Periodic payments; reduction of awards in event of certain contingencies.
Del. Code tit. 18, § 6864
in effect(a) Where a person recovers a judgment against a health-care provider, the Court may, after making a determination as to the amount of such judgment which was awarded as compensation for future pain and suffering, if any, the amount of such judgment awarded for future expenses of care of the injured party made necessary by reason of the injury involved, if any, and the amount of such judgment awarded as compensation for any other future damages, if any, direct that:
(1) There shall be deducted from the award, and paid to the plaintiff, an amount sufficient to cover the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees, expenses related to the litigation, expenses incurred for past health-care and pain and suffering incurred as of the date of said payment;
(2) The remainder of the award shall be paid to the plaintiff in equal or unequal monthly installments to be fixed by the Court for a period of time to be fixed by the Court; provided, however, that in addition thereto, medical expenses incurred and paid by plaintiff not otherwise reimbursed shall also be paid to plaintiff from the undistributed portion of the award;
(3) Each monthly installment shall, in addition, include a payment of interest on the then unpaid balance at a rate to be fixed by the Court.
(b) If a plaintiff receiving installment payments of a judgment shall die before the expiration of a 20-year period from the date of the award, and prior to the receipt by the plaintiff or on the plaintiff’s behalf of all such installment payments, the Court shall deduct from the total of the installment payments then remaining unpaid the amount thereof representing compensation for future pain and suffering and future expenses of care made necessary by the injury involved, shall cause the balance of all such installments after such deduction to be paid to the estate of the plaintiff so dying and shall cause such judgment to be marked satisfied.
(c) If the plaintiff receiving installment payments shall die after the expiration of a 20-year period from the date of the award, then the payment shall automatically terminate as of the date of the plaintiff’s death.
Source: DE Code (Official Site)URL: https://delcode.delaware.gov/title18/c068/sc07/index.htmlFetched: 10/4/2026