Public Act 90-0579 of the 90th General Assembly

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Public Act 90-0579

SB120 Enrolled                                 LRB9001516RCks

    AN ACT to amend the Code of Civil Procedure  by  changing
Section 2-622.

    Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section  5.  The Code of Civil Procedure  is  amended  by
changing Section 2-622 as follows:

    (735 ILCS 5/2-622) (from Ch. 110, par. 2-622)
    Sec. 2-622.  Healing art malpractice.
    (a)  In   any   action,  whether  in  tort,  contract  or
otherwise, in which the plaintiff seeks damages for  injuries
or death by reason of medical, hospital, or other healing art
malpractice,  the  plaintiff's  attorney or the plaintiff, if
the plaintiff is proceeding pro se, shall file an  affidavit,
attached  to  the  original  and all copies of the complaint,
declaring one of the following:
         1.  That the affiant has consulted and reviewed  the
    facts  of  the  case  with  a health professional who the
    affiant reasonably believes: (i) is knowledgeable in  the
    relevant  issues  involved in the particular action; (ii)
    practices or has practiced within the  last  6  years  or
    teaches or has taught within the last 6 years in the same
    area  of  health care or medicine that is at issue in the
    particular action; and (iii) is qualified  by  experience
    or  demonstrated  competence  in the subject of the case;
    that the reviewing health professional has determined  in
    a  written  report,  after a review of the medical record
    and other relevant material involved  in  the  particular
    action  that  there is a reasonable and meritorious cause
    for the filing of such action; and that the  affiant  has
    concluded   on   the   basis   of  the  reviewing  health
    professional's review and consultation that  there  is  a
    reasonable  and  meritorious  cause  for  filing  of such
    action. If the affidavit is filed as to a  defendant  who
    is  a  physician licensed to treat human ailments without
    the use of  drugs  or  medicines  and  without  operative
    surgery, a dentist, a podiatrist, or a psychologist, or a
    naprapath,  the  written  report  must  be  from a health
    professional licensed in the same  profession,  with  the
    same  class of license, as the defendant.  For affidavits
    filed as to all other defendants, the written report must
    be from a physician licensed to practice medicine in  all
    its  branches.   In  either  event,  the  affidavit  must
    identify   the   profession   of   the  reviewing  health
    professional. A  copy  of  the  written  report,  clearly
    identifying   the  plaintiff  and  the  reasons  for  the
    reviewing  health  professional's  determination  that  a
    reasonable and meritorious cause for the  filing  of  the
    action  exists,  must  be  attached to the affidavit. The
    report shall include the name  and  the  address  of  the
    health professional.
         2.  That    the   plaintiff   has   not   previously
    voluntarily dismissed an action based upon  the  same  or
    substantially  the  same  acts, omissions, or occurrences
    and that the affiant was unable to obtain a  consultation
    required  by paragraph 1 because a statute of limitations
    would impair the action  and  the  consultation  required
    could  not  be  obtained  before  the  expiration  of the
    statute of limitations.   If  an  affidavit  is  executed
    pursuant  to  this paragraph, the certificate and written
    report required by paragraph 1 shall be filed  within  90
    days  after  the  filing of the complaint.  The defendant
    shall be excused from  answering  or  otherwise  pleading
    until  30  days  after  being  served  with a certificate
    required by paragraph 1.
         3.  That a request has been made by the plaintiff or
    his attorney  for  examination  and  copying  of  records
    pursuant  to Part 20 of Article VIII of this Code and the
    party required to comply under those Sections has  failed
    to  produce such records within 60 days of the receipt of
    the request.  If an affidavit  is  executed  pursuant  to
    this   paragraph,  the  certificate  and  written  report
    required by paragraph 1 shall be  filed  within  90  days
    following   receipt   of   the  requested  records.   All
    defendants except those whose failure to comply with Part
    20 of Article VIII of this  Code  is  the  basis  for  an
    affidavit  under  this  paragraph  shall  be excused from
    answering or otherwise pleading until 30 days after being
    served with the certificate required by paragraph 1.
    (b)  Where a certificate and written report are  required
pursuant  to  this Section a separate certificate and written
report shall be filed as to each defendant who has been named
in the complaint and shall be  filed  as  to  each  defendant
named at a later time.
    (c)  Where  the plaintiff intends to rely on the doctrine
of "res ipsa loquitur", as defined by Section 2-1113 of  this
Code,  the certificate and written report must state that, in
the opinion of the reviewing health professional,  negligence
has occurred in the course of medical treatment.  The affiant
shall certify upon filing of the complaint that he is relying
on the doctrine of "res ipsa loquitur".
    (d)  When the attorney intends to rely on the doctrine of
failure  to  inform of the consequences of the procedure, the
attorney shall certify upon the filing of the complaint  that
the  reviewing  health  professional has, after reviewing the
medical record and other relevant materials involved  in  the
particular   action,   concluded  that  a  reasonable  health
professional  would  have  informed  the   patient   of   the
consequences of the procedure.
    (e)  Allegations  and  denials  in  the  affidavit,  made
without  reasonable  cause  and  found  to  be  untrue, shall
subject the party pleading them or his attorney, or both,  to
the  payment of reasonable expenses, actually incurred by the
other party by reason of the untrue pleading,  together  with
reasonable attorneys' fees to be summarily taxed by the court
upon motion made within 30 days of the judgment or dismissal.
In  no event shall the award for attorneys' fees and expenses
exceed those actually paid by the moving party, including the
insurer, if any. In proceedings under this paragraph (e), the
moving party shall have the right to depose and  examine  any
and  all  reviewing health professionals who prepared reports
used in  conjunction  with  an  affidavit  required  by  this
Section.
    (f)  A  reviewing  health  professional who in good faith
prepares a report  used  in  conjunction  with  an  affidavit
required  by  this  Section  shall  have  civil immunity from
liability which otherwise might result from  the  preparation
of such report.
    (g)  The  failure  to file a certificate required by this
Section shall be grounds for dismissal under Section 2-619.
    (h)  This amendatory Act of 1995 does  not  apply  to  or
affect any actions pending at the time of its effective date,
but applies to cases filed on or after its effective date.
    (i)  This  amendatory  Act  of  1997 does not apply to or
affect any actions pending at the time of its effective date,
but applies to cases filed on or after its effective date.
(Source: P.A. 89-7, eff. 3-9-95.)

    Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
becoming law.

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