The enormousness of the hoax that the insurance industry is attempting to foist upon the people of this state by the so-called ”tort reform”
legislation is brought into clear focus by two recent stories in the world of professional sports.
First, the Chicago Bulls fired coach Stan Albeck despite having to pay him $250,000 for the remaining year of his contract. Second, Richard Dent, the Bears all-pro defensive end, recently rejected a $500,000-per-year salary offer. Under proposed legislation introduced by several Republican members of the legislature and backed by intensive insurance industry lobbying, damages for injury victims will be limited to $250,000.
Furthermore, punitive damages for intentional misconduct or gross negligence would be eliminated as a source of compensation to the injured person. Thus, if a professional athlete driving his Mercedes while intoxicated or high on drugs were to strike a 5-year-old child and render that child a quadriplegic, that child would receive, at most, $250,000 for a lifetime of permanent disability and continuous pain and suffering. That our legislature is even considering such legislation is a reflection of how twisted our society`s values have become.
