§ 5/8-1901 Admission of liability--Effect

Codes > Illinois Compiled Statutes > Chapter 735 > Act 5 : Article VIII > Part 19 : 5/8-1901 Admission

§ 8-1901. Admission of liability--Effect.

    (a) The providing of, or payment for, medical, surgical, hospital, or rehabilitation services, facilities, or equipment by or on behalf of any person, or the offer to provide, or pay for, any one or more of the foregoing, shall not be construed as an admission of any liability by such person or persons. Testimony, writings, records, reports or information with respect to the foregoing shall not be admissible in evidence as an admission of any liability in any action of any kind in any court or before any commission, administrative agency, or other tribunal in this State, except at the instance of the person or persons so making any such provision, payment or offer.

    (b) Any expression of grief, apology, or explanation provided by a health care provider, including, but not limited to, a statement that the health care provider is “sorry” for the outcome to a patient, the patient's family, or the patient's legal representative about an inadequate or unanticipated treatment or care outcome that is provided within 72 hours of when the provider knew or should have known of the potential cause of such outcome shall not be admissible as evidence in any action of any kind in any court or before any tribunal, board, agency, or person. The disclosure of any such information, whether proper, or improper, shall not waive or have any effect upon its confidentiality or inadmissibility. As used in this Section, a “health care provider” is any hospital, nursing home or other facility, or employee or agent thereof, a physician, or other licensed health care professional. Nothing in this Sectionprecludes the discovery or admissibility of any other facts regarding the patient's treatment or outcome as otherwise permitted by law.

    (c) The changes to this Section made by this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly apply to causes of action accruing on or after its effective date.

    VALIDITY

    P.A. 94-677, effective August 25, 2005, a comprehensive revision of the law relating to health care and medical malpractice actions, is unconstitutional in its entirety because (i) provisions limiting the recovery of damages for
non-economic losses in medical malpractice actions violate the separation of powers principle of the Illinois Constitution (ILCON Art. II, Sec. 1) and (ii) other provisions are inseverable. Lebron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, 237 Ill.2d 217 (2010).