California Medical Malpractice Damages Cap

Non-economic cap, economic damages, and present-value modeling for California med-mal cases.

California — Non-Economic Cap

$470,000

The rule at a glance

Non-economic cap: MICRA 2026: $470K non-death (injury) / $650K wrongful death; ladders +$40K/+$50K per year through 2034, ending at $750K / $1M. AB 35 allows three separate caps across (1) providers, (2) institutions, (3) unaffiliated providers/institutions — potential $1.41M–$1.95M stacked exposure.
Economic damages: Past + future medicals, past + future wage loss, household services. Usually uncapped separately.
Present value of future damages: Reduce future streams to present value using 3% net discount rate; adjust for life expectancy.
Collateral source rule: California — follow state collateral-source doctrine; verify whether insurance payments are admissible.
Statutory reference: Civ. Code §3333.2 (as amended by AB 35, eff. Jan. 1, 2023)

Common pitfalls in California

Pleading aggregate damages without explicit non-economic line-item — caps apply per-defendant and per-occurrence, not in bulk.
Forgetting that economic damages (meds, wages, life care) are generally uncapped and should carry the weight of the demand.
Using gross future-medical totals without reducing to present value — opposing economists will deduct it and the jury may see the gap.
Failing to preserve the constitutional challenge if the cap applies — preservation matters if the state supreme court revisits.

Frequently asked questions

What is California's medical malpractice damages cap?

MICRA 2026: $470K non-death (injury) / $650K wrongful death; ladders +$40K/+$50K per year through 2034, ending at $750K / $1M. AB 35 allows three separate caps across (1) providers, (2) institutions, (3) unaffiliated providers/institutions — potential $1.41M–$1.95M stacked exposure. The cap applies to non-economic damages (pain, suffering, loss of consortium) — economic damages like medical bills and lost wages are generally not capped.

Does California's cap apply to economic damages?

No. California's cap targets non-economic damages only. Past and future medical expenses, wage loss, life-care plan costs, and household services remain uncapped and should anchor the demand.

How do I calculate present value of future damages in California?

Reduce future medical + wage streams using a net discount rate (typically 2-4%). Most plaintiff economists use the uniform-annuity PV formula with state-specific life-expectancy tables. The calculator below applies this automatically.

Is California's damages cap constitutional?

California's cap is currently enforced, though plaintiff counsel should always preserve constitutional challenges (equal-protection, right-to-jury, separation-of-powers) for appellate review.

Calculate California damages value

Enter past med, past wages, future med, future wages, and a non-econ multiplier. Get present-value totals with cap applied.

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