Medical Malpractice Laws by State: Damages Caps, SOL & Merit Rules
Medical-malpractice law is set state by state, and the three variables that most often decide a case’s value and viability are the non-economic damages cap, the statute of limitations, and the certificate/affidavit of merit (or screening-panel) prerequisite. The table below summarizes the non-economic cap for every state, with a link to a full plaintiff-attorney guide covering that state’s SOL, merit requirements, expert-qualification rules, and common case types.
Caps and statutes change frequently and several have been amended or struck down recently — treat the figures below as directional and verify against the controlling statute for the year of the alleged negligence.
| State | Non-economic cap | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No cap | No general cap |
| Alaska | $400,000 | $400K non-econ (higher $1M for death/disfigurement) |
| Arizona | No cap | Constitutional prohibition on caps (Art. 2, §31) |
| Arkansas | No cap | Cap struck down 2013 (Bayer CropScience) |
| California | $470,000 | MICRA 2026: $470K non-death (injury) / $650K wrongful death; ladders + |
| Colorado | $810,000 | 2026 med-mal non-econ cap: $810,000 (ladder: $550K→$810K→$1.065M→$1.32 |
| Connecticut | No cap | No cap |
| Delaware | No cap | No cap (prior cap struck 1986) |
| District of Columbia | No cap | No cap |
| Florida | No cap | Struck down 2017 (N. Broward Hosp. v. Kalitan) |
| Georgia | No cap | Struck down 2010 (Atlanta Oculoplastic Surgery v. Nestlehutt, 286 Ga. |
| Hawaii | $375,000 | $375K non-economic cap |
| Idaho | $400,000 | ~$400K (2024, inflation-indexed) |
| Illinois | No cap | Struck down 2010 (Lebron v. Gottlieb Mem\ |
| Indiana | $1,800,000 | Total recovery cap $1.8M (Med Mal Act) |
| Iowa | $250,000 | $250K med-mal non-economic |
| Kansas | $325,000 | $325K (post-2019 ruling; Hilburn v. Enerpipe cap on pain/suffering inv |
| Kentucky | No cap | Constitutional prohibition (Ky. Const. §54) |
| Louisiana | $500,000 | Total cap $500K med-mal (MMA; future meds carved out) |
| Maine | $500,000 | $500K med-mal non-econ (wrongful-death) |
| Maryland | $920,000 | 2026 med-mal: $920K single claimant / $1,150K wrongful-death with 2+ b |
| Massachusetts | $500,000 | $500K (exceptions for permanent disfigurement) |
| Michigan | $596,400 | 2026: $596,400 standard / $1,065,000 enhanced (hemiplegia, paraplegia, |
| Minnesota | No cap | No cap |
| Mississippi | $500,000 | $500K med-mal non-economic |
| Missouri | $481,493 | 2026: $481,493 non-catastrophic / $842,614 catastrophic. Annual 1.7% i |
| Montana | $250,000 | $250K med-mal non-economic |
| Nebraska | $2,250,000 | Total cap $2.25M med-mal |
| Nevada | $350,000 | $350K med-mal non-econ |
| New Hampshire | No cap | Struck down 1980 (Carson v. Maurer) |
| New Jersey | No cap | No general compensatory cap. Punitive capped at greater of 5× compensa |
| New Mexico | $600,000 | $600K + med expenses (total med-mal ~$850K) |
| New York | No cap | No compensatory cap. (S1608 proposing a non-econ cap pending 2025-26 s |
| North Carolina | $712,847 | Jan. 1, 2026: $712,847. Reset by NC OSBM every 3rd year (base $500K × |
| North Dakota | $500,000 | $500K med-mal non-economic |
| Ohio | $350,000 | $250K or 3× economic (max $350K/plaintiff; $500K/occurrence) non-catas |
| Oklahoma | No cap | Struck down 2019 (Beason v. I.E. Miller Services) |
| Oregon | No cap | Struck down 1999 (Lakin v. Senco) |
| Pennsylvania | No cap | No compensatory cap. Punitive capped at 200% of compensatory under MCA |
| Rhode Island | No cap | No cap |
| South Carolina | $648,000 | ~$648K 2024, indexed |
| South Dakota | $500,000 | $500K med-mal non-economic |
| Tennessee | $750,000 | $750K non-catastrophic / $1M catastrophic |
| Texas | $250,000 | $250K per claimant (all physicians/providers combined) + $250K per ins |
| Utah | $450,000 | ~$450K med-mal non-econ (adjusted) |
| Vermont | No cap | No cap |
| Virginia | $2,700,000 | Acts July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026: $2.70M TOTAL (economic + non-economic |
| Washington | No cap | Struck down 1989 (Sofie v. Fibreboard) |
| West Virginia | $500,000 | $500K non-catastrophic / $1M catastrophic |
| Wisconsin | $750,000 | $750K med-mal non-econ |
| Wyoming | No cap | Constitutional prohibition (Art. 10 §4) |
Screen Any State’s Med-Mal Case Faster — Cited to the Record
MedLegal AI reviews the medical records and ties every finding to the exact Bates page that supports it. Pair these state guides with the free Certificate of Merit checker and damages calculator.
Start Your Free Trial — No Credit Card →Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or (856) 979-6525. This directory is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.