Peoria Standard

CHICAGO – Lawsuit abuse continues to grow in Peoria and surrounding counties with every resident now paying a $373 annual “tort tax” to cover the loss in jobs and economic output, according to a new study released today by Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse.

Illinois CALA’s Executive Director Phil Melin presented the findings of the Perryman Group report at a meeting with State Representatives Dan Ugaste of Geneva and Jeff Keicher of Sycamore and several small business owners in Pingree Grove this morning.

“It is important for Illinois to have a strong civil justice system where injured parties can seek redress, but the Illinois Legislature routinely tips the scales of justice in favor of the trial attorney lobby and against the small businesses and entrepreneurs who drive our economy and create a majority of our jobs,” Melin said. “This imbalance results in excessive and abusive tort litigation resulting in a tremendous cost to each citizen of Illinois in terms of direct costs, gross domestic product, government revenue, and job loss.

Click to Read Report

Reports highlights find that in 2022 excessive tort litigation:

• Lost $21.4 Billion in gross product in Illinois and $148 Million in the Peoria MSA region (Counties of Marshall, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell & Woodford)
• Cost 202,563 jobs in Illinois and 1,401 jobs in the Peoria MSA
• Cost state and local governments more than $2 Million in lost revenue 

Recent Legislative Session Devastating for Small Business Job Creators

“While there are some Illinois legislators like Representatives Jeff Keicher and Dan Ugaste who routinely fight to balance the scales of justice for our local small businesses, Springfield is currently dominated by the big money trial attorney lobby that never misses an opportunity to extract more of Illinois’ potential economic growth for itself,” Melin said.  

The recently concluded spring legislative session was devastating for Illinois businesses because:

• The Legislature ignored the calls of the Illinois Supreme Court and failed to fix the obvious excesses of the Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”).
• The Legislature passed HB0219, which created new punitive damage liabilities on top of compensatory damages for wrongful death claims.
• The Legislature passed the Transportation Services Act that imposes new strict liability on rideshare dispatch companies.

“The actions of the Illinois General Assembly and State Senate will surely harm the Illinois and local economies in 2023. We anticipate that tort abuse in Illinois will continue to hinder economic growth and cost jobs in a major way until state legislators balance the scales of justice with reasonable reform measures,” Melin concluded.