---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 14504"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "14504"
heading: "Liability for noneconomic loss"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/14504"
units:
  - "Chapter 139 — Volunteer Protection"
---

# §14504. Liability for noneconomic loss

- (a) **General rule—** In any civil action against a [volunteer](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6), based on an action of a [volunteer](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) acting within the scope of the [volunteer](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6)’s responsibilities to a [nonprofit organization](/usc/42/14505.md?p=4) or governmental entity, the liability of the [volunteer](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) for noneconomic loss shall be determined in accordance with [subsection (b)](#b).
- (b) **Amount of liability—**
  - (1) **In general—** Each defendant who is a [volunteer](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6), shall be liable only for the amount of noneconomic loss allocated to that defendant in direct proportion to the percentage of responsibility of that defendant (determined in accordance with [paragraph (2)](#b-2)) for the harm to the claimant with respect to which that defendant is liable. The court shall render a separate judgment against each defendant in an amount determined pursuant to the preceding sentence.
  - (2) **Percentage of responsibility—** For purposes of determining the amount of noneconomic loss allocated to a defendant who is a [volunteer](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) under this section, the trier of fact shall determine the percentage of responsibility of that defendant for the claimant’s harm.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 105–19, § 5, June 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 221.)