Attorney & Firm Sued in Sterling, Illinois, Sexual Assault Case

A Sterling, Illinois, attorney, who allegedly raped his client, is being sued for sexual assault. His law firm and legal business partner are also accused of negligence and failure to protect the client. Attorneys at personal injury firm Latherow & Duignan filed a lawsuit on August 16, 2021, in Whiteside County Circuit Court on behalf of the unidentified woman who was sexually assaulted.

The woman, identified in the complaint as Jane Doe, retained the services of law firm Miller & Lancaster, PC, in a legal matter at the beginning of June 2019. On September 30, 2019, attorney Michael Lancaster scheduled a meeting with her in the firm’s offices at 4:30 p.m. Upon her arrival, she was escorted into his office where he sexually assaulted and raped her.

“This is an atrocious case,” explained Bridget Duignan, partner at the Chicago law firm representing the woman. “Attorneys are held to a higher standard and are required to act in good faith when representing clients. His employer and partner likewise owed a fiduciary duty and must be brought to account for allowing this horrible situation to repeatedly occur in their office.”

The lawsuit states that this woman was not the first client that Lancaster sexually assaulted and/or raped in his office. The firm Miller & Lancaster, including partner John Miller, knew or should have known that defendant Lancaster was a danger to others, and had a duty to protect its clients from him.

In October 2020, Lancaster was arrested for the rape and shortly thereafter charged with sexual assault of another woman.

“We know there are other victims of Lancaster’s out there,” added Duignan. “While at Miller & Lancaster, he handled divorce, personal injury, civil and criminal defense cases. He has practiced in Sterling since 1981. It’s likely that he has raped and sexually assaulted other women in the last 40 years. We urge them to come forward and contact authorities.”

Read the Jane Doe v. Miller & Lancaster, P.C. Complaint at Law filed August 16, 2021, in the Circuit Court of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit – Whiteside County, Illinois, by attorneys at Latherow & Duignan here [https://www.scribd.com/document/519805310/Jane-Doe-vs-Miller-Lancaster-P-C].

About Latherow & Duignan

Latherow & Duignan is a personal injury law firm with offices in Chicago. Under partners Jerry Latherow and Bridget Duignan, they represent individuals and the families of those who have been injured or have died as a result of someone else’s negligence. With extensive experience in wrongful death, medical malpractice, construction law and airplane law, Latherow & Duignan is dedicated to representing clients throughout Illinois in trials, preparing cases and negotiating settlements. For more information visit latherowandduignanlaw.com.