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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>54115</law_id><section_number>8.01-36</section_number><catch_line>Joinder of action of tort to infant with action for recovery of expenses incurred thereby and claim for recovery of expenses by infant</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>8.01-243</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.01">Civil Remedies and Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="3">Actions</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Injury to Person or Property</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Where there is pending any action by an infant <span class="dictionary">plaintiff</span> against a <span class="dictionary">tort</span>-feasor for a personal injury, where the <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span> accrued prior to July 1, 2013, any parent or guardian of such infant, who is entitled to recover from the same <span class="dictionary">tort</span>-feasor the expenses of curing or attempting to cure such infant from the result of such personal injury, may bring an action against such <span class="dictionary">tort</span>-feasor for such expenses, in the same <span class="dictionary">court</span> where such infant&#x2019;s case is pending, either in the action filed in behalf of the infant or in a separate action. If the claim for expenses be by separate action, upon <span class="dictionary">motion</span> of any <span class="dictionary">party</span> to either case, made to the <span class="dictionary">court</span> at least one week before the trial, both cases shall be tried together at the same time as parts of the same transaction. But separate <span class="dictionary">verdicts</span> when there is a <span class="dictionary">jury trial</span> shall be rendered, and the <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> shall distinctly separate the decision and <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> in the separate causes of action.
			In the event of the cases being carried to the <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of <span class="dictionary">Appeals</span>, which may be done if there be the jurisdictional amount in either case, they shall both be carried together as one case and record, but the <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of <span class="dictionary">Appeals</span> shall clearly specify the decision in each case, separating them in the decision to the extent necessary to do justice among the parties. If an <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> is taken from the <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of <span class="dictionary">Appeals</span>, the Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span>, in matters in which it grants the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> for <span class="dictionary">appeal</span>, shall clearly specify the decision in each case, separating them in the decision to the extent necessary to do justice among the parties. <a id="paragraph-198602" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-36/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> For causes of action that accrue on or after July 1, 2013, the past and future expenses of curing or attempting to cure an infant of personal injuries proximately caused by a <span class="dictionary">tort</span>-feasor are <span class="dictionary">damages</span> recoverable by an infant in a <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span> against the <span class="dictionary">tort</span>-feasor and, if applicable to the infant&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span>, are subject to the limitation on <span class="dictionary">damages</span> in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Limitation on recovery in certain medical malpractice actions" href="/8.01-581.15/">8.01-581.15</a>. Any parent or guardian of such infant who has paid for or is personally obligated to pay for past or future expenses to cure or attempt to cure the infant shall have a <span class="dictionary">lien</span> and right of reimbursement against any recovery by the infant up to the amount the parent or guardian has actually paid or is personally obligated to pay. The right to reimbursement of any parent or guardian shall accrue upon the first tender of funds of any recovery from a <span class="dictionary">tort</span>-feasor to the infant. <span class="dictionary">Court</span> approval of the infant <span class="dictionary">settlement</span> shall release <span class="dictionary">party</span> <span class="dictionary">defendants</span> from all claims for past or future expenses of curing or attempting to cure the infant.
			Nothing in this section shall relieve a parent of the obligation to pay for the medical expenses of curing or attempting to cure the infant as such obligation exists under current <span class="dictionary">law</span>. <a id="paragraph-198603" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-36/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 8-629; 1954, c. 333; 1973, c. 277; 2013, cc. 551, 689; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 489.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
