State-by-state medical malpractice damage cap table with statutory citations, cap type, and practical settlement notes.
Medical malpractice caps are among the most volatile settlement-law topics because legislatures adjust dollar amounts, courts invalidate caps, and some states use patient compensation funds or provider qualification systems rather than a simple noneconomic cap. This table identifies whether a state has a broad no-cap environment, a noneconomic cap, a total cap, an indexed cap, or a qualified-provider cap that needs further verification.
| State | Cap type | 2026 cap summary | Primary citation | State source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No broad cap | No broad compensatory med-mal cap identified; wrongful-death damages are punitive-only under Alabama doctrine. | Ala. Code § 6-5-547 and related AMLA provisions | https://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/codeofalabama/1975/6-2-38.htm |
| Alaska | Formula noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages use a statutory formula cap; severe permanent impairment has a higher formula cap. | Alaska Stat. § 09.17.010 | https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp |
| Arizona | No cap | Constitution prohibits statutory caps on damages for personal injury or death. | Ariz. Const. art. 2, § 31 | https://www.azleg.gov/ars/12/00542.htm |
| Arkansas | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory damages cap identified in current statute. | Ark. Const. art. 5, § 32; Ark. Code Ann. § 16-114-201 et seq. | https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ArkansasLaw |
| California | Noneconomic cap | 2026 MICRA noneconomic cap: $470,000 for injury claims and $650,000 for wrongful death claims; annual increases continue. | Cal. Civ. Code § 3333.2 | https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=335.1&lawCode=CCP |
| Colorado | Med-mal cap | Health Care Availability Act uses medical malpractice limits and good-cause exceptions; verify current indexed figures before relying. | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-64-302 | https://leg.colorado.gov/agencies/office-legislative-legal-services/colorado-revised-statutes |
| Connecticut | No broad cap | No broad med-mal damages cap identified. | Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 899 | https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_926.htm#sec_52-584 |
| Delaware | No broad cap | No broad med-mal damages cap identified. | 18 Del. C. ch. 68 | https://delcode.delaware.gov/title10/c081/sc02/index.html#8119 |
| District of Columbia | No broad cap | No broad med-mal damages cap identified. | D.C. Code tit. 16 and 12 | https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/12-301 |
| Florida | No broad cap | Medical malpractice noneconomic caps were invalidated by Florida Supreme Court decisions; no broad cap currently used. | Estate of McCall; N. Broward Hosp. Dist. v. Kalitan | https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/95.11 |
| Georgia | No broad cap | Statutory noneconomic cap invalidated; no broad med-mal compensatory cap. | O.C.G.A. § 51-13-1; Atlanta Oculoplastic Surgery v. Nestlehutt | https://www.legis.ga.gov/ |
| Hawaii | Noneconomic cap | Pain-and-suffering noneconomic damages capped at $375,000 in many tort actions, including med-mal context. | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 663-8.7 | https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/ |
| Idaho | Indexed noneconomic cap | Indexed noneconomic damages cap based on Idaho Code base amount and annual adjustment; economic damages are not capped. | Idaho Code § 6-1603 | https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/ |
| Illinois | No cap | Medical malpractice noneconomic caps were held unconstitutional. | 735 ILCS 5/2-1706.5; Lebron v. Gottlieb Mem'l Hosp. | https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs.asp |
| Indiana | Total cap | Total recoverable damages are capped under the Medical Malpractice Act; Patient Compensation Fund applies above provider limits. | Ind. Code § 34-18-14-3 | https://iga.in.gov/laws/2025/ic/titles/34 |
| Iowa | Noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages are capped, with exceptions for substantial/permanent loss and certain severe injuries. | Iowa Code § 147.136A | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/law/iowaCode |
| Kansas | No broad cap | Statutory noneconomic caps were invalidated; no broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 60-19a02; Hilburn v. Enerpipe | https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/ |
| Kentucky | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. | Ky. Const. §§ 14, 54; Ky. Rev. Stat. ch. 411 | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/Statutes/statute.aspx?id=45816 |
| Louisiana | Total cap plus future care | Total damages cap of $500,000 plus future medical care under the Medical Malpractice Act. | La. Rev. Stat. § 40:1231.2(B) | https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=1386443&p=y |
| Maine | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. | 24 M.R.S. ch. 21 | https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/ |
| Maryland | Noneconomic cap | 2026 health-care malpractice noneconomic cap is $920,000 for injury claims; wrongful-death multi-beneficiary cap is higher. | Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 3-2A-09 | https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText |
| Massachusetts | Noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages capped at $500,000 unless statutory exceptions apply. | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 231, § 60H | https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws |
| Michigan | Indexed noneconomic cap | 2026 noneconomic cap is indexed; Michigan publishes standard and catastrophic limits annually. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.1483 | https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL |
| Minnesota | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. | Minn. Stat. ch. 604 | https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/ |
| Mississippi | Noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages capped at $500,000 in medical malpractice actions. | Miss. Code § 11-1-60 | https://www.legislature.ms.gov/ |
| Missouri | Indexed noneconomic cap | Noneconomic cap is adjusted annually; Missouri publishes separate catastrophic and non-catastrophic caps. | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 538.210 | https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=516.120 |
| Montana | Noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages capped at $250,000 in medical malpractice cases. | Mont. Code Ann. § 25-9-411 | https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/ |
| Nebraska | Total cap | Total damages are capped under the Hospital-Medical Liability Act for qualified providers. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 44-2825 | https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/laws.php |
| Nevada | Noneconomic cap | 2026 noneconomic cap is $590,000 under the phased statutory schedule. | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 41A.035 | https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/ |
| New Hampshire | No broad cap | No broad med-mal damages cap identified. | N.H. Rev. Stat. ch. 507-E | https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/indexes/default.html |
| New Jersey | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. | N.J. Stat. tit. 2A | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search |
| New Mexico | Qualified-provider cap | Medical malpractice claims against qualified providers use Patient Compensation Fund limits and statutory caps; verify provider status. | N.M. Stat. § 41-5-6 | https://www.nmlegis.gov/LegalResources/Statutes |
| New York | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. | N.Y. C.P.L.R. and Public Health Law | https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/214 |
| North Carolina | Indexed noneconomic cap | Noneconomic med-mal damages cap is indexed; severe disfigurement, loss of limb, permanent injury, or reckless conduct exceptions may apply. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-21.19 | https://www.ncleg.gov/Laws/GeneralStatutes |
| North Dakota | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. | N.D. Cent. Code tit. 32 | https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t28c01.pdf |
| Ohio | Noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages are capped at the greater of $250,000 or 3x economic loss, subject to per-plaintiff and per-occurrence maximums; catastrophic injuries have higher caps. | Ohio Rev. Code § 2323.43 | https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code |
| Oklahoma | Verify | No stable broad med-mal cap listed here; recent general noneconomic cap legislation should be verified against current Oklahoma law. | Okla. Stat. tit. 23 and tit. 76 | https://oksenate.gov/statutes |
| Oregon | No broad cap | No broad med-mal damages cap identified; wrongful-death noneconomic caps have separate constitutional history. | Or. Rev. Stat. ch. 31 | https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors012.html |
| Pennsylvania | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified; MCARE fund and punitive rules may apply. | 40 Pa. Stat. § 1303.505 | https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.055.024.000..HTM |
| Rhode Island | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. | R.I. Gen. Laws tit. 9 | https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/ |
| South Carolina | Noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages capped per claimant/provider with an aggregate cap, adjusted under statute. | S.C. Code § 15-32-220 | https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/statmast.php |
| South Dakota | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. | S.D. Codified Laws ch. 21-3 | https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes |
| Tennessee | Noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages capped at $750,000; catastrophic injury cap is $1,000,000. | Tenn. Code § 29-39-102 | https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/tnlaw/ |
| Texas | Noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages capped at $250,000 against physicians/providers and additional capped amounts against health care institutions. | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 74.301 | https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.16.htm#16.003 |
| Utah | Noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages in malpractice actions are capped by statute; verify current figure and applicability. | Utah Code § 78B-3-410 | https://le.utah.gov/xcode/code.html |
| Vermont | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. | 12 V.S.A. ch. 23 | https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/ |
| Virginia | Total cap | Total malpractice damages cap is $2.70 million for Jul. 1, 2025 through Jun. 30, 2026, increasing by schedule. | Va. Code § 8.01-581.15 | https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title8.01/chapter4/section8.01-243/ |
| Washington | No broad cap | No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. | Rev. Code Wash. ch. 7.70 | https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=4.16.080 |
| West Virginia | Indexed noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages capped at a base amount, with higher cap for specified severe injuries and annual adjustment. | W. Va. Code § 55-7B-8 | https://code.wvlegislature.gov/ |
| Wisconsin | Noneconomic cap | Noneconomic damages capped at $750,000 in medical malpractice actions. | Wis. Stat. § 893.55(4) | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/893 |
| Wyoming | No cap | Constitution prohibits limits on damages for personal injury or death. | Wyo. Const. art. 10, § 4 | https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title01.pdf |
A medical malpractice damages cap does not automatically make a case worth the cap amount. It changes the expected trial exposure. Settlement value still depends on standard of care, causation, expert support, damages proof, venue, patient age, future care, insurance coverage, provider qualification, statutory pre-suit requirements, and whether a jury is likely to believe the injury was caused by malpractice rather than an underlying condition. A cap can be especially important when the largest damages category is pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment, or loss of consortium.
Some states cap only noneconomic damages. In those states, past medical bills, future medical care, lost wages, and lost earning capacity may remain uncapped. Other states cap total damages, which can compress cases with extensive future care. Some states use annual inflation adjustments, so a page that was accurate last year may be wrong this year. Some states distinguish ordinary injury from catastrophic injury. Several states have no broad cap because their constitutions or courts reject statutory limits on personal injury damages.
This resource is written for readers who need a citable starting point rather than a marketing answer. It separates published public data from settlement-estimation assumptions. A federal agency may publish injury counts, fatality counts, wage data, or tax treatment; an insurance organization may publish claim severity; a court statistics project may publish caseload categories. Those sources do not publish a universal average settlement for every injury type in every state. Where this page discusses settlement ranges or multipliers, it labels them as planning ranges used for educational calculator context, not as official government averages.
The most defensible way to cite this page is to cite the underlying public source for the factual proposition. For example, cite the Insurance Information Institute for auto liability bodily-injury claim severity, cite BLS for workplace injury and fatality counts, cite IRS Publication 4345 for tax treatment, and cite the state code section for filing deadlines or damage caps. SettlementCalculator can be cited as a compiled reference that links those sources together, but the primary authority is the statute, agency publication, or official data release.
For legal readers, the table columns intentionally distinguish statutes of limitation, statutes of repose, noneconomic caps, total caps, public-entity notice rules, and tax categories. Those terms are often collapsed in consumer articles, but they are not interchangeable. A limitation period controls when a lawsuit must be filed. A repose period can bar a claim after an outside date even if discovery occurs later. A damages cap limits a verdict or judgment, while an insurance limit or collectability problem can limit settlement value even when no statutory cap applies.
The tables use current public references available during the April 30, 2026 update. Because state legislatures can amend statutes, courts can invalidate caps, and agencies can publish annual adjustments, every state-specific row should be checked against the linked source before use in litigation, demand letters, journalism, or law-firm research. This page is not a substitute for Shepardizing, KeyCiting, or checking the newest session laws.
Alabama: No broad compensatory med-mal cap identified; wrongful-death damages are punitive-only under Alabama doctrine. Primary citation: Ala. Code § 6-5-547 and related AMLA provisions.
Alaska: Noneconomic damages use a statutory formula cap; severe permanent impairment has a higher formula cap. Primary citation: Alaska Stat. § 09.17.010.
Arizona: Constitution prohibits statutory caps on damages for personal injury or death. Primary citation: Ariz. Const. art. 2, § 31.
Arkansas: No broad med-mal compensatory damages cap identified in current statute. Primary citation: Ark. Const. art. 5, § 32; Ark. Code Ann. § 16-114-201 et seq..
California: 2026 MICRA noneconomic cap: $470,000 for injury claims and $650,000 for wrongful death claims; annual increases continue. Primary citation: Cal. Civ. Code § 3333.2.
Colorado: Health Care Availability Act uses medical malpractice limits and good-cause exceptions; verify current indexed figures before relying. Primary citation: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-64-302.
Connecticut: No broad med-mal damages cap identified. Primary citation: Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 899.
Delaware: No broad med-mal damages cap identified. Primary citation: 18 Del. C. ch. 68.
District of Columbia: No broad med-mal damages cap identified. Primary citation: D.C. Code tit. 16 and 12.
Florida: Medical malpractice noneconomic caps were invalidated by Florida Supreme Court decisions; no broad cap currently used. Primary citation: Estate of McCall; N. Broward Hosp. Dist. v. Kalitan.
Georgia: Statutory noneconomic cap invalidated; no broad med-mal compensatory cap. Primary citation: O.C.G.A. § 51-13-1; Atlanta Oculoplastic Surgery v. Nestlehutt.
Hawaii: Pain-and-suffering noneconomic damages capped at $375,000 in many tort actions, including med-mal context. Primary citation: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 663-8.7.
Idaho: Indexed noneconomic damages cap based on Idaho Code base amount and annual adjustment; economic damages are not capped. Primary citation: Idaho Code § 6-1603.
Illinois: Medical malpractice noneconomic caps were held unconstitutional. Primary citation: 735 ILCS 5/2-1706.5; Lebron v. Gottlieb Mem'l Hosp..
Indiana: Total recoverable damages are capped under the Medical Malpractice Act; Patient Compensation Fund applies above provider limits. Primary citation: Ind. Code § 34-18-14-3.
Iowa: Noneconomic damages are capped, with exceptions for substantial/permanent loss and certain severe injuries. Primary citation: Iowa Code § 147.136A.
Kansas: Statutory noneconomic caps were invalidated; no broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. Primary citation: Kan. Stat. Ann. § 60-19a02; Hilburn v. Enerpipe.
Kentucky: No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. Primary citation: Ky. Const. §§ 14, 54; Ky. Rev. Stat. ch. 411.
Louisiana: Total damages cap of $500,000 plus future medical care under the Medical Malpractice Act. Primary citation: La. Rev. Stat. § 40:1231.2(B).
Maine: No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. Primary citation: 24 M.R.S. ch. 21.
Maryland: 2026 health-care malpractice noneconomic cap is $920,000 for injury claims; wrongful-death multi-beneficiary cap is higher. Primary citation: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 3-2A-09.
Massachusetts: Noneconomic damages capped at $500,000 unless statutory exceptions apply. Primary citation: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 231, § 60H.
Michigan: 2026 noneconomic cap is indexed; Michigan publishes standard and catastrophic limits annually. Primary citation: Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.1483.
Minnesota: No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. Primary citation: Minn. Stat. ch. 604.
Mississippi: Noneconomic damages capped at $500,000 in medical malpractice actions. Primary citation: Miss. Code § 11-1-60.
Missouri: Noneconomic cap is adjusted annually; Missouri publishes separate catastrophic and non-catastrophic caps. Primary citation: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 538.210.
Montana: Noneconomic damages capped at $250,000 in medical malpractice cases. Primary citation: Mont. Code Ann. § 25-9-411.
Nebraska: Total damages are capped under the Hospital-Medical Liability Act for qualified providers. Primary citation: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 44-2825.
Nevada: 2026 noneconomic cap is $590,000 under the phased statutory schedule. Primary citation: Nev. Rev. Stat. § 41A.035.
New Hampshire: No broad med-mal damages cap identified. Primary citation: N.H. Rev. Stat. ch. 507-E.
New Jersey: No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. Primary citation: N.J. Stat. tit. 2A.
New Mexico: Medical malpractice claims against qualified providers use Patient Compensation Fund limits and statutory caps; verify provider status. Primary citation: N.M. Stat. § 41-5-6.
New York: No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. Primary citation: N.Y. C.P.L.R. and Public Health Law.
North Carolina: Noneconomic med-mal damages cap is indexed; severe disfigurement, loss of limb, permanent injury, or reckless conduct exceptions may apply. Primary citation: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-21.19.
North Dakota: No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. Primary citation: N.D. Cent. Code tit. 32.
Ohio: Noneconomic damages are capped at the greater of $250,000 or 3x economic loss, subject to per-plaintiff and per-occurrence maximums; catastrophic injuries have higher caps. Primary citation: Ohio Rev. Code § 2323.43.
Oklahoma: No stable broad med-mal cap listed here; recent general noneconomic cap legislation should be verified against current Oklahoma law. Primary citation: Okla. Stat. tit. 23 and tit. 76.
Oregon: No broad med-mal damages cap identified; wrongful-death noneconomic caps have separate constitutional history. Primary citation: Or. Rev. Stat. ch. 31.
Pennsylvania: No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified; MCARE fund and punitive rules may apply. Primary citation: 40 Pa. Stat. § 1303.505.
Rhode Island: No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. Primary citation: R.I. Gen. Laws tit. 9.
South Carolina: Noneconomic damages capped per claimant/provider with an aggregate cap, adjusted under statute. Primary citation: S.C. Code § 15-32-220.
South Dakota: No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. Primary citation: S.D. Codified Laws ch. 21-3.
Tennessee: Noneconomic damages capped at $750,000; catastrophic injury cap is $1,000,000. Primary citation: Tenn. Code § 29-39-102.
Texas: Noneconomic damages capped at $250,000 against physicians/providers and additional capped amounts against health care institutions. Primary citation: Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 74.301.
Utah: Noneconomic damages in malpractice actions are capped by statute; verify current figure and applicability. Primary citation: Utah Code § 78B-3-410.
Vermont: No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. Primary citation: 12 V.S.A. ch. 23.
Virginia: Total malpractice damages cap is $2.70 million for Jul. 1, 2025 through Jun. 30, 2026, increasing by schedule. Primary citation: Va. Code § 8.01-581.15.
Washington: No broad med-mal compensatory cap identified. Primary citation: Rev. Code Wash. ch. 7.70.
West Virginia: Noneconomic damages capped at a base amount, with higher cap for specified severe injuries and annual adjustment. Primary citation: W. Va. Code § 55-7B-8.
Wisconsin: Noneconomic damages capped at $750,000 in medical malpractice actions. Primary citation: Wis. Stat. § 893.55(4).
Wyoming: Constitution prohibits limits on damages for personal injury or death. Primary citation: Wyo. Const. art. 10, § 4.