Lawsuit Filed Against Amazon Over Illinois Tornado Death

Lawyers on Monday filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Madison County, Illinois against online retailer Amazon and two other companies on behalf of the family of delivery driver Austin McEwen, who was killed Dec. 10, 2021, when a tornado struck the Amazon fulfillment center where he was working.
January 18, 2022 Liability Litigation Illinois

Did A Recent Court Ruling Doom COVID Biz Interruption MDL?

Nearly 60 lawsuits against Society Insurance suffered a fatal blow this month when a federal appeals court tossed pandemic-related claims for business-income interruption benefits against four other insurance companies, Society’s lawyers at Crowell & Moring and Purcell & Wardrope said in a Monday-night filing in federal court in Chicago.
December 23, 2021 Litigation Property Illinois

The 2021-2022 Judicial Hellholes Report

In its recently released annual report, the ATRA identified 8 jurisdictions on its 2021 hellholes list – which, in order, include: (1) California (with the plaintiffs’ bar taking advantage of unique California laws like the Private Attorney General Act); (2) New York City (particularly regarding Americans With Disabilities Act accessibility claims and an activist attorney general battling climate change with energy companies), (3) Georgia....
December 10, 2021 Litigation California Georgia Illinois Louisiana Missouri

Ruling Is Instructive Of Biometric-Related Claims And Insurance

As part of the larger trend of invasion of privacy claims asserted by employees or consumers against businesses, several states have recently passed legislation that sets forth requirements for the collection, storing and dissemination of biometric information such as fingerprints, voice recordings and even keystroke patterns.
December 1, 2021 Liability Litigation Illinois New York Washington

D&O Policy’s Professional Services Exclusion And Contract Exclusion Do Not Bar Coverage For Claims Arising from Trade Show Cancellation

Applying Illinois law, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has held that a D&O policy’s professional services and contract exclusions do not bar coverage for lawsuits seeking damages for fees and expenses paid to the insured in connection with a cancelled trade show.
November 10, 2021 Excess & Surplus Lines Litigation Illinois

Some States, Insurers Limit Dog Breed Discrimination For Homeowners Policies

When it comes to homeowners insurance, a lot of policies leave certain ‘aggressive’ dog breeds out in the cold. Now, animal advocacy groups, that’s starting to change. For years, most insurers have limited coverage or downright denied policies to homes in which there’s a dog they deem to be of a potentially dangerous breed.
November 10, 2021 Legislation & Regulation Liability Illinois Nevada New York

Kemper Offers $17.6M To Settle Data Breach Claims

Kemper Insurance has offered to settle a class action lawsuit resulting from two data breaches in a deal valued at approximately $17.6 million.
October 18, 2021 Litigation Illinois

Allstate To Sell Chicago Headquarters As Employees Work Remotely

With 95% of its employees working remotely during the pandemic, insurance giant Allstate is selling its longtime Northbrook, Ill. headquarters.
October 11, 2021 Auto Liability Property Illinois

Horse Farm’s Insurer Will Have To Defend An Off-Site Golf Cart Accident

St. Charles Farms, a horse farm and equestrian center in St. Charles, Ill., offered off-site trail riding events on different forest preserves several times a year.
October 8, 2021 Liability Litigation Illinois

Using Automatic Verification, Illinois Suspending Plates For Lack Of Insurance

Since July 1, the Illinois Secretary of State’s office has caught thousands of uninsured drivers.

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September 10, 2021 Auto Illinois

NWS Confirms 3 Tornadoes In Chicago Area, Hundreds of Homes Damaged

Meteorologists with Chicago’s National Weather Service generally spend their days sitting in their Romeoville office, looking ahead — analyzing data and trends to warn some 10 million area residents what conditions to expect in the future.
June 24, 2021 Property Illinois

Rockton, Illinois Chemtool Fire Continues Burning; Evacuation Order Remains in Effect

A massive fire at a Rockton, Illinois Chemtool plant continues to burn for a second day Tuesday. The massive chemical plant went up in flames around 7 a.m. Monday and firefighters say it could burn for several days.
June 15, 2021 Excess & Surplus Lines Property Illinois

Insurer Must Defend Salon for Violation of Biometric Information Privacy Act

On May 20, 2021, the Supreme Court of Illinois upheld the state appellate decision finding that that West Bend Mutual Insurance Company must defend its insured, a tanning salon, against a class-action lawsuit claiming violation of the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) under two business owners’ liability policies.
June 2, 2021 Liability Litigation Illinois

Insurer Must Defend Strip Club Against Infringement Claims

In September, we discussed a Florida district court’s finding that an insurer must defend a Miami strip club in a lawsuit filed by 17 models who alleged the club used their images to promote its business without authorization.
May 12, 2021 Litigation Illinois

Capacity Limits On Businesses Can Be A ’Direct Physical Loss’, Judge Rules In Bellwether Cases

A federal judge in Chicago has ruled that pandemic-related business closings and capacity limits can qualify as a ‘direct physical loss’ to property that is covered by "business interruption" policies.
March 4, 2021 Litigation Illinois

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