Charles Schwertner President pro tempore of the Texas Senate | Official Website
Charles Jeffrey Schwertner, Texas State Senator for District 5, announced in a post on X that the Senate has taken a significant step to enhance fairness and transparency within the state's civil justice system.
"Thank you to Lt. Governor Patrick for supporting and highlighting SB 30 as a top priority bill," said Jeffrey Schwertner. "I'm proud the Texas Senate took a bold and historic step."
The statement from April 16, 2025, comes after the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 30. The bill aims to reform the civil justice system by addressing concerns over inflated medical damages and ensuring more consistent noneconomic damage awards. Texans for Lawsuit Reform state that the bill seeks to curb practices leading to disproportionately large verdicts, often referred to as "nuclear verdicts," which have been used to increase insurance costs and affect business operations in Texas.
Nuclear verdicts are exceptionally large jury awards, typically defined as exceeding $10 million. They often arise in high-stakes litigation involving industries such as commercial auto, medical malpractice, and product liability. According to PropertyCasualty360, these verdicts are frequently driven by juror anger and emotional responses rather than strictly legal considerations. The median value of nuclear verdicts rose by 27.5% between 2010 and 2019, with six states—California, Florida, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Illinois—accounting for 63% of all such cases. Factors contributing to this trend include anti-corporate sentiment, the influence of the "reptile strategy," and the normalization of large awards through social media exposure.
The Civil Justice League reports that Senate Bill 30 introduces a cap on recoverable medical expenses in personal injury lawsuits. This cap limits them to 300% of the Medicare reimbursement rate for similar services. The measure aims to standardize compensation and prevent inflation of medical costs presented during litigation.
According to the Texas Senate's information on Schwertner, he is a licensed orthopedic surgeon and lifelong conservative who has served in the Texas Senate since 2013. He chairs both the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce and the Sunset Advisory Commission, overseeing key policy areas such as utilities, insurance, and technology. Schwertner has led efforts on Constitutional Carry, grid reform, mental health access, and tax relief.
Alerts Sign-up