Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr.

Filed: 1/2/2013

 

 


 

 


 
09700HB5151sam002LRB097 18657 HEP 72798 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 5151

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 5151, AS AMENDED, by
3replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4following:
 
5    "Section 1. Purpose.
6    (a) In Best v. Taylor Machine Works, 179 Ill.2d 367 (1997),
7the Illinois Supreme Court held that Public Act 89-7 was void
8in its entirety.
9    In Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, 237 Ill.2d 217
10(2010), the Illinois Supreme Court held that Public Act 94-677
11was void in its entirety.
12    (b) The purpose of this Act is to re-enact and repeal
13statutory provisions so the text of those provisions conforms
14to the decisions of the Illinois Supreme Court in Best v.
15Taylor Machine Works and Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital.
16    (c) Except as explained in subsection (h) of this Section
171, this Act is not intended to supersede any Public Act of the

 

 

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197th General Assembly that amends the text of a statutory
2provision that appears in this Act.
3    (d) If Public Act 89-7 or Public Act 94-677 amended the
4text of a Section included in this Act, the text of the Section
5is shown in this Act with the changes made by those Public Acts
6omitted, as existing text (without striking and underscoring),
7with the exception of changes of a substantive nature.
8    (e) Provisions that were purportedly added to the statutes
9by Public Act 89-7 and Public Act 94-677 are repealed in this
10Act to conform to the decisions of the Illinois Supreme Court.
11    (f) If Public Act 89-7 or Public Act 94-677 purportedly
12amended the text of a Section of the statutes and that Section
13of the statutes was later repealed by another Public Act, the
14text of that Section is not shown in this Act.
15    (g) This Act is intended to re-enact and repeal only those
16statutory provisions affected by Public Act 89-7 or Public Act
1794-677 which concern civil procedure for medical malpractice
18cases.
19    (h) This Act also makes substantive changes to the Code of
20Civil Procedure unrelated to Public Act 89-7 or Public Act
2194-677, specifically by amending Sections 2-622 and 2-1114 and
22by adding Section 2-1306.
 
23    Section 5. Section 2-622 of the Code of Civil Procedure is
24re-enacted and amended and Sections 8-1901 and 8-2501 of the
25Code of Civil Procedure are re-enacted as follows:
 

 

 

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1    (735 ILCS 5/2-622)  (from Ch. 110, par. 2-622)
2    Sec. 2-622. Healing art malpractice.
3    (a) In any action, whether in tort, contract or otherwise,
4in which the plaintiff seeks damages for injuries or death by
5reason of medical, hospital, or other healing art malpractice,
6the plaintiff's attorney or the plaintiff, if the plaintiff is
7proceeding pro se, shall file an affidavit, attached to the
8original and all copies of the complaint, declaring one of the
9following:
10        1. That the affiant has consulted and reviewed the
11    facts of the case with a health professional who the
12    affiant reasonably believes: (i) is knowledgeable in the
13    relevant issues involved in the particular action; (ii)
14    practices or has practiced within the last 6 years or
15    teaches or has taught within the last 6 years in the same
16    area of health care or medicine that is at issue in the
17    particular action; and (iii) is qualified by experience or
18    demonstrated competence in the subject of the case; that
19    the reviewing health professional has determined in a
20    written report, after a review of the medical record and
21    other relevant material involved in the particular action
22    that there is a reasonable and meritorious cause for the
23    filing of such action; and that the affiant has concluded
24    on the basis of the reviewing health professional's review
25    and consultation that there is a reasonable and meritorious

 

 

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1    cause for filing of such action. If the affidavit is filed
2    as to a defendant who is a physician licensed to treat
3    human ailments without the use of drugs or medicines and
4    without operative surgery, a dentist, a podiatrist, a
5    psychologist, or a naprapath, the written report must be
6    from a health professional licensed in the same profession,
7    with the same class of license, as the defendant. For
8    affidavits filed as to all other defendants, the written
9    report must be from a physician licensed to practice
10    medicine in all its branches. In either event, the
11    affidavit must identify the profession of the reviewing
12    health professional. A copy of the written report, clearly
13    identifying the plaintiff and the reasons for the reviewing
14    health professional's determination that a reasonable and
15    meritorious cause for the filing of the action exists, must
16    be attached to the affidavit, but information which would
17    identify the reviewing health professional may be deleted
18    from the copy so attached.
19        2. That the affiant was unable to obtain a consultation
20    required by paragraph 1 because a statute of limitations
21    would impair the action and the consultation required could
22    not be obtained before the expiration of the statute of
23    limitations. If an affidavit is executed pursuant to this
24    paragraph, the certificate and written report required by
25    paragraph 1 shall be filed within 90 days after the filing
26    of the complaint. The defendant shall be excused from

 

 

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1    answering or otherwise pleading until 30 days after being
2    served with a certificate required by paragraph 1.
3        3. That a request has been made by the plaintiff or his
4    attorney for examination and copying of records pursuant to
5    Part 20 of Article VIII of this Code and the party required
6    to comply under those Sections has failed to produce such
7    records within 60 days of the receipt of the request. If an
8    affidavit is executed pursuant to this paragraph, the
9    certificate and written report required by paragraph 1
10    shall be filed within 90 days following receipt of the
11    requested records. All defendants except those whose
12    failure to comply with Part 20 of Article VIII of this Code
13    is the basis for an affidavit under this paragraph shall be
14    excused from answering or otherwise pleading until 30 days
15    after being served with the certificate required by
16    paragraph 1.
17    (b) Where a certificate and written report are required
18pursuant to this Section a separate certificate and written
19report shall be filed as to each defendant who has been named
20in the complaint and shall be filed as to each defendant named
21at a later time.
22    (c) Where the plaintiff intends to rely on the doctrine of
23"res ipsa loquitur", as defined by Section 2-1113 of this Code,
24the certificate and written report must state that, in the
25opinion of the reviewing health professional, negligence has
26occurred in the course of medical treatment. The affiant shall

 

 

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1certify upon filing of the complaint that he is relying on the
2doctrine of "res ipsa loquitur".
3    (d) When the attorney intends to rely on the doctrine of
4failure to inform of the consequences of the procedure, the
5attorney shall certify upon the filing of the complaint that
6the reviewing health professional has, after reviewing the
7medical record and other relevant materials involved in the
8particular action, concluded that a reasonable health
9professional would have informed the patient of the
10consequences of the procedure.
11    (e) Allegations and denials in the affidavit, made without
12reasonable cause and found to be untrue, shall subject the
13party pleading them or his attorney, or both, to the payment of
14reasonable expenses, actually incurred by the other party by
15reason of the untrue pleading, together with reasonable
16attorneys' fees to be summarily taxed by the court upon motion
17made within 30 days of the judgment or dismissal. In no event
18shall the award for attorneys' fees and expenses exceed those
19actually paid by the moving party, including the insurer, if
20any. In proceedings under this paragraph (e), the moving party
21shall have the right to depose and examine any and all
22reviewing health professionals who prepared reports used in
23conjunction with an affidavit required by this Section.
24    (f) A reviewing health professional who in good faith
25prepares a report used in conjunction with an affidavit
26required by this Section shall have civil immunity from

 

 

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1liability which otherwise might result from the preparation of
2such report.
3    (g) The failure to file a certificate required by this
4Section shall be grounds for dismissal under Section 2-619.
5    (h) (Blank) This Section does not apply to or affect any
6actions pending at the time of its effective date, but applies
7to cases filed on or after its effective date.
8    (i) (Blank) This amendatory Act of 1997 does not apply to
9or affect any actions pending at the time of its effective
10date, but applies to cases filed on or after its effective
11date.
12(Source: P.A. 86-646; 90-579, eff. 5-1-98.)
 
13    (735 ILCS 5/8-1901)  (from Ch. 110, par. 8-1901)
14    Sec. 8-1901. Admission of liability - Effect. The providing
15of, or payment for, medical, surgical, hospital, or
16rehabilitation services, facilities, or equipment by or on
17behalf of any person, or the offer to provide, or pay for, any
18one or more of the foregoing, shall not be construed as an
19admission of any liability by such person or persons.
20Testimony, writings, records, reports or information with
21respect to the foregoing shall not be admissible in evidence as
22an admission of any liability in any action of any kind in any
23court or before any commission, administrative agency, or other
24tribunal in this State, except at the instance of the person or
25persons so making any such provision, payment or offer.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
 
2    (735 ILCS 5/8-2501)  (from Ch. 110, par. 8-2501)
3    Sec. 8-2501. Expert Witness Standards. In any case in which
4the standard of care given by a medical profession is at issue,
5the court shall apply the following standards to determine if a
6witness qualifies as an expert witness and can testify on the
7issue of the appropriate standard of care.
8    (a) Relationship of the medical specialties of the witness
9to the medical problem or problems and the type of treatment
10administered in the case;
11    (b) Whether the witness has devoted a substantial portion
12of his or her time to the practice of medicine, teaching or
13University based research in relation to the medical care and
14type of treatment at issue which gave rise to the medical
15problem of which the plaintiff complains;
16    (c) whether the witness is licensed in the same profession
17as the defendant; and
18    (d) whether, in the case against a nonspecialist, the
19witness can demonstrate a sufficient familiarity with the
20standard of care practiced in this State.
21(Source: P.A. 84-7.)
 
22    Section 10. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
23changing Section 2-1114 and by adding Section 2-1306 as
24follows:
 

 

 

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1    (735 ILCS 5/2-1114)  (from Ch. 110, par. 2-1114)
2    Sec. 2-1114. Contingent fees for attorneys in medical
3malpractice actions.
4    (a) In all medical malpractice actions the total contingent
5fee for plaintiff's attorney or attorneys shall not exceed 33
61/3% of all sums recovered. the following amounts:
7    33 1/3% of the first $150,000 of the sum recovered;
8    25% of the next $850,000 of the sum recovered; and
9    20% of any amount recovered over $1,000,000 of the sum
10recovered.
11    (b) For purposes of determining any lump sum contingent
12fee, any future damages recoverable by the plaintiff in
13periodic installments shall be reduced to a lump sum value.
14    (c) (Blank) The court may review contingent fee agreements
15for fairness. In special circumstances, where an attorney
16performs extraordinary services involving more than usual
17participation in time and effort the attorney may apply to the
18court for approval of additional compensation.
19    (d) As used in this Section, "contingent fee basis"
20includes any fee arrangement under which the compensation is to
21be determined in whole or in part on the result obtained.
22(Source: P.A. 84-7.)
 
23    (735 ILCS 5/2-1306 new)
24    Sec. 2-1306. Supersedeas bonds.

 

 

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1    (a) In civil litigation under any legal theory involving a
2signatory, a successor to a signatory, or a parent or an
3affiliate of a signatory to the Master Settlement Agreement
4described in Section 6z-43 of the State Finance Act, execution
5of the judgment shall be stayed during the entire course of
6appellate review upon the posting of a supersedeas bond or
7other form of security in accordance with applicable laws or
8court rules, except that the total amount of the supersedeas
9bond or other form of security that is required of all
10appellants collectively shall not exceed $250,000,000,
11regardless of the amount of the judgment, provided that this
12limitation shall apply only if appellants file at least 30% of
13the total amount in the form of cash, a letter of credit, a
14certificate of deposit, or other cash equivalent with the
15court. The cash or cash equivalent shall be deposited by the
16clerk of the court in the account of the court, and any
17interest earned shall be utilized as provided by law.
18    (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this Section, if an
19appellee proves by a preponderance of the evidence that an
20appellant is dissipating assets outside the ordinary course of
21business to avoid payment of a judgment, a court may require
22the appellant to post a supersedeas bond in an amount up to the
23total amount of the judgment.
24    (c) This Section applies to pending actions as well as
25actions commenced on or after its effective date, and to
26judgments entered or reinstated on or after its effective date.
 

 

 

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1    (735 ILCS 5/2-624 rep.)
2    (735 ILCS 5/2-1704.5 rep.)
3    (735 ILCS 5/2-1706.5 rep.)
4    Section 15. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
5repealing Sections 2-624, 2-1704.5, and 2-1706.5.
 
6    Section 95. Applicability. The changes made by this
7amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly apply to actions
8commenced or pending on or after the effective date of this
9amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly.
 
10    Section 97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are
11severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.
 
12    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
13becoming law.".