Illinois Supreme Court Considers Pattern Jury Instruction for Medical Malpractice Cases
side note: Could this be a judicial “make good”? After neutering the majority of Illinois’ medical malpractice tort reforms when it deemed the state’s cap on non-economic damages unconstitutional two years ago, Illinois’ highest court more clearly defined the role of expert testimony in medical professional liability lawsuits this month. The question is whether this clarification of Illinois’ pattern jury instructions will have any affect on the risk exposure of the state’s healthcare community.
The Illinois Supreme Court addressed an interesting issue earlier this month: whether the Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions on the standard of care for professional negligence correctly stated the law in Illinois. This issue was considered in Studt v. Sherman Health Systems, 2011 WL 2409897.
