Wrongful death noneconomic damages · California
For Wrongful death noneconomic damages · California, state is California; type of cap is Wrongful death noneconomic damages; cap amount is five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000); constitutional status is In force, recorded from its source on 2026-08-31.
- State
- California our reading
- Type of cap
- Wrongful death noneconomic damages our reading
- Cap amount
- five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) verified
- Constitutional status
- In force our reading
- Inflation adjustment
- an incremental increase over the next 10 years to $1 million and a 2.0% annual inflationary adjustment thereafter per ama-assn.org
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
(c) In any action for wrongful death against one or more health care providers or health care institutions based on professional negligence, the following limitations shall apply: (1) Civil liability for damages for noneconomic losses against one or more health care providers, collectively, shall not exceed five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), regardless of the number of health care providers
— leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, retrieved 2026-08-31
Sources disagree
More than one authority states this, and they do not state the same thing. Both are reproduced with the source each came from — deciding between them is yours, not ours.
Cap amount
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov says cap amount is five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), as of 2026-08-31.
(c) In any action for wrongful death against one or more health care providers or health care institutions based on professional negligence, the following limitations shall apply: (1) Civil liability for damages for noneconomic losses against one or more health care providers, collectively, shall not exceed five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), regardless of the number of health care providers
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=3333.2
ama-assn.org says cap amount is $500k on the effective date of January 1, 2023, as of 2026-08-31.
California In 2022, California enacted AB 35. Noneconomic damages in cases not involving a patient death are capped at $350k starting January 1, 2023, with an incremental increase over the next 10 years to $750k and a 2.0% annual inflationary adjustment after that. As of Jan.1, 2025, the cap is $430k. Cases involving a patient death will have a limit of $500k on the effective date of January 1, 2023, with an incremental increase over the next 10 years to $1 million and a 2.0% annual inflationary adjustment thereafter. As of Jan. 1, 2025, this cap is $600k. Cal. Civ. Code 333.2.
https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/mlr-state-laws-chart-I.pdf
Sources
- leginfo.legislature.ca.govhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=3333.2
- ama-assn.orghttps://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/mlr-state-laws-chart-I.pdf