Illinois citizens are speaking out against Governor JB Pritzker signing SB 328. This new law will allow trial lawyers nationwide to file lawsuits in Illinois courts, even if the alleged incident occurred outside the state according to a new Chicago City Wire article:

“The legislation, SB 328, would open Illinois courts to lawsuits from out-of-state plaintiffs, potentially increasing the number of cases filed in counties known to be favorable to plaintiffs.Some Illinois counties, including Cook, Madison and St. Clair, have been identified as plaintiff-friendly and lucrative for trial lawyers.”

Illinois is already a hot bed for frivolous litigation. And now this new law will open Illinois up to even more lawsuits from trial lawyers and more exploitation of victims looking for access at the hands of lawyers with a new venue for victimization. The end result will be higher costs for Illinois families. Phil Melin, executive director of Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA), said “It’s a gift to powerful trial lawyer interests at the expense of the people of Illinois.” 

The American Tort Reform Association President Tiger Joyce reiterated these concerns in a statement:

“Cook County hosts 91% of the state’s high-value civil cases despite having only 40% of its population. Madison and St. Clair Counties are notorious for attracting asbestos litigation, earning them ‘Dishonorable Mentions’ in the latest Judicial Hellholes® report. 

More than 208,000 jobs are lost annually in Illinois due to excessive tort costs, while each resident pays $1,919 annually in a hidden ‘tort tax’ — one of the highest in the nation,” Joyce added. “In Chicago, that figure jumps to nearly $2,500 per person.”

A similar bill almost passed the New York legislature in 2021 but was vetoed by Governor Kathy Hochul out of concerns for small businesses. Illinois lawmakers should focus on bills that protect Illinois consumers and small businesses, not hurt them.