Notable Cases

Chicago trial lawyer, Norman Lerum‘s extensive courtroom experience has resulted in numerous favorable verdicts and settlements for his clients, including the following:

Business and Contract Litigation

— Obtained $3.0 million judgment for a brain injured client against Country Mutual Insurance Company after a ten-day trial in 2019 in Country Mutual v. Olsak. See Order and Opinion entered by Judge Michael Mullen. This was in addition to a substantial settlement with another insurance company insuring other defendants

— Obtained $900,000 arbitration award in favor of a shareholder against consulting firm which violated certain compensation provisions of a shareholder agreement. Leempute v. ATKearney

— Successfully defended product manufacturer against multi-million dollar shareholder chancery suit for oppressive conduct, which preserved the business and prevented its dissolution. This case involved an eight week long preliminary injunction trial. Semler v. Semler, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois

— Successfully defended shareholder against breach of fiduciary duty action brought by large mortgage brokerage company in federal court and recovered shareholder’s ownership interest and attorney fees for breach of shareholder agreement by company. U.S. Dist. Court, N.D. Ill., Baser v. America’s Mortgage Choice

— Successfully defended multi-million dollar construction delay claim brought by general contractor against a supplier of steel and obtained favorable jury verdict in federal court  for the steel supplier for the full recovery of the steel supplied to the Bloomingdale Building on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Hausman Steel Company v. Walsh Construction

— Obtained $600,000 arbitration award for landlord of commercial property against tenant who violated long-term commercial lease by allowing the building to fall into disrepair. Wolf v. Ahern, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois

— Successfully defended against loss of profits claim by candy manufacturer against packaging company in arbitration and recovered for the packaging materials supplier. Progressive Packaging v. Russell Stover

— Obtained $550,000 in lost revenue for religious order against electrical subcontractor for negligence in causing the destruction of a kitchen/dining facility in an electrical fire at religious center in Tucson, Arizona. Redemptorists v. Schwabe, Arizona Superior Court

— Obtained numerous positive outcomes against insurance companies relating to defenses and/or coverage disputes arising from general liability insurance policies.

— Obtained award of over $400,000 for small business against lender for breach of loan agreement and successfully defended against claim by lender of over $500,000.

Notable Reported decisions handled by trial lawyer Norman Lerum arising from litigation involving business or contract disputes include the following:

• Deluxe Ice Cream Corp. v. RCH Tool Corp. and Sumner H. Bates,

N.V., 726 F.2d 1209 (7th Circ. 1984);

• George Szczerbaniuk v. Memorial Hospital of McHenry County, 180

Ill.App.3d 706, 536 N.E.2d 138 (1989);

• Perry R. Pennington Co. v. T. R. Miller Co., Inc., 994 F.2d 390 (7th

Cir., 1993);

• Delta Oil Company v. Lloyd Arnold, 66 Ill.App.3d 375, 384 N.E.2d

25 (1978);

• Albert Barron v. Kane & Roach, et al., Four States Machinery

Company v. Berdsboro Corporation, 79 Ill.3d 34, 398 N.E.2d 244

(1979);

• Melvin Van Dygriff v. Commonwealth Edison Company, 68

Ill.App.3d, 396, 386 N.E.2d 318 (1979);

• Albert Brucar & Ruth Brucar v. Ira Rubin, Marvin Juron, and

Harry Weisberg, 638 F.2d 987 (7th Cir., 1980);

• C. R. Mohan Rao, M.D., S.C. v. M. Hari Kishan Rao, M.D., 718 F.2d

219 (7th Cir., 1983);

• Carol Elaine Williams, et al., v. St. Joseph’s Hospital, et al., 629

F.2d 448 (7th Cir., 1980);

• Jacqueline M. Przybylaski, et al., v. Perkins & Will, Architects, Inc.

et al., 95 Ill.App.3d 620, 420 N.E.2d 524 (1981);

• Midwest Enterprises v. Generac Corp., No. 91 C2229, 1992 WL 169059 (N.D. Ill. August 27, 1991);

• Oakleaf of Illinois, et al., v. Oakleaf and Associates, Inc., 173

Ill.App.3d 637, 527 N.E. 2d 926 (1988);

• M. J. Oldensteadt Plumbing v. K-Mart, 195 Ill.Dec. 906, 629 N.E. 2d

214 (1994);

• Palda v. General Dynamics Corp., 47 F.3d 872 (7th Cir., 1995);

• Intec USA, LLC v. Engle, 467 F.3d 1038 (7th Cir., 2006);

• Smith v. Duffey, 576 F.3d 336 (7th Cir., 2009);

• Webster v. A. T. Kearney, Inc., 507 F.3d 568 (7th Cir., 2007);

• Richard Moenning v. Union Pacific Railroad, 966 N.E., 2d 443

(2012);

• Williams v. St. Joseph Hospital, 629 F.2d 448 (7th Cir. 1980);

• Martinez v. River Park Place, 980 N.E.2d 1207 (2012);

• Rasheed v. Marsik, 318 Ill.App. 3d 1237, 789 N.E.2d 943, 273

Ill.Dec. 769 (2001);

• Schorsch v. Reliance Standard Life Ins. Co., 693 F.3d 734 (7th Cir.,

2012);

• Powell v. XO Services, Inc., 781 F.Supp.2d 706 (N.D.Ill. 2011);

• Spanish Court Two Condominium Association v. Lisa Carlson, 2014 IL115342 (2014);

• Lisa Carlson v. Spanish Court Two Condominium Association, Inc.,Circuit Court of Lake County, Illinois, Case No. 10 AR 2723, Trial Court Order and Opinion rendered May 18, 2014;

• Lake Treasure Holdings, Ltd., et al. v. Foundry Hill GP LLC, Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, Case No 6546-VCL, Memorandum Opinion decided October 10, 2014.

• Sutherland v. Sutherland, Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, C.A. No. 2399-VCN (2016)

• Boucher v. 111 East Chestnut Condominium Association, 2018 IL App (1st) 1162233.

• Stevens v. Woodfield Planning Corporation and Dobbs, 2020 IL App (2d) 190218-U.

List of Personal Injury Cases

— Obtained $3.0 Million award in favor of brain injured plaintiff in insurance coverage dispute after ten-day trial. See Memorandum, Opinion and Order, April 29, 2020, Judge Michael Mullen, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Country Mutual Insurance Company v. Olsak, Case No. 05 CH 2618. Read More

— Recovered $1.5 million settlement for woman passenger in an automobile accident for spinal cord contusion. Schorsch v. Hoffman Estates, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.

— Recovered structured settlement valued over $4.0 million to high school student arising from a fall on a building roof of a college after a two week trial in Georgetown, Kentucky. James Thomason Long. v. Georgetown College, Ky. Court of Appeals, No. 91 CA 1819

— Recovered a $1.5 million settlement for a brain injured woman after she drove around a down railroad crossing. Jean Lindquist v. Chicago and Northwestern Transportation Company, et al., 242 Ill.Dec. 781, 722 N.E.2d 270 (2d Dist. 1999)

— Recovered $1.0 million for family of a co-pilot who was killed in an airplane crash. F. Lee Griffith, et al. v. Mitsubishi Aircraft International, 136 Ill.2d 101, 554 N.E.2d 209 (1990); Malatesta v. Mitsubishi Aircraft International, I275 Ill.App.3d 370 (1995)

— Recovered settlements for two different children having a value of over $2.0 million each who suffered brain injuries as a result of the DPT vaccine under the federal Vaccine Act. Amanda Beck v. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, 924 F.2d 1029 (Fed Cir. 1991) and Pineger v. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Case No. 90-33750

— Recovered $750,000 settlement for three occupants of an automobile arising from an automobile/semitruck intersection collision when the investigation led to evidence of worn brakes on the semitruck.

— Recovered $189,428 jury verdict for a 79 year old driver with an inner ear injury. James L. Wahle v. Duane D. Kolbrick, 14 L 876, Circuit Court of Lake County, Illinois.

Notable Reported decisions handled by trial lawyer Norman Lerum arising from litigation involving personal injury and/or insurance disputes:

• Pecoraro v. Balkonis, 891 N.E.2d 44 (1st Dist., 2008);

• Country Mutual Insurance Company v. Olsak, et al., 908 N.E.2d 1091 (1st Dist., 2009);

• Country Mutual Insurance Company v. Olsak, et al., 2014 Il App. (1st) 121063-U; Read More

• Waugh v. Morgan Stanley and Company, Inc., et al., 2012 IL App. (1 st) 102653, 359 Ill.Dec. 219, 966 N.E. 2d 540 (2012)

• Malatesta v. Mitsubishi Aircraft International, 275 Ill.App.3d 370, 655 N.E.2d 1093 (1995)

• Bruce Allen Palmer v. Avco Distributing Corporation, 82 Ill.2d 211, 412 N.E.2d 959 (1980)

• United States of America, ex. rel. Rev. Frank Robert Cordee Hohn v. Vernon Ruis and U.S. Board of Paroles and Pardons, 520 F.2d 632 (7th Cir. 1975)

• Farner v. IRMCO Corporation, 73 Ill.App.3d 851, 392 N.E.2d 591 (1979)

• Steven Henderson v. Lofts at Lake Arlington Towne Condominium Association, 2018 IL App (1st) 162744