CHICAGO (AP) A judge in Chicago says the Metra transit system must pay $11 million to settle two Nebraska wrongful death lawsuits stemming from a deadly 2005 train derailment.
College student Jane Cuthbert and research technician Allison Walsh were killed in September 2005. A commuter train from Joliet to Chicago derailed while changing tracks. More than 80 others were injured.
Federal officials have said the train was traveling about 70 mph. The train's engineer was fired in 2006.
On Wednesday, Cook County Judge Thomas Hogan approved the Nebraska Wrongful Death settlement.
Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet (PAR'-dohn-nay) had no comment.
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A civil suit is filed against a woman charged with killing two teens while allegedly driving drunk in Ashwaubenon.
Police say Anrietta Geske was speeding when she ran a red light and crashed her Porsche into another car back in June, killing 18-year-olds Talhia Heroux and Ashley Knetzger.
Late last month, Heroux's mother filed a civil suit against Geske and her insurance company, Wisconsin Mutual.
It calls for an undisclosed amount of money for the wrongful death of her daughter.
The suit also calls for a judge to prohibit the insurance company from receiving any of the money Heroux could receive through a settlement.
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The mother and brother of a man who died after being escorted out of a River Falls bar by bouncers have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the business.
Joseph R. Roscoe, 43, River Falls, died Feb. 27, 2007 -- 10 days after being found unconscious in the alley behind The Library, 106 N. Main St.
The civil suit was filed in Pierce County last week by Janice Roscoe, Two Harbors, Minn., and Mark Woodard, Omaha, Neb., against bartender/manager Edward Roughton, 105 Elm St., River Falls, and The Library bar.
According to the complaint, on Feb. 17, 2007, Roscoe was a customer at The Library and "became obviously intoxicated."
According to the complaint, bouncers attempted to escort him out. The suit says they were negligent in causing or allowing Roscoe "to trip, fall or stumble multiple times, hitting his head on the floor and pavement and sustaining other serious injuries causing his death."
According to reports taken by police shortly after the incident, bouncers said Roscoe was drunk, caused a disturbance and was kicked out of the bar.
Roscoe was comatose after the incident and suffered a blood clot in his brain and a stroke after being hospitalized. He died Feb. 27 at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.
Police Chief Roger Leque said no criminal charges were filed in connection with the injury and death.
"We did an extensive and thorough investigation and referred (the results) to the Pierce County district attorney for review, but no charges were filed," Leque said Monday.
According to the civil lawsuit, Roscoe's medical expenses exceeded $200,000 and he suffered pain and emotional distress before he died.
The suit also says his family incurred costs for medical expenses for his last illness and funeral costs in excess of $50,000.
The suit alleges bar managers were negligent in hiring, training, supervising and keeping staff and negligent in maintaining the premises.
According to city records, The Library is owned by S&T River Falls LLC. S&T's president and agent is Stephanie Roughton.
Roscoe came to River Falls the summer before his death for alcohol treatment at Kinnic Falls Halfway House. He also did odd jobs in construction around town.
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A woman who miscarried after two Kansas City officers failed to get medical treatment for her has reached a settlement with police.
Sofia Salva's attorney confirmed the settlement Thursday.
Attorney Andrew Protzman says the deal is worth $750,000.
The federal lawsuit alleged wrongful death and personal injury.
Salva says the officers caused the death of her child when they denied her medical care during a traffic stop in 2006.
Police officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
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A Wisconsin woman has filed an asbestos Wisconsin Wrongful Death suit on behalf of her recently deceased husband against 109 defendant corporations, claiming the mesothelioma with which he was diagnosed was wrongfully caused.
Doris Piacentine claims Edward C. Piacentine was diagnosed with the disease March 16, 2007, and died from it May 23, according to a lawsuit filed Oct. 30 in Madison County Circuit Court.
Doris says her husband worked from 1953 until 1955 and in 1957 as a meat packer at Purdy's Steaks, from 1955 until 1957 as a corpsman, from 1957 until 1967 as a truck driver and station construction worker and from 1967 until 1996 as an electrical inspector for Milwaukee, according to the lawsuit.
Doris states Edward's exposure was foreseeable and should have been anticipated by the defendants, according to the lawsuit.
She claims his disease was caused after he was exposed to and inhaled, ingested or otherwise absorbed asbestos fibers.
Doris alleges the asbestos-related disease caused the couple to incur substantial medical costs. Edward also has experienced great physical pain and mental anguish as a result of the disease, Doris claims in the lawsuit.
Mesothelioma hindered and prevented Edward from pursuing his normal course of employment, according to the suit.
As a result, he lost large sums of money, Doris claims.
Because of Edward's death, his family has been deprived of his support and has lost his society, the suit states.
His family spent substantial amounts on funeral and burial costs, according to the complaint.
Doris has been deprived of Edward's companionship, society and services, the suit states.
In the 11-count lawsuit, Doris seeks sums in excess of $150,000, economic damages in excess of $200,000 and compensatory damages in excess of $150,000.
She also seeks punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish Ferris Kimball Company, Sprinkmann Sons Corporation, Sprinkmann Insulation and Young Insulation Group of St. Louis for their misconduct and to deter similarly situated parties from committing like acts of misconduct in the future.
She is represented by Randy L. Gori and Barry Julian of Gori, Julian and Associates in Alton.
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A second wrongful death lawsuit against a central Iowa farmer who killed his neighbor and hid the body in a cistern was expected to begin in Polk County.
The lawsuit was filed in Warren County against Rodney Heemstra, of Milo, by the family of Tom Lyon, who was killed in 2003.
Heemstra was released from prison last week after serving more than four years. He was originally convicted of first-degree murder. The Iowa Supreme Court ordered a new trial, and Heemstra was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.
The conviction prompted the Supreme Court to review a $11.5 million judgment in a lawsuit based largely on the murder conviction. The high court declared the judgment invalid.
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The killing of Milo farmer Tom Lyon was a “despicable” act that robbed Ronda Lyon, his wife and high school sweetheart, of her way of life in rural Warren County, her lawyer said today.
“Ronda was left without a husband. ... Her future has literally been destroyed,” said lawyer Donald Beattie in opening arguments in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Beattie described the slain farmer as a hard working, respected figure in the community. He decried the killing by Rodney Heemstra, a neighboring farmer, and he said the assailant has never shown any remorse for ending the life of a defenseless man.
Lawyer Joseph Hrvol, who is defending Heemstra in the civil trial in Polk County District Court, made no effort to argue that his client didn’t kill Lyon. That finding has already been made by the jury that convicted him of voluntary manslaughter, which resulted in Heemstra spending more than four years in prison.
“This has been a tragedy for two families, not just one,” Hrvol said.
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WISCONSIN RAPIDS -- An attorney for the family of a 28-year-old man officials say hanged himself in the Wood County jail has taken the first step to bring a lawsuit against the county.
On July 9, two days after he was sentenced to a year in jail for possession of child pornography, Richard A. Lordson used a sheet to hang himself, according to the Sheriff's Department. He died at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield the next day.
On Tuesday, Attorney David Skoglind, Skoglind Law Office of Mequon, sent Wood County a notice alleging wrongful death in Lordson's case. The notice is the first required step when planning to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
"I want to get absolute justice for Mr. Lordson and his family and his son," Skoglind said. "I don't think the limits of damages, as unfair as they are, are unfair to the county to compensate Mr. Lordson's family and child."
According to the notice, officials knew Lordson was suicidal and should have taken the proper precautions. It quotes several lines in the pre-sentencing investigation done on Lordson that indicate he had attempted suicide at least three times.
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