News from September 2018
Alorton Mayor Reed arrested again on felony charges over Sept. 15 use of police car
Alorton Mayor Jo Ann Reed was arrested Friday on charges stemming from her alleged use of a police car with its spotlight and red and blue lights activated eastbound on I-64 near Highway 157 on Sept. 15.
Passenger sues over Wood River collision
EDWARDSVILLE — A passenger is suing a motorist for allegedly causing a rear-end collision in Wood River.
Man accuses debt collector of harassment
BENTON — A man is suing a debt collector for allegedly repeatedly calling his cell phone.
Former welder alleges asbestos-related lung cancer
A former welder blames a host of manufacturing companies for his lung cancer.
Maune Raichle retained as special litigation counsel in Bestwall bankruptcy proceeding
Local asbestos firm Maune Raichle Hartley French & Mudd is among four plaintiff’s firms acting as special litigation counsel on medical science matters in Bestwall LLC’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding.
Choosing a hat: Proposal seeks to ease home closing costs by rewriting rules for IL lawyers who sell title insurance
A new legislative proposal would force real estate lawyers in Illinois who also serve as title insurance agents to 'choose which hat they will wear' in a home sale transaction, in a bid to reduce the typical closing costs paid by Illinois homeowners, and bring those costs more in line with the national average. But the proposal has drawn fire from lawyers and their associations, accusing supporters of the bill of unfairly 'scapegoating' lawyers for Illinois' relatively more expensive title insurance costs.
Opioid lawyers say settlement may hinge on forcing plaintiffs into class action
A settlement binding all potential plaintiffs may be the only practical way of ending nearly 2,000 lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors and retailers of addictive opioid painkillers, said plaintiff lawyers attending a conference on opioid litigation this week.
Drivers sued following fatal crash on Shipman Road
EDWARDSVILLE — Two drivers are accused of causing a fatal collision in Polk Township.
Levee district secretary/treasurer charged with theft and official misconduct
Wood River Levee District secretary and treasurer Jamie L. Butkovich, 37, has been charged with theft of between $10,000 and $100,000 and official misconduct, amid reports that at least one employee of the district was having "paycheck problems."
Mother of minor injured in police pursuit of stolen vehicle seeks to dismiss third-party complaint
The mother of a minor who was injured as a passenger in a stolen vehicle during a police pursuit seeks to dismiss or sever the City of Madison’s “sham” third-party complaint against the driver from her “very real” claim.
Driver alleges injuries from Edwardsville Road collision
EDWARDSVILLE — A motorist is suing another driver for allegedly causing a crash on Edwardsville Road.
Fifth District affirms conviction in murder of Washington Park mayor
MT. VERNON –– The Fifth District Appellate Court affirmed a conviction in the first-degree murder of Washington Park Mayor John Thornton.
Suit alleges manufacturers never warned about asbestos dangers
Nearly two dozen manufacturing companies face a lawsuit from a man claiming asbestos caused his cancer.
Herndon rejects woman’s racial discrimination, wrongful termination lawsuit against SIUE
EAST ST. LOUIS – The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois on Sept. 19 awarded summary judgment to officials of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in a lawsuit filed by an employee who alleged race discrimination in her termination as a building facilities manager.
Gilbert grants summary judgment to AstraZeneca in Seroquel lawsuit
EAST ST. LOUIS – The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois on Sept. 19 granted summary judgment to a pharmaceuticals company, disagreeing that a drug it manufactured caused an Illinois man to suffer heart complications.
Appeals court ends neighbors' driveway dispute
A Red Bud homeowner cannot make her neighbor pay to repair a shared easement, an appeals court ruled.
Things may not be okey-dokey in Cahokia
California's largest pension system is being sued over its failure to list whether its members have retired on a disability pension.
Madison County asbestos trial ends in settlement; Jurors deliberated two days
A Madison County asbestos trial ended in a settlement Wednesday after the jury had been deliberating for two days.
Seventh Circuit denies 'frivolous' appeal to reopen 'dormant' fraud case from 2014
The Seventh Circuit Appellate Court affirmed district judge Michael J. Reagan’s order rejecting a woman’s attempt to reopen a fraud case that had been voluntarily dismissed four years ago.
Motorist sues car dealership over faulty airbag
BELLEVILLE — A motorist is suing a car dealership after her Mustang convertible's airbag failed to deploy during a collision in Florida.