1. For Madison and St. Clair, we find little evidence to support these claims. As we discuss in the Appendix, med mal litigation patterns in these counties are similar to the rest of Illinois. Cook County has more med mal cases relative to population, and modestly higher average per-case recoveries (after controlling for severity), than the rest of Illinois. However, these findings may reflect only that many people travel to Chicago to receive complex medical treatments, coupled with Illinois' venue rules (which require plaintiffs to sue where the injury occurred). To make further progress on this issue, one would need patient-level data on where healthcare is provided in Illinois, and how much of that healthcare is;Cook County has attracted considerable attention from tort reformers as a plaintiff-friendly venue,2005
2. Monday Dec 17 th 1849