Art. 56.42. LIMITS ON COMPENSATION    


(a) Except as otherwise provided by this article, awards payable to a victim and all other claimants sustaining pecuniary loss because of injury or death of that victim may not exceed $50,000 in the aggregate.

(b) In addition to an award payable under Subsection (a), the attorney general may award an additional $75,000 for extraordinary pecuniary losses, if the personal injury to a victim is catastrophic and results in a total and permanent disability to the victim, for lost wages and reasonable and necessary costs of:

(1) making a home or automobile accessible;

(2) obtaining job training and vocational rehabilitation;

(3) training in the use of special appliances;

(4) receiving home health care;

(5) durable medical equipment;

(6) rehabilitation technology; and

(7) long-term medical expenses incurred as a result of medically indicated treatment for the personal injury.

(c) The attorney general may by rule establish limitations on any other pecuniary loss compensated for under this subchapter, including limitations on pecuniary loss incurred as a result of a claimant's travel to and attendance of a deceased victim's funeral.

(d) A victim who is a victim of family violence or a victim of sexual assault who is assaulted in the victim's place of residence may receive a onetime-only assistance payment in an amount not to exceed:

(1) $2,000 to be used for relocation expenses, including expenses for rental deposit, utility connections, expenses relating to the moving of belongings, motor vehicle mileage expenses, and for out-of-state moves, transportation, lodging, and meals; and

(2) $1,800 to be used for housing rental expenses.

(e) An immediate family member or household member of a deceased victim may not receive more than $1,000 in lost wages as a result of bereavement leave taken by the family or household member.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 5.84(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 779, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1434, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Subsec. (d) added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1470, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 1999; Subsec. (b) amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 274, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Subsec. (d) amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 11, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Subsec. (c) amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1286, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Subsec. (e) added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1286, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.