eLaws of Florida

  SECTION 766.118. Determination of noneconomic damages.  


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  • 1(1) 2DEFINITIONS.3-4As used in this section, the term:
    11(a) 12“Catastrophic injury” means a permanent impairment constituted by:
    201. 21Spinal cord injury involving severe paralysis of an arm, a leg, or the trunk;
    352. 36Amputation of an arm, a hand, a foot, or a leg involving the effective loss of use of that appendage;
    563. 57Severe brain or closed-head injury as evidenced by:
    65a. 66Severe sensory or motor disturbances;
    71b. 72Severe communication disturbances;
    75c. 76Severe complex integrated disturbances of cerebral function;
    83d. 84Severe episodic neurological disorders; or
    89e. 90Other severe brain and closed-head injury conditions at least as severe in nature as any condition provided in sub-subparagraphs a.-d.;
    1104. 111Second-degree or third-degree burns of 25 percent or more of the total body surface or third-degree burns of 5 percent or more to the face and hands;
    1385. 139Blindness, defined as a complete and total loss of vision; or
    1506. 151Loss of reproductive organs which results in an inability to procreate.
    162(b) 163“Noneconomic damages” means noneconomic damages as defined in s. 172766.202(8)173.
    174(c) 175“Practitioner” means any person licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 460, chapter 461, chapter 462, chapter 463, chapter 466, chapter 467, chapter 486, or s. 201464.012 202or registered under s. 206464.0123207. “Practitioner” also means any association, corporation, firm, partnership, or other business entity under which such practitioner practices or any employee of such practitioner or entity acting in the scope of his or her employment. For the purpose of determining the limitations on noneconomic damages set forth in this section, the term “practitioner” includes any person or entity for whom a practitioner is vicariously liable and any person or entity whose liability is based solely on such person or entity being vicariously liable for the actions of a practitioner.
    296(2) 297LIMITATION ON NONECONOMIC DAMAGES FOR NEGLIGENCE OF PRACTITIONERS.305-
    306(a) 307With respect to a cause of action for personal injury or wrongful death arising from medical negligence of practitioners, regardless of the number of such practitioner defendants, noneconomic damages shall not exceed $500,000 per claimant. No practitioner shall be liable for more than $500,000 in noneconomic damages, regardless of the number of claimants.
    362(b) 363Notwithstanding paragraph (a), if the negligence resulted in a permanent vegetative state or death, the total noneconomic damages recoverable from all practitioners, regardless of the number of claimants, under this paragraph shall not exceed $1 million. In cases that do not involve death or permanent vegetative state, the patient injured by medical negligence may recover noneconomic damages not to exceed $1 million if:
    4261. 427The trial court determines that a manifest injustice would occur unless increased noneconomic damages are awarded, based on a finding that because of the special circumstances of the case, the noneconomic harm sustained by the injured patient was particularly severe; and
    4682. 469The trier of fact determines that the defendant’s negligence caused a catastrophic injury to the patient.
    485(c) 486The total noneconomic damages recoverable by all claimants from all practitioner defendants under this subsection shall not exceed $1 million in the aggregate.
    509(3) 510LIMITATION ON NONECONOMIC DAMAGES FOR NEGLIGENCE OF NONPRACTITIONER DEFENDANTS.519-
    520(a) 521With respect to a cause of action for personal injury or wrongful death arising from medical negligence of nonpractitioners, regardless of the number of such nonpractitioner defendants, noneconomic damages shall not exceed $750,000 per claimant.
    557(b) 558Notwithstanding paragraph (a), if the negligence resulted in a permanent vegetative state or death, the total noneconomic damages recoverable by such claimant from all nonpractitioner defendants under this paragraph shall not exceed $1.5 million. The patient injured by medical negligence of a nonpractitioner defendant may recover noneconomic damages not to exceed $1.5 million if:
    6121. 613The trial court determines that a manifest injustice would occur unless increased noneconomic damages are awarded, based on a finding that because of the special circumstances of the case, the noneconomic harm sustained by the injured patient was particularly severe; and
    6542. 655The trier of fact determines that the defendant’s negligence caused a catastrophic injury to the patient.
    671(c) 672Nonpractitioner defendants are subject to the cap on noneconomic damages provided in this subsection regardless of the theory of liability, including vicarious liability.
    695(d) 696The total noneconomic damages recoverable by all claimants from all nonpractitioner defendants under this subsection shall not exceed $1.5 million in the aggregate.
    719(4) 720LIMITATION ON NONECONOMIC DAMAGES FOR NEGLIGENCE OF PRACTITIONERS PROVIDING EMERGENCY SERVICES AND CARE.733-734Notwithstanding subsections (2) and (3), with respect to a cause of action for personal injury or wrongful death arising from medical negligence of practitioners providing emergency services and care, as defined in s. 767395.002(9), 768or providing services as provided in s. 775401.265, 776or providing services pursuant to obligations imposed by 42 U.S.C. s. 1395dd to persons with whom the practitioner does not have a then-existing health care patient-practitioner relationship for that medical condition:
    807(a) 808Regardless of the number of such practitioner defendants, noneconomic damages shall not exceed $150,000 per claimant.
    825(b) 826Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the total noneconomic damages recoverable by all claimants from all such practitioners shall not exceed $300,000.

    846The limitation provided by this subsection applies only to noneconomic damages awarded as a result of any act or omission of providing medical care or treatment, including diagnosis that occurs prior to the time the patient is stabilized and is capable of receiving medical treatment as a nonemergency patient, unless surgery is required as a result of the emergency within a reasonable time after the patient is stabilized, in which case the limitation provided by this subsection applies to any act or omission of providing medical care or treatment which occurs prior to the stabilization of the patient following the surgery.

    947(5) 948LIMITATION ON NONECONOMIC DAMAGES FOR NEGLIGENCE OF NONPRACTITIONER DEFENDANTS PROVIDING EMERGENCY SERVICES AND CARE.962-963Notwithstanding subsections (2) and (3), with respect to a cause of action for personal injury or wrongful death arising from medical negligence of defendants other than practitioners providing emergency services and care pursuant to obligations imposed by s. 1001395.1041 1002or s. 1004401.45, 1005or obligations imposed by 42 U.S.C. s. 1395dd to persons with whom the practitioner does not have a then-existing health care patient-practitioner relationship for that medical condition:
    1032(a) 1033Regardless of the number of such nonpractitioner defendants, noneconomic damages shall not exceed $750,000 per claimant.
    1050(b) 1051Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the total noneconomic damages recoverable by all claimants from all such nonpractitioner defendants shall not exceed $1.5 million.
    1072(c) 1073Nonpractitioner defendants may receive a full setoff for payments made by practitioner defendants.

    1086The limitation provided by this subsection applies only to noneconomic damages awarded as a result of any act or omission of providing medical care or treatment, including diagnosis that occurs prior to the time the patient is stabilized and is capable of receiving medical treatment as a nonemergency patient, unless surgery is required as a result of the emergency within a reasonable time after the patient is stabilized, in which case the limitation provided by this subsection applies to any act or omission of providing medical care or treatment which occurs prior to the stabilization of the patient following the surgery.

    1187(6) 1188LIMITATION ON NONECONOMIC DAMAGES FOR NEGLIGENCE OF A PRACTITIONER PROVIDING SERVICES AND CARE TO A MEDICAID RECIPIENT.1205-1206Notwithstanding subsections (2), (3), and (5), with respect to a cause of action for personal injury or wrongful death arising from medical negligence of a practitioner committed in the course of providing medical services and medical care to a Medicaid recipient, regardless of the number of such practitioner defendants providing the services and care, noneconomic damages may not exceed $300,000 per claimant, unless the claimant pleads and proves, by clear and convincing evidence, that the practitioner acted in a wrongful manner. A practitioner providing medical services and medical care to a Medicaid recipient is not liable for more than $200,000 in noneconomic damages, regardless of the number of claimants, unless the claimant pleads and proves, by clear and convincing evidence, that the practitioner acted in a wrongful manner. The fact that a claimant proves that a practitioner acted in a wrongful manner does not preclude the application of the limitation on noneconomic damages prescribed elsewhere in this section. For purposes of this subsection:
    1371(a) 1372The terms “medical services,” “medical care,” and “Medicaid recipient” have the same meaning as provided in s. 1391409.9011392.
    1393(b) 1394The term “practitioner,” in addition to the meaning prescribed in subsection (1), includes any hospital or ambulatory surgical center as defined and licensed under chapter 395.
    1421(c) 1422The term “wrongful manner” means in bad faith or with malicious purpose or in a manner exhibiting wanton and willful disregard of human rights, safety, or property, and shall be construed in conformity with the standard set forth in s. 1462768.28(9)(a)1463.
    1464(7) 1465SETOFF.1466-1467In any case in which the jury verdict for noneconomic damages exceeds the limits established by this section, the trial court shall reduce the award for noneconomic damages within the same category of defendants in accordance with this section after making any reduction for comparative fault as required by s. 1517768.81 1518but before application of a setoff in accordance with ss. 152846.015 1529and 1530768.0411531. In the event of a prior settlement or settlements involving one or more defendants subject to the limitations of the same subsection applicable to a defendant remaining at trial, the court shall make such reductions within the same category of defendants as are necessary to ensure that the total amount of noneconomic damages recovered by the claimant does not exceed the aggregate limit established by the applicable subsection. This subsection is not intended to change current law relating to the setoff of economic damages.
    1616(8) 1617ACTIONS GOVERNED BY SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY LAW.1623-1624This section shall not apply to actions governed by s. 1634768.281635.
History.-s. 54, ch. 2003-416; s. 204, ch. 2007-230; s. 28, ch. 2011-135; s. 124, ch. 2018-24; s. 81, ch. 2018-106; s. 37, ch. 2020-9.

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