forcing farmers to pay Deere millions to fix tractors
Five class actions now accuse Moline-based John Deere Co. of violating federal law by installing onboard computers on their tractors that control its functions, while denying farmers and independent repair shops access to the software and tools they need to repair and maintain their farm equipment
Attorney General Raoul: Cook County Woman Charged Over Alleged Forgery and Theft of Governmental Property
Attorney General Raoul: Cook County Woman Charged Over Alleged Forgery and Theft of Governmental Property.
Truck drivers' class action accuses Universal Intermodal of refusing to return ex-drivers' escrow funds
The class action lawsuit filed in Chicago federal court alleges Universal Intermodal Services didn't return hundreds of dollars to drivers within 45 days of the end of their employment
Illinois Supreme Court: Election laws don't forbid elected officials from using campaign funds to pay criminal defense bills
Former Chicago Ald. Daniel Solis' cooperation with feds makes it OK for him to spend campaign cash on legal defense of corruption investigation, the state high court says
Fed hiring monitor asks court to order Pritzker administration give details about IDPH lab tech hires
Hiring monitors, including an Illinois state inspector general and a federal court appointed special master, say the state has refused to divulge more information concerning how a number of unqualified people, including relatives of state workers who held no college degrees and worked at places like ice cream shops and laser tag arenas, were hired as “lab techs” by the Illinois Department of Public Health in 2020