HB5151 EnrolledLRB097 18657 AJO 63891 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Purpose.
5    (a) In Best v. Taylor Machine Works, 179 Ill.2d 367 (1997),
6the Illinois Supreme Court held that Public Act 89-7 was void
7in its entirety.
8    In Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, 237 Ill.2d 217
9(2010), the Illinois Supreme Court held that Public Act 94-677
10was void in its entirety.
11    (b) The purpose of this Act is to re-enact and repeal
12statutory provisions so the text of those provisions conforms
13to the decisions of the Illinois Supreme Court in Best v.
14Taylor Machine Works and Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital.
15    (c) Except as explained in subsection (h) of this Section
161, this Act is not intended to supersede any Public Act of the
1797th General Assembly that amends the text of a statutory
18provision that appears in this Act.
19    (d) If Public Act 89-7 or Public Act 94-677 amended the
20text of a Section included in this Act, the text of the Section
21is shown in this Act with the changes made by those Public Acts
22omitted, as existing text (without striking and underscoring),
23with the exception of changes of a substantive nature.
24    (e) Provisions that were purportedly added to the statutes

 

 

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1by Public Act 89-7 and Public Act 94-677 are repealed in this
2Act to conform to the decisions of the Illinois Supreme Court.
3    (f) If Public Act 89-7 or Public Act 94-677 purportedly
4amended the text of a Section of the statutes and that Section
5of the statutes was later repealed by another Public Act, the
6text of that Section is not shown in this Act.
7    (g) This Act is intended to re-enact and repeal only those
8statutory provisions affected by Public Act 89-7 or Public Act
994-677 which concern civil procedure for medical malpractice
10cases.
11    (h) This Act also makes substantive changes to the Code of
12Civil Procedure unrelated to Public Act 89-7 or Public Act
1394-677, specifically by amending Sections 2-622 and 2-1114 and
14by adding Section 2-1306.
 
15    Section 5. Section 2-622 of the Code of Civil Procedure is
16re-enacted and amended and Sections 8-1901 and 8-2501 of the
17Code of Civil Procedure are re-enacted as follows:
 
18    (735 ILCS 5/2-622)  (from Ch. 110, par. 2-622)
19    Sec. 2-622. Healing art malpractice.
20    (a) In any action, whether in tort, contract or otherwise,
21in which the plaintiff seeks damages for injuries or death by
22reason of medical, hospital, or other healing art malpractice,
23the plaintiff's attorney or the plaintiff, if the plaintiff is
24proceeding pro se, shall file an affidavit, attached to the

 

 

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1original and all copies of the complaint, declaring one of the
2following:
3        1. That the affiant has consulted and reviewed the
4    facts of the case with a health professional who the
5    affiant reasonably believes: (i) is knowledgeable in the
6    relevant issues involved in the particular action; (ii)
7    practices or has practiced within the last 6 years or
8    teaches or has taught within the last 6 years in the same
9    area of health care or medicine that is at issue in the
10    particular action; and (iii) is qualified by experience or
11    demonstrated competence in the subject of the case; that
12    the reviewing health professional has determined in a
13    written report, after a review of the medical record and
14    other relevant material involved in the particular action
15    that there is a reasonable and meritorious cause for the
16    filing of such action; and that the affiant has concluded
17    on the basis of the reviewing health professional's review
18    and consultation that there is a reasonable and meritorious
19    cause for filing of such action. If the affidavit is filed
20    as to a defendant who is a physician licensed to treat
21    human ailments without the use of drugs or medicines and
22    without operative surgery, a dentist, a podiatrist, a
23    psychologist, or a naprapath, the written report must be
24    from a health professional licensed in the same profession,
25    with the same class of license, as the defendant. For
26    affidavits filed as to all other defendants, the written

 

 

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1    report must be from a physician licensed to practice
2    medicine in all its branches. In either event, the
3    affidavit must identify the profession of the reviewing
4    health professional. A copy of the written report, clearly
5    identifying the plaintiff and the reasons for the reviewing
6    health professional's determination that a reasonable and
7    meritorious cause for the filing of the action exists, must
8    be attached to the affidavit, but information which would
9    identify the reviewing health professional may be deleted
10    from the copy so attached.
11        2. That the affiant was unable to obtain a consultation
12    required by paragraph 1 because a statute of limitations
13    would impair the action and the consultation required could
14    not be obtained before the expiration of the statute of
15    limitations. If an affidavit is executed pursuant to this
16    paragraph, the certificate and written report required by
17    paragraph 1 shall be filed within 90 days after the filing
18    of the complaint. The defendant shall be excused from
19    answering or otherwise pleading until 30 days after being
20    served with a certificate required by paragraph 1.
21        3. That a request has been made by the plaintiff or his
22    attorney for examination and copying of records pursuant to
23    Part 20 of Article VIII of this Code and the party required
24    to comply under those Sections has failed to produce such
25    records within 60 days of the receipt of the request. If an
26    affidavit is executed pursuant to this paragraph, the

 

 

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1    certificate and written report required by paragraph 1
2    shall be filed within 90 days following receipt of the
3    requested records. All defendants except those whose
4    failure to comply with Part 20 of Article VIII of this Code
5    is the basis for an affidavit under this paragraph shall be
6    excused from answering or otherwise pleading until 30 days
7    after being served with the certificate required by
8    paragraph 1.
9    (b) Where a certificate and written report are required
10pursuant to this Section a separate certificate and written
11report shall be filed as to each defendant who has been named
12in the complaint and shall be filed as to each defendant named
13at a later time.
14    (c) Where the plaintiff intends to rely on the doctrine of
15"res ipsa loquitur", as defined by Section 2-1113 of this Code,
16the certificate and written report must state that, in the
17opinion of the reviewing health professional, negligence has
18occurred in the course of medical treatment. The affiant shall
19certify upon filing of the complaint that he is relying on the
20doctrine of "res ipsa loquitur".
21    (d) When the attorney intends to rely on the doctrine of
22failure to inform of the consequences of the procedure, the
23attorney shall certify upon the filing of the complaint that
24the reviewing health professional has, after reviewing the
25medical record and other relevant materials involved in the
26particular action, concluded that a reasonable health

 

 

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1professional would have informed the patient of the
2consequences of the procedure.
3    (e) Allegations and denials in the affidavit, made without
4reasonable cause and found to be untrue, shall subject the
5party pleading them or his attorney, or both, to the payment of
6reasonable expenses, actually incurred by the other party by
7reason of the untrue pleading, together with reasonable
8attorneys' fees to be summarily taxed by the court upon motion
9made within 30 days of the judgment or dismissal. In no event
10shall the award for attorneys' fees and expenses exceed those
11actually paid by the moving party, including the insurer, if
12any. In proceedings under this paragraph (e), the moving party
13shall have the right to depose and examine any and all
14reviewing health professionals who prepared reports used in
15conjunction with an affidavit required by this Section.
16    (f) A reviewing health professional who in good faith
17prepares a report used in conjunction with an affidavit
18required by this Section shall have civil immunity from
19liability which otherwise might result from the preparation of
20such report.
21    (g) The failure to file a certificate required by this
22Section shall be grounds for dismissal under Section 2-619.
23    (h) (Blank) This Section does not apply to or affect any
24actions pending at the time of its effective date, but applies
25to cases filed on or after its effective date.
26    (i) (Blank) This amendatory Act of 1997 does not apply to

 

 

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1or affect any actions pending at the time of its effective
2date, but applies to cases filed on or after its effective
3date.
4(Source: P.A. 86-646; 90-579, eff. 5-1-98.)
 
5    (735 ILCS 5/8-1901)  (from Ch. 110, par. 8-1901)
6    Sec. 8-1901. Admission of liability - Effect. The providing
7of, or payment for, medical, surgical, hospital, or
8rehabilitation services, facilities, or equipment by or on
9behalf of any person, or the offer to provide, or pay for, any
10one or more of the foregoing, shall not be construed as an
11admission of any liability by such person or persons.
12Testimony, writings, records, reports or information with
13respect to the foregoing shall not be admissible in evidence as
14an admission of any liability in any action of any kind in any
15court or before any commission, administrative agency, or other
16tribunal in this State, except at the instance of the person or
17persons so making any such provision, payment or offer.
18(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
 
19    (735 ILCS 5/8-2501)  (from Ch. 110, par. 8-2501)
20    Sec. 8-2501. Expert Witness Standards. In any case in which
21the standard of care given by a medical profession is at issue,
22the court shall apply the following standards to determine if a
23witness qualifies as an expert witness and can testify on the
24issue of the appropriate standard of care.

 

 

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1    (a) Relationship of the medical specialties of the witness
2to the medical problem or problems and the type of treatment
3administered in the case;
4    (b) Whether the witness has devoted a substantial portion
5of his or her time to the practice of medicine, teaching or
6University based research in relation to the medical care and
7type of treatment at issue which gave rise to the medical
8problem of which the plaintiff complains;
9    (c) whether the witness is licensed in the same profession
10as the defendant; and
11    (d) whether, in the case against a nonspecialist, the
12witness can demonstrate a sufficient familiarity with the
13standard of care practiced in this State.
14(Source: P.A. 84-7.)
 
15    Section 10. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
16changing Section 2-1114 and by adding Section 2-1306 as
17follows:
 
18    (735 ILCS 5/2-1114)  (from Ch. 110, par. 2-1114)
19    Sec. 2-1114. Contingent fees for attorneys in medical
20malpractice actions.
21    (a) In all medical malpractice actions the total contingent
22fee for plaintiff's attorney or attorneys shall not exceed 33
231/3% of all sums recovered. the following amounts:
24    33 1/3% of the first $150,000 of the sum recovered;

 

 

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1    25% of the next $850,000 of the sum recovered; and
2    20% of any amount recovered over $1,000,000 of the sum
3recovered.
4    (b) For purposes of determining any lump sum contingent
5fee, any future damages recoverable by the plaintiff in
6periodic installments shall be reduced to a lump sum value.
7    (c) (Blank) The court may review contingent fee agreements
8for fairness. In special circumstances, where an attorney
9performs extraordinary services involving more than usual
10participation in time and effort the attorney may apply to the
11court for approval of additional compensation.
12    (d) As used in this Section, "contingent fee basis"
13includes any fee arrangement under which the compensation is to
14be determined in whole or in part on the result obtained.
15(Source: P.A. 84-7.)
 
16    (735 ILCS 5/2-1306 new)
17    Sec. 2-1306. Supersedeas bonds.
18    (a) In civil litigation under any legal theory involving a
19signatory, a successor to a signatory, or a parent or an
20affiliate of a signatory to the Master Settlement Agreement
21described in Section 6z-43 of the State Finance Act, execution
22of the judgment shall be stayed during the entire course of
23appellate review upon the posting of a supersedeas bond or
24other form of security in accordance with applicable laws or
25court rules, except that the total amount of the supersedeas

 

 

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1bond or other form of security that is required of all
2appellants collectively shall not exceed $250,000,000,
3regardless of the amount of the judgment, provided that this
4limitation shall apply only if appellants file at least 30% of
5the total amount in the form of cash, a letter of credit, a
6certificate of deposit, or other cash equivalent with the
7court. The cash or cash equivalent shall be deposited by the
8clerk of the court in the account of the court, and any
9interest earned shall be utilized as provided by law.
10    (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this Section, if an
11appellee proves by a preponderance of the evidence that an
12appellant is dissipating assets outside the ordinary course of
13business to avoid payment of a judgment, a court may require
14the appellant to post a supersedeas bond in an amount up to the
15total amount of the judgment.
16    (c) This Section applies to pending actions as well as
17actions commenced on or after its effective date, and to
18judgments entered or reinstated on or after its effective date.
 
19    (735 ILCS 5/2-624 rep.)
20    (735 ILCS 5/2-1704.5 rep.)
21    (735 ILCS 5/2-1706.5 rep.)
22    Section 15. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
23repealing Sections 2-624, 2-1704.5, and 2-1706.5.
 
24    Section 95. Applicability. The changes made by this

 

 

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1amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly apply to actions
2commenced or pending on or after the effective date of this
3amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly.
 
4    Section 97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are
5severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.
 
6    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
7becoming law.