June 1, 2007

Both houses of the Illinois legislature have now passed and sent to Gov. Rod Blagojevich for his expected signature a bill (see May 8) authorizing suits over family grief and emotional distress in wrongful-death cases. As Ed Murnane at the Illinois Justice Blog has noted, the grief-damages bill did not prove as controversial as a separate bill meant to pry open deep pockets by restoring liberal principles of joint and several liability in cases of multiple defendants; that bill is still under consideration.