Civil Actions - Noneconomic Damages - Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

HB 476 repeals Maryland's current caps on noneconomic damages in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. It removes the $350,000 limit for personal injury cases (since 1986) and the $500,000 limit for both personal injury and wrongful death cases (since 1994), eliminating annual inflation adjustments. This change directly affects plaintiffs filing such lawsuits and defendants facing potential larger awards. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026, applying only to cases arising after that date.