Bill > HB0503

This bill modifies Utah's medical malpractice legal procedures and protections for health care providers, introducing several key changes. The bill establishes new rules for how medical malpractice lawsuits can be filed and adjudicated, including a requirement for a prelitigation review panel that health care providers and patients must go through before filing a lawsuit. The panel will review the merits of a potential malpractice claim, and the bill provides guidelines for how this review should be conducted. Importantly, the bill limits how plaintiffs can pursue damages against individual health care providers, protecting providers' personal assets except in cases of willful misconduct or insufficient insurance coverage. The legislation also introduces new provisions for awarding attorney fees, requiring plaintiffs to file an affidavit of merit substantiating their claims, and mandating that the state's medical licensing division compile and report detailed data about medical malpractice panel reviews. Additionally, the bill adjusts how economic and non-economic damages can be calculated and awarded, ensuring that medical bill amounts cannot be directly used to determine damage awards. The bill aims to create a more structured, fair process for addressing medical malpractice claims while providing additional protections for health care providers, and is set to take effect on May 7, 2025.

Business and Industry, Justice

https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/HB0503.html