HB 24-1472

House Bill 24-1472, which has been signed into law and will take effect on January 1, 2025, increases the cap on damages for personal injury and wrongful death cases in Colorado. For example, it raises the limit for noneconomic losses from $250,000 to $1.5 million and adjusts this amount every two years based on inflation. It also allows siblings of deceased individuals to sue for wrongful death under certain conditions and sets a new cap of $2.125 million for wrongful death damages that will be adjusted for inflation starting in 2028. Additionally, the bill gradually raises the limits for medical malpractice cases over five years, with similar adjustments for inflation afterward. This means that people who suffer significant injuries or lose loved ones due to negligence will have higher potential compensation, and these amounts will increase as costs rise.

Official Summary

For civil actions filed on or after January 1, 2025, the act increases the cap on damages for noneconomic loss or injury from $250,000 to $1.5 million, and, starting January 1, 2028, and every 2 years thereafter, adjusts the damages cap based on inflation. Current law specifies who may sue for wrongful death. The act adds a sibling of the deceased as a party who may bring a wrongful death action in certain circumstances. The act imposes a wrongful death damages cap of $2.125 million, and, starting January 1, 2028, and every 2 years thereafter, adjusts the damages cap based on inflation. Beginning January 1, 2025, the act incrementally increases the medical malpractice wrongful death damages limitation to $1.575 million over the course of 5 years. Thereafter, the cap is adjusted biennially for inflation. Existing law limits the amount recoverable for noneconomic damages in medical malpractice actions to $300,000. Beginning January 1, 2025, the act incrementally increases the noneconomic damages limitation to $875,000 over the course of 5 years. Thereafter, the cap is adjusted biennially for inflation. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE January 1, 2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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