1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Texas Senate Bill 30 and House Bill 4806 represent a concerning attack on the rights of everyday Texans in favor of corporate interests, particularly the insurance industry. These proposals aim to dramatically restrict the ability of victims and their families to receive fair compensation for injuries, loss of life, and other tragic circumstances resulting from corporate negligence or wrongdoing. The bills seek to functionally eliminate long-established categories of damages such as mental anguish, physical impairment, disfigurement, loss of companionship, and loss of consortium. These are not mere abstract legal concepts, but real harms experienced by real people – from the young child permanently disfigured by burns to grieving families robbed of their loved ones' companionship. Denying compensation for such profound losses is an injustice. Moreover, the justification provided – the notion of a "nuclear verdict crisis" – lacks credible factual basis. Analysis shows that only a small fraction of verdicts exceed $10 million, with many resulted in defense verdicts or modest awards. Juries, as affirmed by experience judges, generally reach appropriate decisions aligned with the evidence. This manufactured crisis appears to be a pretext for allowing highly profitable insurance companies to further increase their record windfall profits at the expense of vulnerable Texans. These bills prioritize corporate bottom lines over human welfare and undermine centuries of judicial precedent and constitutional principles. They represent an unacceptable infringement on the rights of Texans and the foundations of the civil justice system. Equal justice and corporate accountability are core societal values that should not be sacrificed for the benefit of wealthy corporate interests. The legislature has a duty to uphold the rule of law and protect its constituents from exploitation, not facilitate it under the guise of "reform." These concerning bills must not become law.