Does Indiana have a cap on damages?
Asked by: Ora McCullough | Last update: October 22, 2025Score: 4.3/5 (19 votes)
Under Indiana law, punitive damages are capped at three times the amount of the total compensatory damages or $50,000, whichever is higher. For example, if the court awarded a plaintiff $25,000 in compensatory damage, the most they could receive additionally in punitive damages would be $75,000.
What is the cap on damages in Indiana?
The $1,250,000 damage cap includes all medical bills past and future, all wage, income, and earnings capacity losses, and all emotional damages. Indiana doctors and hospitals are only responsible in any single malpractice case for $250,000 of medical malpractice liability insurance.
What is the limit on punitive damages in Indiana?
Indiana Code Section 34-51-3-4 states that a punitive damages award cannot be more than: Three times the amount of the compensatory damages awarded, or. $50,000 (whichever is greater)
Which states have caps on damages?
Damage caps on medical malpractice are much more common, with 26 states having caps on non-economic damages: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, ...
What is the cap of damages?
Damage caps have various purposes; for instance, they can discourage malicious lawsuits and prevent the costs of transacting business from being overly inflated, but have also been criticized as unjust. Many American jurisdictions with non-economic damage caps have defined non-economic damages by statute.
Is There a Cap on Medical Malpractice Damages? Answers From Indiana Attorneys - WKW
What are limits on damages?
A damages cap legally limits how much you can recover from a defendant in a personal injury case. Suppose you're injured, and someone else is at fault. You can sue the other person for your damages. A damages cap will determine your maximum recovery of non-economic damages.
What is the damage cap?
A damage cap is a law that restricts how much a plaintiff can recover from a defendant. The point of a damage cap is to help the economy. It prevents defendants such as hospitals and the government from large payouts that could make them go bankrupt. It also discourages false claims.
Are caps on damages a good idea?
A “cap” on damages is law that puts an arbitrary “one-size-fits-all” limit on the amount an injured person can receive in compensation irrespective of what a judge or jury decides compensation should be. Therefore, caps not only hurt victims, they undermine our jury system.
What state has the highest rate of medical malpractice?
A new study reveals Louisiana leads the U.S. with the highest rate of medical malpractice reports, while Idaho ranks lowest. Ohio-based personal injury law firm John Fitch published findings on medical malpractice trends across the United States, analyzing data from the National Practitioner Data Bank for 2019 to 2023.
What is the maximum punitive damages?
Although there is no maximum sum, punitive damages typically do not exceed four times the amount of compensatory damages. For example, if a plaintiff recovers $100,000 in compensatory damages and is awarded punitive damages, they most likely will receive up to $400,000 in punitive damages.
What is the statute of limitations on tort claims in Indiana?
You have 180 days after the loss to file your tort claim. It must comply with the state code. Filing a tort claim is part of a legal process. If you have any questions about how to file a claim, contact an attorney.
Which states prohibit punitive damages?
California, Colorado, and New York have similar prohibitions on the indemnification of punitive damages, and those states' highest courts have similarly held that an insured cannot shift to the insurance company its responsibility for a punitive damages award entered against it.
Who gets to keep punitive damages?
Although the purpose of punitive damages is not to compensate the plaintiff, the plaintiff will receive all or some of the punitive damages in award. Punitive damages are often awarded if compensatory damages are deemed to be an inadequate remedy by themselves.
What is the cap on pain and suffering damages?
In the 1978 Andrews Trilogy of cases, the Supreme Court set a cap of $100,000 for non-pecuniary injuries following catastrophic or serious bodily injuries. This amount is adjusted for inflation each year. In 2023, the serious impairment cap for pain and suffering damages is approximately $400,000.
What is the property damage limit in Indiana?
Minimum liability limits are: Uninsured Motorists: Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000. Property Damage: $25,000. Under insured Motorists: Bodily Injury: $50,000.
What are special damages in Indiana?
In a personal injury case, special damages are awarded for economic losses such as medical bills. If you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault, contact the experienced Indianapolis attorneys at Wilson Kehoe Winingham to find out what your claim might be worth.
What states are most likely to sue doctors?
What state had the most reports of medical malpractice? According to NPDB data, New York had the largest amount of medical malpractice reports from 2009-2018, with 16,688 – followed by California and Florida, with 13,157 and 10,788 reports, respectively.
Which states have caps on medical malpractice damages?
- Arkansas.
- California.
- Colorado*
- Hawaii.
- Idaho.
- Indiana*
- Louisiana**
- Massachusetts.
What are the three types of caps on damages?
There are three types of damages in personal injury claims: non-economic damages, economic damages, and punitive damages. Special and general damages are alternative terms used to describe economic and non-economic losses.
Are caps on damages constitutional?
Damages Caps Laws
Most of these lawsuits have been based on state rather than federal constitutional provisions. In- terestingly, damages caps have been upheld under some state constitutions, while at the same time being struck down in other states with almost identical constitu- tional provisions.
What is the difference between compensatory and punitive damages?
Punitive and compensatory damages are the two categories of damages that may be granted. Punitive damages are meant to penalize the defendant, whereas compensatory damages are meant to make up for actual losses.
Who benefits from caps on damages?
A damage cap limits how much compensation a victim can recover for his or her losses. It puts a cap on how much the victim will be awarded, even if he or she has suffered severe injuries and deserves far more. For the most part, there are no damage caps in personal injury cases brought in California.
What is cap in compensation?
A salary cap is the maximum amount of money an employee can make in a particular role with a specific company. Sometimes, the government or another organization enforces these caps. For example, in professional sports, the league and the players' unions often work together to set a salary cap for each team.
What is the liability cap on damages?
Caps on Damages:
This is the most straightforward form, where the contract specifies a maximum amount of damages that can be claimed. For example, a contract might state that the total liability of a party shall not exceed a certain amount under the contract.