An Illinois federal judge has given preliminary approval to a $55 million deal that will end an antitrust suit that has been going on for a long time against NorthShore University HealthSystem in Illinois.
The deal comes after a 16-year court case and a long wait for Judge Chang to rule on the hospital’s requests to dismiss the class and get quick judgment.
The case, which began in 2008, said that NorthShore University HealthSystem was working together to make it harder for people to get medical care and to charge too much for procedures.
The case from a group of consumers was filed in a federal court in the United States. The settlement ends the lawsuit.
Many more wage and hour antitrust class actions can be brought now that the Illinois Supreme Court has made a ruling in a related case.
The court said that the Illinois Antitrust Act does not let staffing agencies avoid antitrust review of all agreements about wages and working conditions, even if those agreements hurt competition.
The $55 million deal is a big win for the people who brought the case, who have been fighting for justice for more than ten years.
The settlement amount will be split among the class members as payment for the harm they experienced because of the hospital’s claimed unfair business practices.
The long and complicated court case is over now that the deal has been approved. This case is a good reminder of how important antitrust rules are for protecting consumers and making sure there is fair competition in the health care field.
Finally, the fact that the Illinois federal judge agreed to the $55 million settlement in the long-running antitrust case against NorthShore University HealthSystem is a big win for the people who were sued.
The settlement ends a 16-year legal fight and gives class members money to make up for the harm they’ve been through. This case shows how important antitrust laws are for protecting consumers and making sure there is fair competition in the health care field.