Amicus Brief, Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital

Authors

• Neil Vidmar, Duke University Law School
• Tom Baker, University of Pennsylvania School of Law
• Ralph L. Brill, Chicago-Kent College of Law
• Martha Chamallas, Ohio State University College of Law
• Stephen Daniels, American Bar Foundation
• Thomas A. Eaton, University of Georgia School of LawFollow
• Theodore Eisenberg, Cornell University Law School
• Neal R. Feigenson, Quinnipiac University School of Law
• Lucinda M. Finley, State University of New York, Buffalo, Law School
• Marc Galanter, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of LawFollow
• Valerie P. Hans, Cornell Law School
• Michael Heise, Cornell Law School
• Edward J. Kionka, Southern Illinois University School of Law
• Thomas H. Koenig, Northeaster University Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology
• Herbert M. Kritzer, William Mitchell College of Law
• David I. Levine, University of California,Hastings College of Law
• Nancy S. Marder, Chicago-Kent College of Law
• Joanne Martin, American Bar Foundation
• Frank M. McClellan, Temple University School of Law
• Deborah Jones Merritt, Ohio State University
• Philip G. Peters, Jr., University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law
• James T. Richardson, University of Nevada-Reno Dept. of Sociology
• Charles Silver, University of Texas School of LawFollow
• Richard W. Wright, Chicago-Kent College of Law

Amicus Brief in support of Plaintiffs-Appellees, Abigaile Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, No. 105741 (Ill. Aug. 21, 2008)

Abstract

Illinois Public Act 82-280, § 2-1706.5, as amended by P.A. 94-677, § 330 (eff. Aug. 25, 2005), and as codified as 735 ILCS 5/2-1706.5(a), imposes a $500,000 “cap” on the noneconomic damages that may be awarded in a medical malpractice suit against a physician or other health care professional, and a $1 million “cap” on the noneconomic damages that may be awarded against a hospital, its affiliates, or their employees.

This brief will address two of the questions presented for review by the parties:

1. Does the cap violate the Illinois Constitution’s prohibition on “special legislation,” Art. IV, § 3, because it unnecessarily, arbitrarily, and irrationally grants exceptional benefits and privileges exclusively to certain classes of tort defendants.

2. Does the cap violate the Illinois Constitution’s guarantee of “equal protection,” Art. I, § 2, because it unnecessarily, arbitrarily, and irrationally imposes extraordinary burdens uniquely upon certain classes and sub-classes of tort plaintiffs.

Repository Citation

Neil Vidmar; Tom Baker; Ralph L. Brill; Martha Chamallas; Stephen Daniels; Thomas A. Eaton; Theodore Eisenberg; Neal R. Feigenson; Lucinda M. Finley; Marc Galanter; Valerie P. Hans; Michael Heise; Edward J. Kionka; Thomas H. Koenig; Herbert M. Kritzer; David I. Levine; Nancy S. Marder; Joanne Martin; Frank M. McClellan; Deborah Jones Merritt; Philip G. Peters, Jr.; James T. Richardson; Charles Silver; and Richard W. Wright, Amicus Brief, Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital (2008),
Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/fac_artchop/497