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Chief U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel granted judgment to the United States on Feb. 18 against a claim that an unborn fetus can recover damages under the Illinois Survival Act. “The court respectfully declines the invitation to create new law," she wrote, She quoted Seventh Circuit appellate judges who wrote, “Federal courts are loath to fiddle around with state law.”…

U.S. District Judge Staci Yandle excluded lawyer Joseph Bleyer of Marion from testifying as an expert at a trial about legal malpractice in a St. Clair County case. On Feb. 23 she wrote, “He has never handled a legal malpractice case and has no particular knowledge, experience or training in the area of legal professional responsibility. “His anticipated testimony will…

Veronica Jones, acting as the Independent Administrator of the Estate of Jane Paschall, has filed a lawsuit against the United States of America. The complaint was submitted on February 10, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The case revolves around allegations of negligence leading to wrongful death at a VA hospital. The complaint…

A state appeals panel upheld a Cook County jury’s decision to award $6 million to the family of a woman who died of respiratory failure and blamed the doctor who prescribed opiates, alleging she should’ve known the patient was already abusing such drugs. Jose Ramirez, the independent administrator of the estate of the late Ebeilda Ramirez, sued Dr. Holly Carobene…

In a compelling legal battle, a parent has filed a lawsuit against a major pharmaceutical company, alleging that their cow's milk-based infant formula caused severe health issues in their premature child. On February 4, 2025, Nidaal Askar lodged the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Abbott Laboratories. The lawsuit claims that the…

Madison County Circuit Judge Sarah Smith properly preserved a trial that a witness nearly spoiled and her jury properly awarded Kevin Mogensen $3.31 million for lung damage, Fifth District appellate judges ruled on Feb. 4. They found Smith didn’t abuse her discretion when she struck the pleadings of SCF Lewis and Clark Fleeting and proceeded only on damages. They found…

R & J Transport Inc. faces a serious legal challenge as it is accused of negligence leading to severe injuries. On January 2, 2025, David Lidster filed a complaint against R & J Transport Inc. in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. The case was subsequently moved to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois…

The University of Delaware seeks relief from a subpoena that Chad Finley of Tor Hoerman’s firm in Edwardsville served for Paraquat plaintiff David Heistand of Maryland. University counsel Casey Grabenstein of Chicago moved to quash it at U.S. district court on Jan. 22, claiming it’s procedurally defective and substantively overbroad. “UD may not even have the human or financial resources…