Among the pieces of legislation inspired by the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at the veterans’ home in Quincy is a bill to raise the caps on tort awards in such cases.
As the death toll from the illness at Quincy rose to thirteen, it came out that the victims’ survivors would be eligible for no more than $100,000. State Rep. Al Riley (D-Olympia Fields) sponsored a bill to raise that maximum to $2 million.
“This is not a hospital or something like that,” Riley said. “People were in these homes who might have been hale and hearty when they came in. Then we had the unfortunate situation of the Legionnaires’ disease, which actually could have been found out a lot earlier than it was.”
The bill applies to those in the state’s custody or care, said Riley.
SB 2481 awaits the governor’s action.