New law adds protection
We appreciate The News-Gazette’s recent attention to Illinois Senate Bill 328 but write to address misconceptions promoted by its opponents.
When a person from Champaign visits another state, whether for a work assignment or other purpose, we expect that businesses there will take steps to protect the individual from exposure to toxic substances.
And if that Illinoisan develops a serious illness or dies due to their encounter with hazardous materials, we should expect that companies responsible for that person’s condition will be held accountable — regardless of where they are headquartered.
SB 328, passed by the Legislature and under consideration by the governor, modernizes state law to allow for the inclusion of out-of-state companies as defendants in a case brought by an injured party or their family, as long as there is first a connection to a company that has taken an action to cause harm in Illinois.
The court could then include out-of-state companies as defendants, but only if they do business here and only if the substance at issue is toxic.
No longer would an Illinois plaintiff be responsible for attempting to navigate legal complexities in multiple other states; complete resolution could be reached from a single courtroom here. For people seeking fair compensation for the ravages of diseases caused by their exposure to hazardous materials, this change can’t come soon enough.
The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association is joined by the state’s leading labor unions, consumer advocates and environmental organizations in urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to approve SB 328.
TIMOTHY CAVANAGH
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
Springfield
