Texas Legislature Rejects SB 30, Preserving Injury Victims' Rights to Full Compensation

A bill that would have limited payouts for personal injury and wrongful death claims has died in the Texas legislature. SB 30, initially introduced in 2025, was intended to reduce the amount of money plaintiffs could receive after filing suit for personal injuries such as car accidents, work-related accidents, and premises liability claims, as well as wrongful death cases.

Proponents of SB 30 claimed the bill would prevent runaway lawsuits, packaging it as a major step forward for tort reform. However, opponents viewed SB 30 as pro-insurance legislation that would sacrifice the rights of the injured in favor of limited payouts from major insurance corporations. The bill proposed monetary caps on what injured parties could receive and would have limited the ability of injured parties to present evidence referring to emotional anguish, damage to reputation, pain and suffering, and other non-economic damages.

During the Senate Committee's hearing, survivors of injuries and sexual assaults stepped forward to explain why these non-economic damages matter. While supporters argued that SB 30 would cut down on "nuclear verdicts" - high payout, unpreventable awards for personal injuries and wrongful deaths - data shows that only 4.6% of all verdicts in Texas between 2021 and 2025 exceeded $10 million according to Texas legal statistics. Meanwhile, SB 30 would have imposed limits on all personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, not just the highest-profile cases.

The failure of SB 30 to pass maintains the status quo in Texas civil litigation, allowing injured parties to continue seeking damages that fully compensate for both economic and non-economic losses. This outcome is significant because it preserves access to justice for individuals who have suffered serious injuries or lost loved ones due to negligence. The ability to pursue comprehensive legal damages against negligent parties remains a cornerstone of the Texas legal system.

For the time being, the rights of the injured have been placed ahead of the interests of insurance companies. This legislative outcome ensures that victims of negligence can seek compensation that actually matches their injuries, including both tangible economic losses and intangible harms like pain and suffering. The rejection of SB 30 represents a victory for consumer protection advocates and personal injury attorneys who argued that the bill would have disproportionately harmed vulnerable populations.