Nicholson Revell, LLP

Cook County to start paying awards in illegal political hiring, promotions

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:36:00 -0700

Cook County will pay more than $100,000 each to four victims of illegal political patronage as part of 108 awards announced Thursday by a court-appointed hiring monitor.

Julia Nowicki awarded about $3 million to people who lost out on jobs and promotions because of politics between August 2004 and February 2007.

The awards, ranging from $250 to $323,000, will be paid by the county in the next 60 days.

One of the biggest-$130,000-went to Margaret Bageanis, an administrative assistant in the county's Animal Control Department since 1988.

Levaquin: This Antibiotic Doesn't Leave You Aching for More

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:07:10 -0700

The Levaquin antibiotic is proving to be more trouble than it is worth for many patients, if one man's story is any indication. A host of Levaquin side effects is one of the reasons why the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the wheels in motion for a black box warning for Levaquin.

"Doug" is a healthy 31-year-old man with no pressing health problems-until, it seems, he was prescribed Levaquin to combat a bad case of bronchitis. His doctor prescribed a 10-day regimen of Levaquin, 500 mg once per day. While his bronchitis appeared to be on the mend, Doug began noticing pain in his left knee after taking the Levaquin for only two days. Doug describes it as a dull ache that was almost a constant, regardless of whether he was walking, standing or sitting-however the pain would escalate sharply whenever he moved.

Animal rights drive dog lawsuit

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:54:50 -0700

Michael and Kathryn Sutton aren't activists. They never envisioned joining any movement. Yet, the Ellijay couple find themselves at the forefront of a legal battle aimed at elevating the status of animals under the law. Their fight could redefine veterinary care - and the relationship between humans and animals.

Last month, the Suttons filed a lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court charging their former veterinary surgeon with doggy malpractice for her treatment of Marshall, the Suttons' beloved 13-year-old miniature Schnauzer. The unusual suit claims Marshall would still be alive today if it weren't for the poor care of Sandy Springs-based vet Julie Duval.

GM agrees to pay Saturn owners for transmission defects

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:53:49 -0700

General Motors Corp. has agreed to pay an estimated $90 million or more to "tens of thousands" of motorists in all 50 states for expenses they incurred as a result of defective transmissions in more than 90,000 Saturn economy cars.

The agreement by the manufacturing giant, if ultimately approved by a Sacramento federal judge, would resolve a class-action lawsuit targeting certain models of four-cylinder Saturn Vues and Ions.

They are equipped with "Vti" transmissions. Unlike a conventional automatic transmission, which uses traditional gears to shift at a few fixed points, it is a "continuously variable" transmission that has a belt and pulley system to shift between gears.

Senate Measure Would Expand Disabilities Act

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:39:31 -0700

The Senate on Thursday approved a major civil rights bill that would expand protections against workplace discrimination for people with disabilities and that would address several Supreme Court rulings that curbed such safeguards in the past decade.

The measure, passed on a voice vote and without dissent, is similar to legislation that sailed through the House in June by a vote of 402 to 17. Minor differences between the bills are expected to be resolved quickly and a final version sent to President Bush. The legislation would expand the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, which was signed by Mr. Bush's father.