Justices: Attorney fees, health-care liens must be split at same time

By Andrew Maloney Law Bulletin staff writer

Posted May 21, 2015 2:55 PM

SPRINGFIELD — State law ensures that lawyers and the hospitals that treat plaintiffs get a cut of the jury award or settlement in personal-injury cases.And those percentages must be calculated simultaneously, the state’s top court ruled today.The Illinois Supreme Court unanimously held that attorneys’ fees and costs should not be taken from a total award or settlement before calculating the amount due to health-care providers.Justice Mary Jane Theis authored the seven-page decision, reversing an opinion …

To Read the Full Story

Your source for legal news and information

Print & Digital Access

Stay in the know all year long with these benefits:

Delivery to your office in downtown Chicago or mailed outside our hand-delivery zone.
Unlimited access to chicagolawbulletin.com.
Access to our e-edition and mobile site.
Breaking news alerts, Morning Lineup and Afternoon Headlines.
Exclusive access to events, discounts and more.

Order now, or call 312-644-2394 or email Subscription@LawBulletinMedia.com for details.

Be in the know. These must-read insider briefings will keep you

informed of the latest legal developments in Chicago. Sign up today!

Cook County jury awards $1.5M for back injury from crash

A Cook County jury awarded $1.5 million to a woman who has chronic pain in her lower back after a car crash.
By Grace Barbic
SCOTUS skeptical that state abortion bans conflict with federal law

Conservative Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical Wednesday that state abortion bans after their sweeping ruling overturning Roe v. Wade violate federal healthcare law, though some also questioned the effects on emergency care for pregnant patients.
By Lindsay Whitehurst
Suspend attorney over poor representation, ARDC board says

An attorney who provided inadequate representation and took $15,750 in unreasonable fees from clients in two different matters should be suspended, according to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission hearing board.
By Emma Oxnevad
Illinoisans can now have documents notarized online

Illinoisans who need a notary public can now access those services online through a new “E-Notary” portal launched by the secretary of state’s office.
By Alex Abbeduto
DePaul Law names Julie Lawton as interim dean

DePaul University College of Law has named Julie D. Lawton interim dean while continuing the search for a permanent leader, the university announced Monday.
By Emma Oxnevad
Class OK’d in suit alleging religious exercise in schools

A federal judge certified a class of former Chicago Public School students to jointly pursue their claim that the City of Chicago Board of Education’s Quiet Time program was a forced religious exercise.
By Grace Barbic
New federal rule would bar noncompete agreements

U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with competitors under a rule approved by a federal agency Tuesday, though the rule is sure to be challenged in court.
By Christopher Rugaber
Cook County jury awards $45M in baby powder suit

A Cook County jury awarded $45 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma after years of exposure to asbestos fibers in Johnson & Johnson’s talc-containing baby powder.
By Grace Barbic