Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-02-02
PAY FOR Personal DAMAGES
Two Bills That Seek TO Raise the Limit
Now Fixed for Death.


Now Fixed for Death.
Springfield, Ills, Feb. Am extra
ordinary effort is expected in this ses-
sion of the general assembly to raise
or utterly remove the $1,000 limitation
on amount of damages recoverable
from persons, companies or corpora
tons for causing the death OF any per-
son by wrongful act, neglect or de-
fault" Two bills in this direction have
already been introduced. one by Repre-
sentative Greenebaum, of Chicago,
which raises the death damages limit
from 5000 to $4,000. and one by Rep
resentative NJ. e. Hunt, of Chicago,
which raises the limit to $4,000.
A bill removing the limitation and
leaving the amount of death damages
to be fixed by a jury in it's Judgment
is expected. If one should not be in
troduced soon, an effort will be made
to remove the limitation by amending
the Greenebaum or the Hunt bill in
committee.
Previous sessions of the legislature
have witnessed bitter fights over this
question. especially the session of 1893.
All the signs point to a harder fight this
time than ever. The railroads have
been the most vigorous opponents of
legislation inimical TO the $1,000 limi-
tation. This general assembly appears
to have q larger number than usual of
members who think it popular and
good politics" to fight the railroads.
Labor Organiza tons generally are for
removal of the limitations. Corpora
lions in business which frequently lead
them to cause death. particularly the
railroads, are keenly alive to the stu
alton, as indicated by well authenti-
Gated reports of their Willingness now
to compromise on legislation raising
the death damages Limitation from So,
600 to $4,000.
Opponents of the limitation here are
getting ready for the fight=not only
the introducers of the two bills already
in, but men of even greater influence
in the general ASSEMBLY, who are not
quite ready TO show their hands. They
are already arming themselves with
arguments drawn from the laws of 9th
er states. rulings by the courts in per-
sonaI damage suits and compromises
between death damage verdicts in Illi-
nois and in states which have no limi-
comparison between amounts recover
able for death and for disabling inju-
ries here in Illinois.
A favorite argument promises to be
roughly put. that the present law of
Illinois makes 1t cheaper to kill n man
than to MAIN him. since only $1,000
can be recovered by his family for
death. while there is no limitation on
the amount recoverable for injuries.
New York experience is being drawn
on extensively in this preparation for
the light. That state had n $1,000
death limit until it, new constitution
was adopted a fGN' years ago. Then
the legislature <as forever prohibited,
until the constitution beamended. from
imposing any limitation.
Results of damage suits against the
New York Central railroad in conse-
quence of the Park avenue tunnel dis
aster CT Jan. s. 1902. are drawn on for
evidence of what happens for the bene-
fit of widows and children and next
of kin when death damages are sued
for where there is no limitation on re-
coverable amount. For the death OF
seven of the victims of that disaster
damages aggregating $4,000 have al
ready been awarded by New York
juries, and many of the awards, car
ried to the higher courts, have already
been affirmed. This is an average OF
S44, S5T in each of the seven cases.