A bill that would have placed caps on payouts for personal injury and wrongful death claims has died in the Texas legislature, marking a significant victory for plaintiffs' rights advocates. SB 30, introduced in 2025, aimed to reduce the amount of money plaintiffs could receive after filing suits for incidents such as car accidents, work-related accidents, premises liability, and wrongful deaths.
Proponents of the legislation argued that it would prevent runaway lawsuits and promote tort reform, but opponents viewed it as a pro-insurance measure that would sacrifice the rights of the injured for the benefit of major insurance corporations. The bill proposed monetary caps on what injured parties could receive and would have limited the ability to present evidence of non-economic damages, including emotional anguish, damage to reputation, and pain and suffering.
During the Senate Committee's hearing, survivors of injuries and sexual assaults testified about the importance of these non-economic damages. While supporters claimed the bill would curb so-called "nuclear verdicts"—high payout awards—data showed that only 4.6% of all Texas verdicts between 2021 and 2025 exceeded $10 million. Meanwhile, SB 30 would have imposed limits on all personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, not just the highest-profile cases.
Being able to pursue legal damages against a negligent party is a cornerstone of the Texas legal system, according to Culpepper Law Group, a personal injury firm that has served clients across Texas and Tennessee since 2001. Now that SB 30 has died, those in need can continue to seek damages that match their injuries, both economic and non-economic. For now, the rights of the injured have been placed ahead of the rights of insurance companies.
