Health Care Malpractice Amendments

HB 288 extends the time patients have to file health care malpractice lawsuits from four to eight years after discovering an injury. It expands the definition of "collateral sources" (such as insurance payments) that reduce damage awards and increases the cap on non-economic damages (like pain and suffering) to $400,000, with annual inflation adjustments. The bill also modifies rules for when fault is allocated to other providers, affecting how statute of limitations deadlines apply. These changes directly impact patients filing claims and health care providers defending against them.