Laws play a major role in shaping the outcome of personal injury claims. One proposed bill in Texas could soon limit how much money injured people can recover in civil lawsuits. This has caused concern among legal professionals, injured victims, and advocacy groups.
Here’s what House Bill 4806 and Senate Bill 30 are, how they could affect personal injury settlements, and what this means for Texans involved in injury cases.
What Are House Bill 4806 and Senate Bill 30?
House Bill 4806 was introduced in the Texas Legislature in March 2025. It focuses on placing limits, or “caps,” on how much a person can recover in a civil lawsuit. Its companion bill, Senate Bill 30, shares the same goal and was passed by the Texas Senate in April. As of now, SB 30 is waiting for a vote in the House.
If this bill passes, it could go into effect on September 1, 2025. However, if the Legislature gives it a two-thirds vote, it could take effect immediately.
What This Bill Proposes
The main goal of House Bill 4806 is to set a limit on the amount a person can receive in a personal injury lawsuit. This means that even if someone suffers major injuries, their financial recovery could be restricted.
Such limits often apply to non-economic damages, like pain and suffering or emotional distress, which are more difficult to measure. These are different from economic damages like lost wages or medical bills, which can be clearly calculated.
How It Could Affect Injury Victims
If passed, this bill could impact the rights of people who have been hurt in car accidents, workplace incidents, or other cases involving serious harm.
Victims may no longer receive full compensation for their injuries. For example, a person who faces lifelong medical care or is unable to return to work could receive less than what they truly need to cover their long-term costs.
It may also affect how lawyers build personal injury cases. If recoveries are limited, fewer attorneys may be willing to take on complex or high-risk cases. This could reduce access to justice, especially for people with limited resources.
Why the Damage Cap Harms Texas Families
Under HB 4806 and SB 30, noneconomic damages would be capped at $250,000 in every case. That includes:
- Deaths caused by drunk drivers
- Severe burns and amputations
- Permanent brain injuries
- Lifelong disabilities caused by negligence
- There would be no exceptions.
This one-size-fits-all approach places an arbitrary value on human suffering and loss. A child’s death, a spouse’s paralysis, or a parent’s catastrophic injury would all be treated the same, as if pain, grief, and long-term hardship can be measured by a dollar figure chosen to protect corporate profits.
Texans have always believed in accountability and fairness. These bills violate those values by removing the jury’s ability to decide what justice looks like in each unique case.
The Larger Impact on Justice and Accountability
These bills shift power away from juries and into the hands of corporations and insurers. They make it harder for everyday Texans to pursue legal action and receive fair outcomes.
If passed, HB 4806 and SB 30 would:
- Reduce corporate accountability
- Discourage injury lawsuits regardless of merit
- Disproportionately affect vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly, children, and the disabled
The justice system exists to ensure a fair outcome based on facts, evidence, and testimony. These proposed laws override that system with artificial limits that serve only the powerful.
Don’t wait until new laws limit your ability to recover what you deserve. If you’ve been injured, now is the time to act. Contact the Law Office of Dan Moore for a free consultation. We’ll review your case, explain your options, and fight to secure the compensation you need to move forward.
