Levy v. McKiel
Decision Date | 07 July 1989 |
Docket Number | No. 2-88-0219,2-88-0219 |
Parties | , 133 Ill.Dec. 405 Lawrence B. LEVY, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Charles McKIEL, Defendant-Appellee (Lake Forest Hospital, Defendant). |
Court | United States Appellate Court of Illinois |
Paul E. Thompson, Thompson & Thompson, Libertyville, Louis S. Goldstein, Goldstein & Fluxgold, Ltd., Chicago, for Lawrence B. Levy, M.D.
John D. Cassiday, Cassiday, Schade & Gloor, Chicago, for Lake Forest Hosp.
David J. Slawkowski, Hugh C. Griffin, Lord, Bissell & Brook, John J. O'Malley, Pope, Ballard, Shepard & Fowle Ltd., Chicago, for Charles McKiel, M.D.
Plaintiff, Lawrence B. Levy, appeals from an order of the circuit court dismissing his cause of action against defendant, Charles McKiel. Plaintiff's sole contention is that section 10.2 of the Hospital Licensing Act (Act) (Ill.Rev.Stat.1987, ch. 111 1/2, par. 151.2) should not be applied retroactively.
Plaintiff filed suit against Lake Forest Hospital (hospital) and defendant alleging that defendant induced the hospital to breach its contract with plaintiff, resulting in plaintiff's termination of employment with the hospital. The complaint also alleged that defendant had made misrepresentations about plaintiff's abilities as a urologist. Defendant and the hospital both moved to dismiss the actions against them pursuant to the Act (Ill.Rev.Stat.1987, ch. 111 1/2, par. 151.2). The court denied the motion, stating that the statute did not have a retroactive effect. Subsequently, the court granted the dismissal in favor of defendant on a motion to reconsider on the basis of Rodriguez-Erdman v. Ravenswood Hospital Medical Center (1987), 163 Ill.App.3d 464, 114 Ill.Dec. 576, 516 N.E.2d 731. Plaintiff appeals from this dismissal. The hospital is not a party to this appeal.
In August 1977, the hospital review board dismissed plaintiff from his position as a urologist in the surgery department at Lake Forest Hospital. Plaintiff alleged that the dismissal was in contravention of the hospital's bylaws. According to the bylaws, defendant, as chairman of the department of surgery, was required to oversee plaintiff's work. Defendant is also a urologist. Plaintiff alleged that defendant failed to fulfill his duties and actively sought plaintiff's dismissal for defendant's pecuniary gain by making false and misleading statements concerning plaintiff's surgical skills. Plaintiff sued defendant for intentionally inducing the hospital to breach its contract with plaintiff and for "willfully and wantonly" making false and misleading statements causing plaintiff's dismissal. Since these actions only contemplated civil damages as the remedy, defendant moved to dismiss the counts against him on the basis of Rodriguez-Erdman, which retroactively applied section 10.2 of the Act. Section 10.2, which was amended in 1985, provides:
(Emphasis added.) Ill.Rev.Stat.1987, ch. 111 1/2, par. 151.2.
A presumption exists that an amendatory act is only intended to apply prospectively. (Rivard v. Chicago Fire Fighters Union (1988), 122 Ill.2d 303, 309, 119 Ill.Dec. 336, 522 N.E.2d 1195.) This presumption is rebuttable only if the act clearly indicates either by express language or necessary implication that the legislature intended a retroactive application. (Rivard, 122 Ill.2d at 309, 119 Ill.Dec 336, 522 N.E.2d 1195.) The presumption does not apply, however, to changes in procedure or remedies. (122 Ill.2d at 310, 119 Ill.Dec. 336, 522 N.E.2d 1195.) If an amendatory act merely affects the remedy or law of procedure, all rights of action will be enforceable under the new procedure even if they accrued prior to the change of law and the action was instituted prior to the amendment unless there is a savings clause for existing litigation. (Maiter v. Chicago Board of Education (1980), 82 Ill.2d 373, 390, 47 Ill.Dec. 721, 415 N.E.2d 1034; Sostak v. Sostak (1983), 113 Ill.App.3d 954, 960, 69 Ill.Dec. 658, 447 N.E.2d 1345.) Changes in procedure or existing remedies will not be applied retrospectively, however, if this would result in deprivation of a vested, constitutionally protected right. Maiter, 82 Ill.2d at 390-91, 47 Ill.Dec. 721, 415 N.E.2d 1034.
In Rodriguez-Erdman v. Ravenswood Hospital Medical Center (1987), 163 Ill.App.3d 464, 114 Ill.Dec. 576, 516 N.E.2d 731, the Appellate Court for the First District held that section 10.2 of the Act should be applied retroactively. In reaching this conclusion, the court stated as follows:
Rodriguez-Erdman, 163 Ill.App.3d at 471, 114 Ill.Dec. 576, 516 N.E.2d 731.
We agree with the conclusion of the court in Rodriguez-Erdman that section 10.2 is remedial in nature and only affects one remedy for actions of hospitals and individuals in hospital internal review situations. Other remedies, such as injunctive and declaratory relief, remain available. Accordingly, the presumption in favor of prospective application of amendatory acts is not applicable. Plaintiff asserts nevertheless that section 10.2 of the Act should not be applied retroactively because this would deprive him of a vested right. There is, however, no vested right in any particular remedy or procedure. (Clouse v. Heights Finance Corp. (1987), 156 Ill.App.3d 975, 978, 109 Ill.Dec. 380, 510 N.E.2d 1.) Since section 10.2 contains no savings clause, the trial court correctly ruled that the provision should be applied retroactively.
For the reasons stated above, the judgment of the circuit court of Lake County is affirmed.
Affirmed.
I have no disagreement with the majority's dissertation as to the law set forth in their opinion. I disagree with their conclusion that the remedies being abrogated are so insubstantial as to categorize the amendment as being procedural rather than substantive.
Legislative amendments and statutes are presumed to act prospectively since retroactivity is not favored. (Cruz v. Puerto Rican Society (1987), 154 Ill.App.3d 72, 75, 106 Ill.Dec. 867, 506 N.E.2d 667; Matviuw v. Johnson (1982), 111 Ill.App.3d 629, 632, 67 Ill.Dec. 370, 444 N.E.2d 606.) Statutes are deemed to operate prospectively unless the language of the statute clearly requires retroactive application. (Board of...
To continue reading
Request your trial-
White v. Sunrise Healthcare Corp., 2-97-0481
...v. E.F. Hutton Co., 188 Ill.App.3d 57, 62-63, 135 Ill.Dec. 710, 544 N.E.2d 67 (1989) (securities law); Levy v. McKiel, 185 Ill.App.3d 240, 133 Ill.Dec. 405, 541 N.E.2d 242 (1989) (statute regulating hospitals' potential liability to agents and employees); and Clouse v. Heights Finance Corp.......
-
Frigo v. Silver Cross Hosp.
...process. Rockford Memorial Hospital, 272 Ill.App.3d at 761, 209 Ill.Dec. 471, 651 N.E.2d 649, citing Levy v. McKiel, 185 Ill.App.3d 240, 243, 133 Ill.Dec. 405, 541 N.E.2d 242 (1989). In addition, we note that the Licensing Act immunizes "acts, omissions, decisions or any other conduct" of a......
-
Rockford Memorial Hosp. v. Department of Human Rights
...Hospital (1988), 176 Ill.App.3d 1012, 1024, 126 Ill.Dec. 362, 531 N.E.2d 989; see also Levy v. McKiel (1989), 185 Ill.App.3d 240, 244, 133 Ill.Dec. 405, 541 N.E.2d 242 (McLaren, J., dissenting) (stating that by providing immunity from civil damages, the only remedy known to common-law cause......
-
In re Marriage of Duggan, 2-06-0061.
...if they accrued prior to the change of law and the action was instituted prior to the amendment * * *." Levy v. McKiel, 185 Ill. App.3d 240, 242, 133 Ill.Dec. 405, 541 N.E.2d 242 (1989), citing Maiter v. Chicago Board of Education, 82 Ill.2d 373, 390, 47 Ill.Dec. 721, 415 N.E.2d 1034 (1980)......