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Civil Justice Reforms Advance to House Floor
LABI notched an important win this week as the House Civil Law Committee advanced two key civil justice reform bills supported by the business community, sending both measures to the full House for consideration.
First, HB 1089 by Rep. Dennis Bamburg tackles a long-standing issue in Louisiana’s civil justice system: how future medical awards are used after a lawsuit. Today, those awards are often paid as unrestricted lump sums and can be spent for even non-medical purposes. The bill instead creates CARE Accounts, dedicated money-market style accounts designed specifically for future medical expenses.
Under the proposal, future medical awards would be deposited into these accounts and limited to qualified medical expenses, ensuring funds remain available throughout a claimant’s lifetime. The goal is to protect injured individuals’ access to long-term care while adding transparency and accountability, so awards are used for their intended purpose.
The committee also approved HB 437 by Rep. Michael Melerine (R-Shreveport), which strengthens the integrity of expert testimony in Louisiana courts. The bill prohibits outcome-based compensation for expert witnesses while continuing to allow standard payment for time and professional services.
The measure also increases transparency by requiring disclosure of prior cases involving outcome-based financial interests and strengthens judicial gatekeeping to ensure expert testimony is reliable and neutral before reaching a jury.
Both bills passed the committee on 6-1 votes and now head to the House floor, marking continued progress toward fairness, transparency and confidence in Louisiana’s legal system.