97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB4408

 

Introduced 1/30/2012, by Rep. Michael J. Madigan

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
735 ILCS 5/2-1116  from Ch. 110, par. 2-1116

    Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning limitation on recovery in tort actions.


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A BILL FOR

 

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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 5. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
5changing Section 2-1116 as follows:
 
6    (735 ILCS 5/2-1116)  (from Ch. 110, par. 2-1116)
7    (Text of Section WITH the changes made by P.A. 89-7, which
8has been held unconstitutional)
9    Sec. 2-1116. Limitation on recovery in tort actions; fault.
10    (a) The The purpose of this Section is to allocate the
11responsibility of bearing or paying damages in actions brought
12on account of death, bodily injury, or physical damage to
13property according to the proportionate fault of the persons
14who proximately caused the damage.
15    (b) As used in this Section:
16    "Fault" means any act or omission that (i) is negligent,
17willful and wanton, or reckless, is a breach of an express or
18implied warranty, gives rise to strict liability in tort, or
19gives rise to liability under the provisions of any State
20statute, rule, or local ordinance and (ii) is a proximate cause
21of death, bodily injury to person, or physical damage to
22property for which recovery is sought.
23    "Contributory fault" means any fault on the part of the

 

 

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1plaintiff (including but not limited to negligence, assumption
2of the risk, or willful and wanton misconduct) which is a
3proximate cause of the death, bodily injury to person, or
4physical damage to property for which recovery is sought.
5    "Tortfeasor" means any person, excluding the injured
6person, whose fault is a proximate cause of the death, bodily
7injury to person, or physical damage to property for which
8recovery is sought, regardless of whether that person is the
9plaintiff's employer, regardless of whether that person is
10joined as a party to the action, and regardless of whether that
11person may have settled with the plaintiff.
12    (c) In all actions on account of death, bodily injury or
13physical damage to property in which recovery is predicated
14upon fault, the contributory fault chargeable to the plaintiff
15shall be compared with the fault of all tortfeasors whose fault
16was a proximate cause of the death, injury, loss, or damage for
17which recovery is sought. The plaintiff shall be barred from
18recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the
19contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is more than
2050% of the proximate cause of the injury or damage for which
21recovery is sought. The plaintiff shall not be barred from
22recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the
23contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is not more
24than 50% of the proximate cause of the injury or damage for
25which recovery is sought, but any economic or non-economic
26damages allowed shall be diminished in the proportion to the

 

 

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1amount of fault attributable to the plaintiff.
2    (d) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to create a
3cause of action.
4    (e) This amendatory Act of 1995 applies to causes of action
5accruing on or after its effective date.
6(Source: P.A. 89-7, eff. 3-9-95.)
 
7    (Text of Section WITHOUT the changes made by P.A. 89-7,
8which has been held unconstitutional)
9    Sec. 2-1116. Limitation on recovery in tort actions.
10     In all actions on account of bodily injury or death or
11physical damage to property, based on negligence, or product
12liability based on strict tort liability, the plaintiff shall
13be barred from recovering damages if the trier of fact finds
14that the contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is
15more than 50% of the proximate cause of the injury or damage
16for which recovery is sought. The plaintiff shall not be barred
17from recovering damages if the trier of fact finds that the
18contributory fault on the part of the plaintiff is not more
19than 50% of the proximate cause of the injury or damage for
20which recovery is sought, but any damages allowed shall be
21diminished in the proportion to the amount of fault
22attributable to the plaintiff.
23(Source: P.A. 84-1431.)