Category: Tort Litigation

BG Files Two New Lawsuits Against the State of Illinois on Behalf of Survivors of Sexual Assault & Abuse


Bailey Glasser has filed two new complaints on behalf of 95 men and 13 women survivors of sexual abuse against the State of Illinois, alleging that the Illinois Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice failed to protect them from sexual abuse perpetrated by adult employees at Illinois Youth Centers. As alleged in the two new complaints filed today, between 1996 and 2017, hundreds of youths were victimized in Illinois Youth Centers, most between the ages of 10 and 17.

Bailey Glasser is on the forefront of lawsuits seeking justice on behalf of childhood sexual abuse survivors and has brought hundreds of similar lawsuits in the State of Maryland on behalf of survivors of abuse in its juvenile hall detention facilities.

Partner D. Todd Mathews, lead counsel on the Bailey Glasser litigation team, stated: “the systemic abuse suffered by our clients while vulnerable minors in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice is horrific. We now have three lawsuits representing more than 200 survivors who were intentionally targeted and abused while in state custody, which has impacted every aspect of their lives. We are impressed by our clients’ strength and tenacity in coming forward, and we’re ready to fight for these survivors in court.”

The Bailey Glasser team in this case includes D. Todd Mathews; founding partner Brian A. Glasser; partner and Mass Tort Practice Group Leader David Selby; and lawyer Samira Bode.

MEDIA REQUESTS: To schedule an interview with counsel or for other media inquiries, please contact Joe Carey at joe@careystrategiccommunications.com.

To read more about the lawsuit please visit this link.

To learn more about how we fight on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse across the country, please visit here.

Lawsuit Filed Against Johnson & Johnson for Bad Faith Bankruptcies

Bailey & Glasser, LLP and a group of leading law firms filed a federal lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and other defendants due to their repeated attempt to use the U.S. bankruptcy system to prevent victims of its cancer-causing products from having their day in court. The case is Love v. LLT Management LLC, No. 24-06320 (5/22/24), U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

The Bailey Glasser team in this case includes founding partner Brian A. Glasser; David L. Selby II, the firm’s Mass Tort Practice Group Leader, partner D. Todd Mathews, and Of Counsel Thomas B. Bennett, former Chief Justice of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Other firms representing the plaintiffs in this lawsuit are Beasley Allen Crow Methvin Portis & Miles PC, Levin Papantonio Rafferty Proctor Buchanan O’Brien Barr Mougey PA; Golomb Legal; Ashcraft & Gerel LLP; and Burns Charest LLP.

To read the complaint, media links, and more details, visit this link.

Sharon Iskra Argues Case Before Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia

On April 17, BG partner and Institutional Abuse and Neglect team leader Sharon Iskra argued before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia in support of a $3.5 million jury verdict rendered against a residential care facility on behalf of two developmentally disabled individuals who had been abused as children.

As April is Child Abuse Prevention Month as well as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Sharon was proud to argue on behalf of her clients before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

To learn more about Sharon and her work, visit this link.

To learn more about the work of Bailey Glasser on behalf of the survivors of sexual abuse, visit here.

Arthur Bryant Speaking at Class Action Law Forum

BG’s Arthur Bryant is speaking at next week’s 6th annual Western Alliance Bank Class Action Law Forum (CALF) held in collaboration with the University of San Diego School of Law. Attendees will hear insights and take part in discussions on the most important developments and issues surrounding class actions and mass torts, with panelists including sitting federal judges and top defense and plaintiffs’ attorneys.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://events.westernalliancebank.com/2024-CALF

Partner D. Todd Mathews Named a “Super Lawyer”

BG partner Todd Mathews has been named a 2024 Super Lawyer. Todd dedicates his career to fighting for people injured by defective products like asbestos, hernia mesh, 3M’s combat earplugs, as well as on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse. We thank everyone who took part in Todd receiving this recognition. For more about Todd and his work, please visit here.

In addition to this accolade, Todd is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, an invitation-only organization composed of premier trial lawyers from each state or region, and is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in America. In 2024 he was also recognized by Best Lawyers in America in three categories: Mass Tort Litigation / Class Action – Plaintiffs, Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, and Product Liability Law – Plaintiffs.

Partner Todd Mathews on the Mass Tort News Legalcast

In the most recent episode of the Mass Tort News Legalcast, Bailey Glasser partner Todd Mathews discusses how the firm is helping survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of the State of Maryland acting through the Department of Juvenile Services and its predecessors find closure, healing, and accountability.

The discussion also touches on other states’ approaches to addressing child abuse cases, with some implementing limited windows of opportunity for survivors to file claims. Todd points out the challenges of addressing these cases, especially the need for a sensitive and compassionate approach, avoiding the re-traumatization of survivors.

Switching gears, the conversation touches on recent developments in the legal field, particularly in relation to Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and its potential third bankruptcy filing. Todd expresses his concern and disapproval of such actions, which he views as an abuse of the bankruptcy process to delay compensating victims further. He also addresses the viability of the Camp Lejeune docket, highlighting how recent issues with case attrition and unethical practices in the legal field can impact its resolution.

Charges Against Marine Veteran Wrongly Accused of Stealing Hertz Rental Car Dropped by Prosecutor After CBS News Report

MEDIA REQUESTS: To schedule an interview with Blake Gober or counsel in this matter, please contact Joe Carey at joe@careystrategiccommunications.com.

Morgantown, West Virginia – Until this morning, with the release of a bombshell CBS News report (view here) the world did not know that Marine Corps Veteran Blake Gober was wrongly arrested, imprisoned, and prosecuted for the alleged theft of a Hertz rental car back in 2019. On October 16, 2023, the felony charges against Mr. Gober were dismissed with prejudice.

The wrongful arrest and prosecution of Mr. Gober is yet another occasion where Hertz perpetrated great harm upon an innocent professional who simply rented one of its vehicles. As set forth in the Dismissal Motion: “the State has lost confidence in the reliability of the information provided by [Hertz] that forms the basis of these felony charges.”

Travis Prince and Brian Glasser of Bailey & Glasser, LLP and Wes Prince of the law firm of Shaffer Madia Law, PLLC represent Mr. Gober. “We are glad that the charges have finally been dropped against our client, but they never should have been filed in the first place. What Hertz put him through should not be suffered by anyone,” said Travis Prince.

Mr. Gober added: “I was a Hertz Gold customer who returned a car three years ago which I rented for my move from West Virginia to Northern Virginia. For Hertz to issue a warrant for my arrest and to put me and my family through this is unconscionable. I am dedicated to making sure this never happens to anyone else.”

Mr. Gober was unjustly apprehended and incarcerated during a routine traffic stop in 2022, the result of a false police report filed by Hertz in January 2020. On November 19, 2019, Gober rented a car from Hertz in Morgantown, West Virginia. Gober then returned it to Hertz at Reagan National Airport. On January 13, 2020, Hertz filed a false police report alleging Mr. Gober stole its car and on February 28, 2020 (seven weeks later), the car mysteriously reappeared at an Alexandria, Virginia apartment building, having amassed a whopping 7,492 miles on it. Meanwhile, Mr. Gober was working around Washington, D.C., knowing nothing about the missing car or warrant.

To learn more click here.

42 Bailey Glasser Lawyers Named To The Best Lawyers in America & Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch 2024 Guides

Today we announce that 42 Bailey Glasser lawyers have been recognized across various categories (including one as a “Lawyer of the Year”) in the 30th edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and the fourth edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America®.

“Lawyer of the Year” honors are awarded annually to only one lawyer per practice area in each region with extremely high overall feedback from their peers, making it an exceptional distinction.

For more, follow this link.

Bailey Glasser Awarded Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2023 and Achieves Nationwide Rankings in ERISA and Product Liability Litigation

Thank you to Chambers & Partners for our 2023 rankings, which includes two brand-new nationwide practice group rankings in the ERISA plaintiffs and Product Liability litigation categories. Having our lawyers and practice groups recognized by Chambers reflects how much we care about our clients and how hard we work to achieve successful outcomes for them.

We are grateful to all the clients and counsel (co-counsel as well as referring counsel) who took the time to participate in the process. Your time is valuable and we take that seriously. We appreciate you.

For a detailed overview of this year’s rankings, please visit here.

BG Team Led By Brian Glasser Helps Dismiss Improperly Filed Mass Tort Bankruptcy By 3M Subsidiary Aearo Technologies

In a win for injured soldiers, a federal judge on Friday dismissed the bankruptcy of 3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies, which was attempting to use its protections to permanently resolve 260,000 lawsuits alleging that 3M military earplugs caused hearing loss for veterans and U.S. service members. This new ruling upends 3M’s litigation strategy to resolve mass tort claims in bankruptcy, which would have circumvented the ability of plaintiffs to have their cases heard by a jury of their peers as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Brian Glasser and Bailey & Glasser, LLP helped get this mass tort bankruptcy dismissed.

“The soldiers who used 3M earplugs deserve to the chance to hold 3M accountable before a jury of their peers,” said founding partner Brian Glasser. “3M and Aearo have no special right to put veterans in a bankruptcy box, and now can face these claims in front of juries around the nation.”

Additional Bailey Glasser lawyers working on this matter include partners Cary Joshi, David Selby, Katherine E. Charonko, and Todd Mathews.

For more information, please visit here.

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