Pending lawsuits are a bigger factor in Evanston’s budget than ever before. Here are some of the most important.

Prado DeVaul Appeal v. City of Evanston

This high-profile, $11-million suit regarding a police pursuit is up for appeal by the city. According to the suit, police followed the plaintiff — a convicted felon — through an intersection without lights or sirens, leading to an accident.

The city will owe $11 million plus 9 percent in interest if it does not win an appeal. This is the largest potential liability for the city.

The plaintiff won the case in trial court; however, the city has petitioned for appeal.

Ald. Steven Bernstein (4th) said if the city does not win an appeal, it probably will take the case to a higher court.

Keefe-Shea v. City of Evanston

A contractor whose bid on a sewer construction project was denied alleges that the winning bidder — DiPaolo Construction Co. — was not fairly subjected to bidding requirements.

The city waived a minority “set-aside” requirement for DiPaolo after its bid was accepted. Keefe-Shea seeks to have the low bid invalidated and either to have the contract awarded to them or the bidding reopened.

Northwestern v. City of Evanston

The university alleges the city designated the Northeast Evanston Historic District by unconstitutional means when it changed the boundaries in 2000 to include 49 of the university’s buildings. NU claims the city approved the district change to pressure it into paying taxes on its buildings.

This is a high-profile case but will not be a large financial liability. A court date is set for March 1.

Other large litigations include: Shah v. City of Evanston, Bledsoe v. City of Evanston, Hicks v. City of Evanston, Khan v. City of Evanston and Klujewski v. City of Evanston.