HB 24-1472 Summary

• Increases noneconomic damages cap for general tort actions to $1.5 million for claims filed on or after January 1, 2025, with subsequent inflation adjustments every two years starting January 1, 2028.

• Allows siblings to bring wrongful death actions when the deceased had no surviving spouse, heirs, designated beneficiary, or parents (applies to unmarried minors or adults without descendants).

• Increases wrongful death noneconomic damages cap to $2.125 million for actions filed on or after January 1, 2025, unless the death resulted from felonious killing (which has no cap).

• Establishes phased increases in medical malpractice noneconomic damages caps for wrongful death cases, beginning at $555,000 on January 1, 2025, and reaching $1.575 million by January 1, 2029, with inflation adjustments thereafter.

• Increases medical malpractice noneconomic damages cap from $300,000 to $415,000 for actions filed on or after January 1, 2025, with scheduled increases through 2029 and subsequent biennial inflation adjustments.