![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The bill is an initiative of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, which has historically been an ally to Democrats. HB 219 would take the standards for seeking punitive damages in personal injury cases and apply them to Illinois’ Wrongful Death Act. “The awarding of punitive damages should not turn on whether the injuries were severe enough to kill the plaintiff.” “It's only when the plaintiff has died from his or her injuries that punitive damages are precluded,” Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said Thursday during a brief debate on House Bill 219. Illinois is one of 16 states that does not allow for the recovery of punitive damages in wrongful death cases, though the state does allow for plaintiffs in personal injury cases to seek punitive damages. Democrats in the General Assembly this week lined up to push a measure that would allow state courts to award punitive damages in wrongful death lawsuits – a departure from the status quo for more than a century in Illinois. ![]()
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