About HB 503

HB503 is a one-size-fits-all cap that fails to account for the true costs of catastrophic injuries.

For many victims, $1,000,000 is simply not enough to cover past and future medical expenses — let alone the long-term suffering and financial instability that result from severe injuries. Utah has not historically imposed limits on damages related to past and future medical expenses in malpractice cases. 

Consider this: Utah currently imposes a cap of $450,000 on non-economic damages (pain and suffering) in medical malpractice cases — a figure set in 2010. Yet HB503 would impose an arbitrary $1,000,000 limit for everything, disregarding inflation and the true financial needs of victims.

Utahns pride themselves on personal responsibility, self-autonomy and community accountability. But HB503 exempts a specific class — medical professionals — from that basic principle. Like lawyers and clergy, doctors hold a position of immense trust and responsibility in society. If their actions result in harm, they must be held accountable like all others. No profession should receive special immunity from the consequences of its actions.

The real-world impact of HB503 would be tragic. Imagine a child left paralyzed due to a surgical error or a young mother requiring lifelong medical care after a botched procedure. HB503 shields medical professionals from full responsibility, regardless of the severity of harm they cause. No matter how devastating the consequences — whether a lifetime of disability, catastrophic financial ruin or the wrongful death of a loved one — the cap would remain the same. Such a policy is not only unjust, but also contrary to the principles of personal responsibility, fairness and accountability that Utahns hold dear.

HB 503 would strip individuals of their ability to seek full and fair compensation for life-altering injuries, we erode the very foundation of our society. We diminish personal responsibility, weaken community trust and compromise the well-being of those who suffer the most. This is not justice.

HB503 does not serve justice, and it does not serve Utahns. We must reject this harmful legislation and stand for accountability, fairness and the rights of those who need justice the most.

You can read the legislation here.