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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>74543</law_id><section_number>8.01-38</section_number><catch_line>Tort liability of hospitals</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><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><p>Hospital as referred to in this section shall include any institution within the definition of hospital in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="(Effective January 1, 2026) Definitions" href="/32.1-123/">32.1-123</a>.
		No hospital, as defined in this section, shall be immune from liability for <span class="dictionary">negligence</span> or any other <span class="dictionary">tort</span> on the ground that it is a charitable institution unless (i) such hospital renders exclusively charitable medical services for which service no bill for service is rendered to, nor any charge is ever made to the patient or (ii) the <span class="dictionary">party</span> alleging such <span class="dictionary">negligence</span> or other <span class="dictionary">tort</span> was accepted as a patient by such institution under an express written agreement executed by the hospital and delivered at the time of admission to the patient or the <span class="dictionary">person</span> admitting such patient providing that all medical services furnished such patient are to be supplied on a charitable basis without financial liability to the patient. However, notwithstanding the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Limitation on recovery in certain medical malpractice actions" href="/8.01-581.15/">8.01-581.15</a> a hospital which is exempt from taxation pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;501(c) (3) of Title 26 of the United States Code (Internal Revenue Code of 1954) and which is insured against liability for <span class="dictionary">negligence</span> or other <span class="dictionary">tort</span> in an amount not less than $500,000 for each occurrence shall not be liable for damage in excess of the limits of such insurance, or in <span class="dictionary">actions</span> for medical malpractice pursuant to Chapter 21.1 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/8.01-581.1/">8.01-581.1</a> et seq.) for <span class="dictionary">damages</span> in excess of the amount set forth in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Limitation on recovery in certain medical malpractice actions" href="/8.01-581.15/">8.01-581.15</a>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 8-629.2; 1974, c. 552; 1976, c. 765; 1977, c. 617; 1983, c. 496; 1986, cc. 389, 454; 2000, c. 464.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
