From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Illinois legislators reach deal on malpractice limits," by Kevin McDermott
Top legislators on Wednesday announced a bipartisan agreement for a $500,000 limit on "pain and suffering" damages against Illinois doctors. With leaders of both chambers behind it, the Legislature could pass the measure as early as this week.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's support nearly guarantees that malpractice awards in the state will be capped, unless opponents can undo it later with court challenges.
The landmark measure includes a $1 million limit on noneconomic damages against hospitals. It also contains provisions to prevent frivolous lawsuits, new disciplinary tools and public disclosure to weed out bad doctors, and more oversight and competition among the companies that provide malpractice insurance for doctors.
Don't believe the hype: with caps, it's a sad day for consumers of health care in Illinois.
--Posted by Illinois personal injury attorney T. Evan Schaeffer of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.
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