740 ILCS 45/17 — Illinois Code / Chapter 740 / Act 45 / Section 17
Section 17
Status: in_force

(740 ILCS 45/17) (from Ch. 70, par. 87) Sec. 17. Subrogation. (a) The Court of Claims may award compensation on the condition that the applicant subrogate to the State his rights to collect damages from the assailant or any third party who may be liable in damages to the applicant. In such a case the Attorney General may, on behalf of the State, bring an action against an assailant or third party for money damages, but must first notify the applicant and give him an opportunity to participate in the prosecution of the action. The excess of the amount recovered in such action over the amount of the compensation offered and accepted or awarded under this Act plus costs of the action and attorneys' fees actually incurred shall be paid to the applicant. (b) Nothing in this Act affects the right of the applicant to seek civil damages from the assailant and any other party, but that applicant must give written notice to the Attorney General within 10 days after the making of a claim or the filing of an action for such damages, and within 10 days after the conclusion of the claim or action. The applicant must attach to the written notice a copy of the complaint, settlement agreement, jury verdict, or judgment. Failure to timely notify the Attorney General of such claims and actions is a willful omission of fact and the applicant thereby becomes subject to the provisions of Section 20 of this Act. (c) The State has a charge for the amount of compensation paid under this Act upon all claims or causes of action against an assailant and any other party to recover for the injuries or death of a victim which were the basis for that payment of compensation. At the time compensation is ordered to be paid under this Act, the Court of Claims shall give written notice of this charge to the applicant. The charge attaches to any verdict or judgment entered and to any money or property which is recovered on account of the claim or cause of action against the assailant or any other party after the notice is given. On petition filed by the Attorney General on behalf of the State or by the applicant, the circuit court, on written notice to all interested parties, shall adjudicate the right of the parties and enforce the charge. This subsection does not affect the priority of a lien under "AN ACT creating attorney's lien and for enforcement of same", filed June 16, 1909, as amended. Only the Court of Claims may reduce the State's lien under this Act. The Court of Claims may consider the nature and extent of the injury, economic loss, settlements, hospital costs, physician costs, attorney's fees and costs, and all other appropriate costs. The burden of producing evidence sufficient to support the exercise by the Court of Claims of its discretion to reduce the amount of a proven charge sought to be enforced against the recovery shall rest with the party seeking such reduction. The charges of the State described in this Section, however, shall take priority over all other liens and charges existing under the laws of the State of Illinois. (d) Where compensation is awarded under this Act and the person receiving same also receives any sum required to be, and that has not been deducted under Section 10.1, he shall refund to the State the amount of compensation paid to him which would have been deducted at the time the award was made. (e) An amount not to exceed 25% of all money recovered under subsections (b) or (c) of this Section shall be placed in the Violent Crime Victims Assistance Fund to assist with costs related to recovery efforts. "Recovery efforts" means those activities that are directly attributable to obtaining restitution, civil suit recoveries, and other reimbursements. (f) The applicant must give written notice to the Attorney General within 10 days after an offender is ordered by a court to pay restitution. The applicant shall attach a copy of the restitution order or judgment to the written notice. Failure to timely notify the Attorney General of court-ordered restitution is a willful omission of fact and the applicant thereby becomes subject to the provisions of Section 20 of this Act. The Attorney General may file a written copy of the Court of Claims' decision awarding crime victims compensation in a criminal case in which the offender has been ordered to pay restitution for the victim's expenses incurred as a result of the same criminal conduct. Upon the filing of the order, the circuit court clerk shall send restitution payments directly to the compensation program for any paid expense reflected in the Court of Claims' decision. (Source: P.A. 97-817, eff. 1-1-13; 98-756, eff. 7-16-14.)