$41M reversal: Reptile tactics are improper whether cloaked or not

For the Defense

By Donald P. Eckler

Donald “Pat” Eckler is a partner at Freeman, Mathis, & Gary LLP, focusing on professional liability defense, insurance coverage litigation, and general tort defense. He is the legislative chair of Illinois Defense Counsel. Eckler also is the co-host of the Podium and Panel podcast with Daniel Cotter. His views are his own and not those of his firm or its clients.

Posted January 19, 2023 11:28 AM

In the blockbuster reversal of a $41 million jury verdict in Bland v. Q-West, Inc., 2023 IL App (2d) 210683, the Illinois Appellate Court, 2nd District, found numerous abuses of discretion by the trial court that required a new trial. The case involved an intoxicated plaintiff, Logan Bland, being removed from a bar where he allegedly got into a scuffle that resulted in him becoming a quadriplegic.Among the errors was the refusal of the circuit court to allow the defendant to amend pleadings to include an affirmative …

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