Illinois Lawyer Blog

Flight Attendants Secure $1 Million Plus Dollar Verdict for Formaldehyde-tainted uniforms.

In September of 2016, American Airlines came up with yet another uniform change for its flight attendants. Tracey Silver-Charan had been working for American as a flight attendant for 35 plus years and had seen uniform modifications come and go many times over the years. She dutifully got the new uniform and started wearing it, and didn’t give it another… Read More
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A routine motion and the heartbreak beneath.

Judge Thomas Durkin ruled on a routine pleadings motion in Federal Court in Chicago this week. A defendant was moving to dismiss a complaint, asserting the injured party failed to include the necessary allegations to go forward with a complaint. Sometimes however, even dry rulings on routine pleadings motions cannot obscure the heartbreak beneath. On September… Read More
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Young workers dying from incurable disease associated with stone countertops

The Los Angeles Times had a disturbing article by Emily Alpert Reyes last week regarding the deadly illness popping up among workers involved in the cutting of manufactured stone for use in kitchen countertops. The illness – silicosis – is an incurable and suffocating disease that is killing workers across California – many of them quite youn… Read More
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Categories: CASES IN THE NEWS

Beware the Arbitration Agreement

I remember the excitement that comes with getting the offer letter on that job you really wanted. You can leave that dead-end job you are in, start making some real money and start enjoying life again. Yeah, the Employment Agreement includes an Arbitration Clause. And it’s kinda weird but the Arbitration Clause says the case has to be arbitrated on the o… Read More
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Categories: EMPLOYMENT LAW, MY CASES

Illinois First Appellate District Finds Prejudgment Interest Act Constitutional

On June 9, 2023, the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, ruled that the Illinois Prejudgment Interest Act [“the Act”] was constitutional. The constitutionality of the Act was addressed in Cotton v. Coccaro, an appeal of $6.5 million dollar verdict against various defendants in a medical malpractice case. After the verdict the trial court d… Read More
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Categories: Blog

Illinois Nursing Home Arbitration Clause Shot Down

The Illinois Appellate Court recently handed down an important opinion that will have important ramifications in nursing home litigation. In Parker v. Symphony of Evanston, Cheryl Parker as the independent administrator of the Estate of Mae Jefferson, filed suit against Symphony Evanston Healthcare(“Symphony”) alleging that Symphony had been neglig… Read More
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Categories: Blog

Supreme Court lets $2.2 billion dollar ovarian cancer verdict stand against Johnson & Johnson

This important ruling got kind of lost in the news cycle. A couple weeks ago, the United States Supreme Court refused to vacate a $2.2 billion dollar ovarian cancer verdict against Johnson & Johnson[“J & J”]. The verdict was originally returned by a Missouri jury in 2018 on behalf of 22 women. The original verdict was actually $4.7 billion… Read More
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Recent Appellate Decision provides roadmap for dog bite cases.

The Illinois Second District Appellate court recently handed down an opinion that provides a pretty concise roadmap of the proof one needs when litigating a dog bite case. In Dziewra v. Ori, Jamie Dzierwa sued several people after she was bitten by Fiona – a 105 pound Cane Corso[a Cane Corso(not Fiona) is pictured above]. The drama started on July 25, 20… Read More
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Categories: CASES IN THE NEWS

McDonald's accused of pushing Black Franchise owners to bad locations

According to a recent Forbes article, McDonald’s Corporation is being sued for $1 billion dollars by dozens of former Black franchise owners who claim they were pushed to “substandard locations” that resulted in decreased revenue but increased insurance costs. The 52 former owners, who filed the lawsuit in federal court in Chicago, alleged th… Read More
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Categories: CASES IN THE NEWS

A true crime podcast worth a listen.

The news on the coronavirus is unsettling and things may get worse, leading to considerable disruptions in our daily lives. Lots of folks may end up finding themselves working remotely or with some unanticipated downtime. If the happens and you have an extra hour or so, give the In The Dark Podcast a listen. I was never one for podcasts until fairly recently.… Read More
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