Fan vs. US Cellular Field security

Islamic group vs. DuPage County

State tort law claims reinstated in online dog breeding database defamation case

Museum doesn't have to give Don Whittington his car back

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Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

A woman is suing Menards after a fireplace allegedly fell on her.

Maria Martinez says that on August 6, 2007, while shopping in the HVAC department at Menards, "a fireplace fell from a shelf causing injury to [Martinez.]"

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

A man is suing the American Fantasy Football League (AFFL) for allegedly failing to pay him after he won a championship and the grand prize.

Jeff Gill says that the AFFL accepted entry fees of up to $1,400 to participate in fantasy football and promised that payment was "guaranteed," but in January 2010 after he won the grand prize of $60,000 and other prizes, the company admitted that they couldn't pay him.

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint.

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Read the complaint here, including allegations that Desperate Housewives creator hit Sheridan.

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Lawsuit re: principal who allegedly slammed boy's hand in locker.  Read about it here and here. 

Wrongful death suit filed against Chicago Fire Department.  Read about it here.

Defamation lawsuit filed against homeless man re: comments in his blog.  Read about it here.

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A State Department employee says he was subjected to race and sex discrimination.

Read the complaint after the jump.

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A federal lawsuit has been filed alleging copyright infringement regarding the song "Play That Funky Music."

Read the complaint after the jump.

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A man is suing his former employer for discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the FMLA after he was allegedly terminated the day he returned from a four day absence to remove a malignant tumor from his face.

Robert Leetch, who was the Chief Financial Officer at Heniff Transportation Systems, LLC, says that in mid 2008, he was diagnosed with non Hodgkins Lymphoma and informed his employer of his condition.  In January 2009, Heniff Transportation removed Leetch from its group health insurance coverage, the complaint states.

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint.

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A woman is suing her former employer after she was terminated one day before returning from maternity leave.

Brenda Kogan says that on January 10, 2008, one day before she was scheduled to return to her job as a design engineer at Littlefuse, Inc., she was asked to meet with the HR manager who told her the company was reorganizing and that her position was being eliminated.

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

A woman has filed a lawsuit related to injuries she says she sustained at an Akon concert.

Holly Duncan says that on June 13, 2009, while at the "B96 Summer Bash" at Toyota Park, Akon leapt into the crowd during his performance of "Right Now," at which point there was a crowd swell and people who crowded around the stage surged backwards. 

It was then that a girl fell backwards in the direction of Duncan, who reached out with her right arm to brace the person's fall and prevent the person from falling on Duncan and her sister, the complaint states.

Read more after the jump, including a copy of the complaint. 

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola. 

Court: Boss can't read employee's emails to/from her attorney

Movie downloaders sued

Pfizer: No generic Viagra for you!

~~~

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

Read more here: Burger King employee spit on my Whopper!

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

The heirs and next of kin of Hungarian Holocaust victims are seeking reparations from Hungarian banks.
Read the complaint after the jump.

Last month, in a related lawsuit, the same group sued a Hungarian railroad company.
Read more here, including a copy of that complaint.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

A woman is suing Hostess Brands and its employee for injuries she says she sustained when the employee pushed a cart into her and caused her to fall.

Patricia Armanetti says that on February 28, 2009, while shopping at Dominick's in Park Ridge, the following occurred:

- Defendant Jack Drury, an agent of Hostess Brands, was pushing a cart of bakery items.
- Bakery items fell off the cart Drury was pushing.
- As Drury attempted to catch the bakery items, he pushed the cart into Armanetti, causing her to fall. 

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

Two Univ of Chicago Ph.D.'s say they were beat up by Chicago cops

Read more here.

Lawsuit: Exposed to toxic fumes on American Airlines flight

Read more here.

Lawsuit: Struck in the head by armrest at movie theater

Read more here and here and here and here.

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Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

Axl Rose sued by former manager for close to $2M.  Read more here.

Paula Deen slapped with countersuit by tour promoter.  Read more here.

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Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

Dear Readers,

The time has come to pass the Chicago Bar-tender crown and sash to a new wide-eyed legal blogger.  That's right ~ over the course of the next couple of months, you will have a new Bar-tender and I will be starting another ChicagoNow blog (STAY TUNED for details!!).

So, if you're interested in applying, here's what you need to know.

To be the next Bar-tender, you must -

1. Be extremely attractive.
2. Have an excellent singing voice.
3. Be willing to travel internationally.

Just kidding!

Actually, you must -

1. Have knowledge of or interest in the law.
2. Have excellent writing skills.
3. Be willing to travel to the Daley Center everyday with your laptop and report on the newly filed, interesting cases of the day.

Think you've got what it takes to fill my Choos?

Well, then, send your cover letter and resume to staff (at) chicagonow (dot) com. 

Good luck!!!

~~~~
Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

A woman is suing American Airlines after allegedly being exposed to toxic fumes during a flight, causing her to suffer a nearly fatal stroke.

Vida Chenier says that on March 26, 2008, she was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 2073 from O'Hare to San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the following occurred:

- Toxic fumes or contaminated 'bleed air' allegedly entered the passenger cabin through the aircraft's ventilation system. 
- Chenier began experiencing hypoxia, also known as oxygen deprivation, as well as difficulty breathing and began to cough violently and develop a severe headache.
- In the two days following her arrival in San Juan, Chenier's symptoms worsened and on March 29, 2008, she began to cough up blood.
- On April 4, 2008, Chenier suffered a nearly fatal stroke.

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

A woman is suing a Niles, Illinois movie theater for injuries she says she sustained after the armrest struck her in the head when she bent down to answer her telephone.

Taj Showers says that on June 14, 2008, while at the Kerasotes Niles Showplace 12 for the matinee viewing of the "Incredible Hulk" with her son, she bent down to "discreetly answer her telephone" when the armrest of her seat "suddenly dropped from its upright position and struck her on the head."

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

A man with a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and another man pursuing his Ph.D. at the school say that certain Chicago police officers in plainclothes brutally beat them and three uniformed Chicago police officers who responded to the scene told them to "forget the incident ever happened."

Matthew Clark, a Ph.D., and Gregory Malandrucco, a Ph.D. candidate, say that on February 7, 2010 at 3AM at Arturo's Tacos on Western Avenue, the following occurred:

- While standing up to leave, a plainclothes police officer shoved Malandrucco and glared at him because Malandrucco unintentionally obstructed the officer's path to the cashier or exit.

- When Clark and Malandrucco left Arturo's, they found the plainclothes officers in the parking lot, where they began to yell at Clark and Malandrucco in an aggressive manner.

- Clark and Malandrucco offered to shake hands and make peace.

- One of the male plainclothes officers then beat Clark until he lost consciousness.

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

As Chicago's very own Bar-tender, I peruse about 70 to 80 complaints filed each day and the more I do it, the more I realize that lawyers are indeed human (insert lawyer joke here, something along the lines of lawyers being more snakelike than human, yada yada).  What I mean is, lawyers make mistakes... a lot of them.

So, you graduated law school, you passed the bar, you're charging clients (probably outrageous fees) for your services and you still make these silly mistakes?!  Get it together, counselors!  [Note: Yes, I'm a lawyer turned Bar-tender and I'm not perfect either but that's not going to stop me from making fun of you in the list below.  Enjoy!]

1. I am a lawyer by day, fortune teller by night.  Oh, really?  Or, maybe, you just chose not to read the complaint before you filed it and, therefore, failed to notice that it says "On or about September 1, 2012..."  Dear Counselor, while you're at it, please tell us what will happen on December 21, 2012.  Will the world end?  Will your client slip and fall at a Home Depot?

2. My client decided to change her name. It's ok to use a template for cases with similar claims.  Why reinvent the wheel?  But, please, at least check that the "Find and Replace" of your other client's name actually worked.  When plaintiff Jane Black becomes John Smith halfway through the complaint, it's just insulting to everyone involved.

3. Oh yeah, and my client got a sex change, too.  I see that.  And, it also happened halfway through the complaint.  Is your client a he or a she?  Just pick one.  Don't switch back and forth.  Better yet, why don't you just take a few minutes and read the whole complaint before you file it?  Yes, you can bill for your time.

4. I always carry White Out and a pen with me.  Yes, you do!  Always prepared like a good Scout.  I've seen your complaints with parts whited out (how retro!) and 'Law Division' crossed out to say 'Chancery Division' (at least you've got neat handwriting, unlike your doctor friends).  Oh, by the way, how do you spell professional?

5. If I were good with numbers, I would have become an accountant.  True.  But, you do know how to count, right?  You might want to give the complaint a once over and check paragraph numbers.  That automatic numbering feature in Word isn't magic. 

Now, let's talk about an area where most lawyers truly excel.  Based on personal experience, I have a feeling a number of you might enjoy an event called Beer for Bloggers.  It's coming to Chicago this Friday at the Hilton.  Read more here.    

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

Woman says she slipped and fell on grapes on the floor at Moo & Oink & More store.
Read the complaint after the jump.

Woman says she slipped and fell on grapes on the floor at Food 4 Less store.
Read the complaint after the jump.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

Nine members of the Chicago Teachers Union say the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and the Board of Education are violating their right to free speech.

The nine plaintiffs, who are running for elected union office as part of a slate of candidates named the ProActive Chicago Teachers and School Employees caucus, say that on March 12, 2010, CEO Ron Huberman and the Board of Education issued a memorandum that prohibits, among other things, organizing campaign meetings at school facilities and distributing campaign material. 

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint. 

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

But, glad to see them picked up elsewhere, too ~

Lawsuit: Hit in the head with a hockey puck at Chuck E. Cheese.  Read more here and here and here.

Former Evanston Police Cadet: Fired over raspy voice.  Read more here and here.

Hungarian Holocaust victims' kin seek reparations.  Read more here and here.

Lawsuit: Grant's Appliances not honoring rebates.  Read more here.

~~~~~

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

 

Lady Gaga's ex-boyfriend, a songwriter and music producer, says he helped her become a star and then she dropped him.  Now, he's suing for more royalties and other money he says he's owed.  Read more here.

A former Director of Financial Aid at City Colleges of Chicago says she was terminated because of her race.

Rhonda Smith, described as an African-American female and the Director of Financial Aid for the City Colleges of Chicago, says she registered for classes at Daley College in July of 2008 and received financial aid, which was approved by the financial aid advisor at the time.

The complaint states that, at the time, the City Colleges did not have a policy in place to
prevent employees from taking courses or obtaining loans to do so.

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

A former teaching assistant at Malcolm X College says he was subjected to disability, religious, age and other discrimination while working at the school.

Mohammad Shaikh says that in February 2008 he was assigned to the Physics Department which was "ill maintained," windowless and full of dust.  Despite complaints to his superiors, the area was never cleaned and it posed a danger to Shaikh's existing heart condition and breathing problems, the complaint states. 

The complaint also states that Shaikh, a devout follower of Islam, was not allowed to take time for prayer, and was required to take his lunch break only between 11:00 to 11:45 a.m.

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

Happy Wednesday!

Nude snowwoman ordered to cover up.  Read about it here.

Man marries his pillow, takes it to amusement park.  Read about it here.

Man tried to rob bank with a banana.  Read about it here.

A 68-year old grandpa hits random kids at a Wal-mart, is jailed.  Read about it here.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.

A woman is suing Wal-Mart for injuries she says she sustained after an empty box was thrown in the aisle she was in and caused her to fall.

Rebecca Alter says that on April 16, 2009, while shopping at the Wal-Mart in Hodgkins, she was discussing the purchase of a hunting/fishing license in the Sporting Goods department with Wal-Mart sales associate defendant Rebecca Snyder when the following occurred:

- Snyder asked Alter to come around the counter into the aisle and she did so.

- Defendant Susan Sherrie was stocking merchandise in the adjacent aisle.

- As Alter was walking into the aisle adjacent to the counter, Sherrie threw a box she had just emptied of merchandise down the aisle and it slid into the travel path of Alter. 

- Alter stepped into the opened, empty box and fell back onto the floor.

Continue reading after the jump, including a copy of the complaint.

Follow me on Twitter @jenfernicola.