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    DAMAGES REFERENCE

    Wrongful Death Damages by State | Caps, Payouts & Legal Limits

    A state-by-state reference for wrongful death damage caps. Understand what types of damages are limited, by how much, and which states have no caps at all.

    State
    Alabama (AL)
    Cap Type
    No cap (punitive capped at $1.5M)
    Cap Amount
    No cap on compensatory
    Notes
    Punitive damages capped at $1.5M. Noneconomic damages not capped in wrongful death specifically.
    State
    Alaska (AK)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $400,000 ($8M for severe injury)
    Notes
    Noneconomic damages cap applies unless defendant acted with reckless indifference.
    State
    Arizona (AZ)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    Arizona does not impose statutory damage caps in wrongful death cases.
    State
    Arkansas (AR)
    Cap Type
    Punitive cap
    Cap Amount
    $500,000 or 3x compensatory
    Notes
    Punitive damages capped at the greater of $500K or 3x compensatory damages.
    State
    California (CA)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap (MICRA)
    Cap Amount
    $500,000 (medical malpractice)
    Notes
    MICRA caps noneconomic damages for medical malpractice. No cap for other wrongful death claims.
    State
    Colorado (CO)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $588,230 (2026, adjusted annually)
    Notes
    Noneconomic damages capped; adjusts annually for inflation. Punitive capped at $500K.
    State
    Connecticut (CT)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap (med mal)
    Cap Amount
    $750,000 (medical malpractice)
    Notes
    Cap applies only to medical malpractice wrongful death. No cap for other types.
    State
    Delaware (DE)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    Delaware has no statutory cap on wrongful death damages.
    State
    District of Columbia (DC)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory damages cap for wrongful death claims.
    State
    Florida (FL)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    Florida eliminated its noneconomic damages cap in 2017 via state Supreme Court ruling.
    State
    Georgia (GA)
    Cap Type
    Punitive cap
    Cap Amount
    $250,000 (most cases)
    Notes
    Punitive damages generally capped at $250K. Higher only in product liability or intentional tort.
    State
    Hawaii (HI)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory cap on compensatory or punitive damages.
    State
    Idaho (ID)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic + punitive cap
    Cap Amount
    $400,000 (noneconomic) / $250K (punitive)
    Notes
    Noneconomic damages capped at $400K (adjusted). Punitive at $250K or 3x compensatory.
    State
    Illinois (IL)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap (med mal)
    Cap Amount
    $500,000 (physicians) / $1M (hospitals)
    Notes
    Medical malpractice noneconomic caps. No cap for non-medical wrongful death claims.
    State
    Indiana (IN)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $1.8 million (2026, adjusted)
    Notes
    Total recovery cap for medical malpractice. General wrongful death: $300K cap plus funeral.
    State
    Iowa (IA)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap (med mal)
    Cap Amount
    $250,000 (medical malpractice)
    Notes
    Medical malpractice noneconomic cap. No cap for non-medical wrongful death.
    State
    Kansas (KS)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $350,000 (all claims)
    Notes
    Noneconomic damages capped at $350K per claim. Punitive capped at $50M or less per type.
    State
    Kentucky (KY)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    Kentucky Constitution prohibits limitation on damages for wrongful death.
    State
    Louisiana (LA)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap (med mal)
    Cap Amount
    $500,000 (medical malpractice)
    Notes
    Medical malpractice cap including wrongful death. Non-medical wrongful death: no cap.
    State
    Maine (ME)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory caps on wrongful death damages.
    State
    Maryland (MD)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $1,270,000 (2026, adjusts)
    Notes
    Noneconomic damages cap adjusts annually for inflation. Applies to all wrongful death claims.
    State
    Massachusetts (MA)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory cap. Punitive damages may be available in certain wrongful death claims.
    State
    Michigan (MI)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No cap on wrongful death damages. However, noneconomic damages require showing of exceptional circumstances in some contexts.
    State
    Minnesota (MN)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap (med mal)
    Cap Amount
    $400,000 (medical malpractice)
    Notes
    Medical malpractice caps. No cap for non-medical wrongful death.
    State
    Mississippi (MS)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic + punitive cap
    Cap Amount
    $1M (noneconomic) / $20M (punitive)
    Notes
    Noneconomic damages capped at $1M. Punitive capped at $20M or 4% of net worth.
    State
    Missouri (MO)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    Missouri Supreme Court found noneconomic damages caps unconstitutional in 2012.
    State
    Montana (MT)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $1,000,000
    Notes
    Noneconomic damages capped at $1M. Punitive capped at $10M or 3% of net worth.
    State
    Nebraska (NE)
    Cap Type
    Punitive cap
    Cap Amount
    Punitive damages prohibited
    Notes
    Nebraska does not allow punitive damages. No cap on compensatory damages.
    State
    Nevada (NV)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory cap on wrongful death damages.
    State
    New Hampshire (NH)
    Cap Type
    Punitive cap
    Cap Amount
    Punitive not available
    Notes
    New Hampshire does not award punitive damages. No cap on compensatory damages.
    State
    New Jersey (NJ)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory damages cap for wrongful death.
    State
    New Mexico (NM)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory damages cap on wrongful death claims.
    State
    New York (NY)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory cap on damages in wrongful death cases.
    State
    North Carolina (NC)
    Cap Type
    Punitive cap
    Cap Amount
    $250,000 (or 3x compensatory)
    Notes
    Punitive damages capped at $250K or 3x compensatory damages, whichever is greater.
    State
    North Dakota (ND)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $500,000
    Notes
    Noneconomic damages capped at $500K. Punitive capped at $250K.
    State
    Ohio (OH)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $250,000 (or $500K for catastrophic)
    Notes
    Noneconomic cap of $250K ($500K for catastrophic injury or death) or 3x economic up to $500K.
    State
    Oklahoma (OK)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $350,000 ($1.75M for catastrophic)
    Notes
    Noneconomic damages capped at $350K general, $1.75M for catastrophic injuries/death.
    State
    Oregon (OR)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $500,000 (adjusted)
    Notes
    Noneconomic damages capped at $500K in wrongful death claims.
    State
    Pennsylvania (PA)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory cap on damages in wrongful death claims.
    State
    Rhode Island (RI)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory cap on damages.
    State
    South Carolina (SC)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic + punitive cap
    Cap Amount
    $350,000 (noneconomic) / $500K (punitive)
    Notes
    Noneconomic capped at $350K. Punitive capped at $500K or 3x compensatory.
    State
    South Dakota (SD)
    Cap Type
    Punitive cap
    Cap Amount
    $250,000
    Notes
    Punitive damages capped at $250K unless the defendant continued harmful behavior. No compensatory cap.
    State
    Tennessee (TN)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic + punitive cap
    Cap Amount
    $750,000 (noneconomic) / $500K (punitive)
    Notes
    Noneconomic capped at $750K. Punitive capped at $500K or 2x compensatory.
    State
    Texas (TX)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap (med mal)
    Cap Amount
    $250,000 (per physician, up to $750K total)
    Notes
    Medical malpractice noneconomic cap. Punitive capped at $200K (smaller companies) or 4% of net worth.
    State
    Utah (UT)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $450,000 (adjusted)
    Notes
    Noneconomic damages capped at $450K (adjusted for inflation).
    State
    Vermont (VT)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory cap on wrongful death damages.
    State
    Virginia (VA)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap
    Cap Amount
    $3,411,000 (2026, adjusts)
    Notes
    Total recovery cap adjusts annually. Includes all damages types.
    State
    Washington (WA)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory damages cap. Punitive damages generally not available.
    State
    West Virginia (WV)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap (med mal)
    Cap Amount
    $500,000 ($1M for catastrophic)
    Notes
    Medical malpractice caps. Punitive capped at $500K or 2x compensatory.
    State
    Wisconsin (WI)
    Cap Type
    Noneconomic cap (med mal)
    Cap Amount
    $750,000 (medical malpractice)
    Notes
    Medical malpractice noneconomic cap. No cap for other wrongful death.
    State
    Wyoming (WY)
    Cap Type
    No cap
    Cap Amount
    No cap
    Notes
    No statutory damages cap.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Important Disclaimer

    This reference is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Laws and caps change frequently by legislation and court ruling. Only a licensed attorney in your state can determine how the law applies to your specific facts. Top Tier Legal, LLC is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

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