New IL law opens employers, others to risk of massive punitive damages in wrongful death cases; Law could face challenges – Cook County Record

HB219 changes the Illinois Wrongful Death Act and Survival Act by allowing plaintiffs for the first time in the state's history to tack potentially massive punitive damage awards onto jury verdicts against defendants targeted by personal injury lawsuits that also allege wrongful death against people and businesses accused of engaging in reprehensible, reckless or intentional conduct.  One attorney said the law could have a bearing on product-liability cases, particularly in lawsuits in the state's massive docket of personal injury claims related to asbestos.