Sec. 74.503. COURT ORDER FOR PERIODIC PAYMENTS. (a) At the request of a defendant physician or health care provider or claimant, the court shall order that medical, health care, or custodial services awarded in a health care liability claim be paid in whole or in part in periodic payments rather than by a lump-sum payment.
(b) At the request of a defendant physician or health care provider or claimant, the court may order that future damages other than medical, health care, or custodial services awarded in a health care liability claim be paid in whole or in part in periodic payments rather than by a lump sum payment.
(c) The court shall make a specific finding of the dollar amount of periodic payments that will compensate the claimant for the future damages.
(d) The court shall specify in its judgment ordering the payment of future damages by periodic payments the:
(1) recipient of the payments;
(2) dollar amount of the payments;
(3) interval between payments; and
(4) number of payments or the period of time over which payments must be made.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 204, Sec. 10.01, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.