Letter: New laws protect people hurt by reckless companies
Illinois' civil justice system is a model for the nation in protecting the rights of citizens to hold wrongdoers accountable, contrary to the claims of Phil Melin and his fake "grass-roots" organization called Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse.
In his criticism of the General Assembly's recent session, Melin employs the sentimental affection we feel for mom-and-pop small businesses as a smoke screen to obscure his organization's true mission of protecting the profits of big corporations, insurers, tobacco companies and gun manufacturers.
Melin complains the legislature failed to change the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) to his liking. This law prohibits companies from collecting personal information (like fingerprints and eye scans) for storage, sale, or transfer without consent. An employer obeying this law should be able to avoid lawsuits by doing the right thing and asking people if they agree to share their personal identity information.
No Illinoisan should ever lose their life due to the reckless or intentional conduct of others. It makes no sense to have weaker penalties for acts that kill than ones that don't, but that's what Melin's organization wants.
It opposed House Bill 219, awaiting the governor's signature, which sends a clear message to corporate executives that the lives of Illinoisans will not be devalued. Punitive damages have long been a powerful tool in deterring bad actors from injuring our citizens and the application of that tool to instances where victims lose their lives is proper, logical and long overdue. Illinois will join a healthy majority of states in allowing punitive damages in wrongful death cases.
Melin's organization also opposed a bill that will hold ride-share services, like Uber, accountable for accidents, sexual assaults, injuries and deaths, the same standard that applies to taxi cabs and bus companies.
We're lucky to live in a state that protects its citizens' constitutional rights and puts people over profits.
Michael T. Mertz, Third Vice President
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association