Overlawyered » Illinois http://overlawyered.com Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:11:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Illinois court: don’t blame railroad for asbestos delivery http://overlawyered.com/2012/02/illinois-court-dont-blame-railroad-for-asbestos-delivery/ http://overlawyered.com/2012/02/illinois-court-dont-blame-railroad-for-asbestos-delivery/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:43:21 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=27383 “This January, the justices stopped [attorney James] Wylder’s argument dead in its tracks once again, concluding that the McLean County Circuit Court should have dismissed his three negligence suits against Illinois Central Railroad. Wylder had argued that Illinois Central was responsible for the alleged asbestos-related injuries of workers at an asbestos plant because the asbestos had arrived there by rail.” [Chamber's Madison County Record, more; background on "asbestos conspiracy" line of Illinois cases, LNL]

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]]> http://overlawyered.com/2012/02/illinois-court-dont-blame-railroad-for-asbestos-delivery/feed/ 0 “Bystander Claims ‘Swoon and Fall’ Injuries at Church” http://overlawyered.com/2012/01/bystander-claims-swoon-and-fall-injuries-at-church/ http://overlawyered.com/2012/01/bystander-claims-swoon-and-fall-injuries-at-church/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:54:20 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=27039 East St. Louis: “In yet another ’swoon and fall’ case against a church, an Illinois woman claims she was injured during a church service when a parishioner who was receiving the ’spirit’ fell backward, knocking several other worshippers into her.” Most “slain in the Spirit” suits are filed either by the worshiper who loses consciousness and falls or by a designated “catcher”; this one is on behalf of an injured bystander [Matthew Heller, On Point News; earlier here, here, here] “New tort: Gottvertrunkenism” [@Sam_Schulman]

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]]> http://overlawyered.com/2012/01/bystander-claims-swoon-and-fall-injuries-at-church/feed/ 2 January 9 roundup http://overlawyered.com/2012/01/january-9-roundup-2/ http://overlawyered.com/2012/01/january-9-roundup-2/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:12:45 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=26676
  • Illinois now requires showing of ID, signing of log to buy drain cleaner. So long as you’re not trying to vote! [Consumerist via @amyalkon]
  • Tribute to no-longer-anonymous Ken White of Popehat and his work defending bloggers from legal threats [Scott Greenfield; earlier; Ken's defense in Maryland of blogger Aaron Worthing; new case of science blogger in Texas]
  • Politicos mobilize against risk that Wal-Mart will bring fresh produce choices to Harlem [Greg Beato] India frets about whether to allow chain stores, recapitulating a debate U.S. once went through [Tabarrok, MR]
  • Colorado legislators honored at a luncheon where I spoke [CCJL]
  • HHS launches initiative to audit health providers for compliance with HIPAA data privacy law, and many are unprepared [American Medical News, Dana Thrasher, Dom Nicastro/HealthLeaders Media]
  • New scholarship on effects of Twombly/Iqbal [Drug and Device Law series first, second, third, CL&P]
  • Congratulations to the outstanding Abnormal Use for winning the ABA’s “Blawg 100” vote for best torts blog; we feel pretty good about placing third without mounting a campaign. While exploring that site, don’t miss its stellar coverage of the tendentious documentary “Hot Coffee”.
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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2012/01/january-9-roundup-2/feed/ 1     “Madison County judge reassigned after receiving campaign contributions” http://overlawyered.com/2011/12/madison-county-judge-reassigned-after-receiving-campaign-contributions/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/12/madison-county-judge-reassigned-after-receiving-campaign-contributions/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:14:35 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=26256 “Madison County Circuit Judge Barbara Crowder was dropped Tuesday from hearing all asbestos cases less than a week after her campaign committee received $30,000 in contributions from three metro-east asbestos law firms.” [Belleville News-Democrat, followup (says she'll return money); Chamber-backed Madison/St. Clair Record, followup]

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/12/madison-county-judge-reassigned-after-receiving-campaign-contributions/feed/ 3     Illinois’ fragile prison guards http://overlawyered.com/2011/12/illinois-fragile-prison-guards/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/12/illinois-fragile-prison-guards/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:22:54 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=26160 The Associated Press and Belleville News-Democrat investigate some curious clusters of workers’-comp claims among downstate correctional officers and other public employees.

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/12/illinois-fragile-prison-guards/feed/ 0     Artisanal ice cream OK in Illinois http://overlawyered.com/2011/08/artisanal-ice-cream-ok-in-illinois/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/08/artisanal-ice-cream-ok-in-illinois/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 05:09:57 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=24373 At least so long as it’s produced in an industrial manner. [Chicago Tribune]

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/08/artisanal-ice-cream-ok-in-illinois/feed/ 0     Collective asbestos guilt in Illinois http://overlawyered.com/2011/08/collective-asbestos-guilt-in-illinois/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/08/collective-asbestos-guilt-in-illinois/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:27:58 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=24182 Illinois courts may finally be tiring of liberal applications of “civil conspiracy” doctrine under which “Asbestos companies bear a sort of collective guilt and thus plaintiffs can sue companies they never actually had any contact with. Jurors in Bloomington have ordered up more than $120 million in damages against companies including Honeywell and Owens-Illinois, even though those companies never sold products to the plaintiffs, or employed them in their factories.” [Daniel Fisher, Forbes]

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/08/collective-asbestos-guilt-in-illinois/feed/ 2     Chicago neurosurgeons pay $4500/wk in med-mal premiums http://overlawyered.com/2011/07/chicago-neurosurgeons-pay-4500wk-in-med-mal-premiums/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/07/chicago-neurosurgeons-pay-4500wk-in-med-mal-premiums/#comments Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:33:44 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=23788 Neurosurgeons in Cook and four other counties pay nearly $230,000 a year, obstetricians nearly $140,000, and general surgeons nearly $100,000. The legislature in Springfield had voted liability limits, but last year the Illinois Supreme Court, in a decision hailed by organized plaintiff’s lawyers but condemned as lawless by many others, struck down those limits. [Heather Perlberg, Medill]

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/07/chicago-neurosurgeons-pay-4500wk-in-med-mal-premiums/feed/ 12     Speaking this week: Indiana, Illinois http://overlawyered.com/2011/02/speaking-this-week-indiana-illinois/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/02/speaking-this-week-indiana-illinois/#comments Sun, 20 Feb 2011 13:35:14 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=21628 I’ll be talking on Monday at noon at the University of Indiana-Bloomington Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Ind., about my forthcoming book Schools for Misrule. Prof. Bill Henderson will comment. On Tuesday I’ll speak to law students at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, again at noon, with Prof. Larry Ribstein commenting. Student chapters of the Federalist Society are sponsoring both events. If you’re there, please feel free to introduce yourself.

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/02/speaking-this-week-indiana-illinois/feed/ 0     Schools for Misrule spring speaking tour http://overlawyered.com/2011/02/schools-for-misrule-spring-speaking-tour/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/02/schools-for-misrule-spring-speaking-tour/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:27:17 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=21548 [cross-posted from Cato at Liberty]

    The first copies of my new book Schools for Misrule: Legal Academia and an Overlawyered America are here from the printer, and I’ll be touring the country to promote it in coming weeks. Some highlights:

    • February 21. Bloomington, Ind. Indiana University Law School, sponsored by Federalist Society chapter.
    • February 22. Urbana-Champaign, Ill. University of Illinois School of Law, sponsored by Federalist Society chapter. Commenting will be Prof. Larry Ribstein.
    • March 3. Washington, D.C. Cato Institute Policy Forum. Commenting on the book will be the Hon. Douglas Ginsburg, U.S. Court of Appeals, and moderating will be Cato legal director Roger Pilon.
    • March 10. University of Minnesota, sponsored by Federalist Society chapter. Commenting will be Profs. Brad Clary and Oren Gross, and moderating will be Prof. Dale Carpenter.
    • March 16. New York, N.Y. Manhattan Institute luncheon (invitation). Commenting will be James Copland, Manhattan Institute.
    • March 22. Washington, D.C. Heritage Foundation forum. Commenting/moderating: Todd Gaziano, Heritage Foundation.
    • March 28. Boulder, Colo. University of Colorado School of Law, sponsored by Federalist Society chapter.
    • March 29. Laramie, Wyo. University of Wyoming School of Law, sponsored by Federalist Society chapter.
    • March 30. Sacramento, Calif. McGeorge School of Law, sponsored by Federalist Society chapter.
    • April 6. New York, N.Y. Manhattan Institute Young Leaders evening event (private).
    • April 7. Washington, D.C. American University Law School, sponsored by Federalist Society chapter.
    • April 13. Washington, D.C. Book club appearance (private).
    • April 27-29. Dallas, Tex. Heritage Foundation Resource Bank meeting (private).

    Always check in advance with the hosting group for venues and exact times; some events open to the public require advance registration. The book’s official publication date is March 1, and copies should be arriving in the bookstores soon.

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