§ 5/2-1115.1 Limitations on recovery of non-economic damages
§ 2-1115.1. Limitations on recovery of non-economic damages.
(a) In all common law, statutory or other actions that seek damages on account of death, bodily injury, or physical damage to property based on negligence, or product liability based on any theory or doctrine, recovery of non-economic damages shall be limited to $500,000 per plaintiff. There shall be no recovery for hedonic damages.
(b) Beginning in 1997, every January 20, the liability limit established in subsection (a) shall automatically be increased or decreased, as applicable, by a percentage equal to the percentage change in the consumer price index-u during the preceding 12-month calendar year. “Consumer price index-u” means the index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor that measures the average change in prices of goods and services purchased by all urban consumers, United States city average, all items, 1982-84 = 100. The new amount resulting from each annual adjustment shall be determined by the Comptroller and made available to the chief judge of each judicial circuit.
(c) The liability limits at the time at which damages subject to such limits are awarded by final judgment or settlement shall be utilized by the courts.
(d) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to create a right to recover non-economic damages.
(e) This amendatory Act of 1995 applies to causes of action accruing on or after its effective date.
VALIDITY
Public Act 89-7, which added this section, has been held unconstitutional in its entirety by the Illinois Supreme Court in the case of Best v. Taylor Machine Works, 1997, 689 N.E.2d 1057, 228 Ill.Dec. 636, 179 Ill.2d 367.