FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 25, 2007
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Laurie Peacock, 312-580-6497
(cell) 312-608-3620
They’re ‘At It’ Again: Plaintiff Attorneys’ Attempts to Roll Back Medical Litigation Reforms Will Jeopardize Health Care Access for Patients
Springfield— Illinois personal injury lawyers are silently maneuvering to reverse the impact of medical litigation reforms enacted in August, 2005. Their latest stealth campaign: passage of House Bill 1798, which will seriously worsen Illinois' medical litigation crisis by adding damages for grief, sorrow, and mental suffering in wrongful death lawsuits.
Current law already provides for proper recovery. Today, the spouse and next of kin in a wrongful death case may recover for loss of society and companionship with the deceased. Such damages include deprivation of love, care, comfort, protection, guidance, advice and affection of the deceased. Substantial sums are already awarded in cases for these losses.
“HB 1798 is clearly an attempt to inflate damages in medical liability awards, and is a major step in the wrong direction,” said Illinois State Medical Society President Rodney C. Osborn, M.D. “It would increase medical liability costs for physicians and patients, as well as hospitals and other health care professionals – all to accommodate an increase in awards and judgments for non-economic damages.”
With a floor vote looming as early as today in the Illinois House of Representatives, the Illinois State Medical Society is speaking out strongly against the bill on behalf of its 13,000 members statewide.
“Two years ago, Illinois lawmakers thoughtfully reviewed, investigated and debated the medical liability crisis,” Dr. Osborn stated. “In the end, they decided to maintain patient access to health care by capping non-economic damages. House Bill 1798 will erode these efforts.”
The Illinois State Medical Society is a statewide professional association of 13,000 physicians in all medical specialties. Dr. Rodney Osborn is an anesthesiologist practicing in Peoria, Illinois.