Quinn Signs Bill Stripping Tort Liability Immunity from Safety Firms

Gov. Pat Quinn has signed into law a bill that would remove tort immunity from independent safety consultants in workers’ compensation cases. The bill, SB 3287, was backed by the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and had sufficient Democratic support to overcome near-unanimous opposition from Republican legislators. The state Chamber of Commerce headed a coalition of groups that urged Quinn to veto the measure.The bill was a direct response to a negligence case that the state Supreme Court declined to hear in 2012. In that case, Brenda Mockbee was rendered paraplegic by a fall...