The House Judiciary Committee voted down legislation to restore the cap on noneconomic damage awards for businesses defending latent disease and latent injury cases (HB 767).

In 1986, the Maryland General Assembly capped noneconomic damage awards for all defendants in Maryland. The Court of Appeals, through the Crane v. Scribner decision, has now exposed a wide segment of the Maryland business community to litigation with unlimited damages for latent disease and latent injury cases. Unless overturned, this decision will cost Maryland businesses millions of dollars annually in damages. The Maryland Chamber urged the General Assembly to enact HB 767, but the legislation was killed in committee last Friday.

Voted to Kill the Bill
Samuel I. Rosenberg
Curtis S. (Curt) Anderson
Anthony G. Brown
Jill P. Carter
Kathleen M. Dumais
Don Dwyer, Jr.
Ana Sol Gutierrez
Darryl A. Kelley
Kevin Kelly
Susan C. Lee
Pauline H. Menes
Carol S. Petzold
Neil F. Quinter
Luiz R. S. Simmons
Michael D. Smigiel, Sr.
Theodore J. Sophocleus
Robert A. Zirkin

Voted to Pass the Bill
Christopher B. Shank
Tanya Thornton Shewell
Wm. Daniel Mayer
Susan K. McComas
Herbert H. McMillan