New lawsuit-interest bill is no true compromise

The recent article in the Daily Herald, "Lawmakers pass compromise bill on personal injury cases" mistakenly leads readers to believe that all affected parties were involved when the backroom deal was made to appease the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. The physicians of Illinois do not agree with ITLA President Larry Rogers that the bill is a compromise among the various stakeholders involved. The doctors - your "health care heroes" in this pandemic - continue to oppose any prejudgment interest law.

This bill, if signed by Gov. Pritzker, would allow for imposition of 6 percent prejudgment interest annually in medical liability cases. This is floated as a compromise because it is 3 percentage points less than the 9 percent that was originally requested. How is this a compromise? The current interest rate for this type of penalty in Illinois is zero, because it doesn't exist. This is a wholly new form of "punitive" measures not previously allowed in Illinois.

Nearly every major Illinois health organization remains firmly opposed to the supposed compromise.

Passing this plaintiff-lawyer backed legislation will drive up the cost of practicing medicine in this state, force more doctors to exit Illinois, particularly some specialties, and, in turn, increase health care costs while reducing access to quality medical care for residents.

The Illinois State Medical Society vehemently opposes this legislation. We urge Gov. Pritzker to veto SB 72.

Robert W. Panton, President

Illinois State Medical Society