Tex. Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 18.061
COMMUNICATIONS OF SYMPATHY
Texas · Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code · Status: effective
Cite this
- Citation
- Tex. Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 18.061, COMMUNICATIONS OF SYMPATHY, Texas, version 1 as recorded 2026-07-09, yourstate.us, https://yourstate.us/provision/632215
- Permanent ID
ys:prov:632215@1- SHA-256
ffcf577555ff1381beb7d6f2e7e49728cc928ee152971eff1c6c4fc24e467111
The hash is SHA-256 of this version's text, with every run of whitespace collapsed to a single space and the ends trimmed. The ID always leads back here, and checking it says whether the text you cited is still the current version.
Full text
(a) A court in a civil action may not admit a communication that:
(1) expresses sympathy or a general sense of benevolence relating to the pain, suffering, or death of an individual involved in an accident;
(2) is made to the individual or a person related to the individual within the second degree by consanguinity or affinity, as determined under Subchapter B, Chapter 573, Government Code; and
(3) is offered to prove liability of the communicator in relation to the individual.
(b) In this section, "communication" means:
(1) a statement;
(2) a writing; or
(3) a gesture that conveys a sense of compassion or commiseration emanating from humane impulses.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsections (a) and (b), a communication, including an excited utterance as defined by Rule 803(2) of the Texas Rules of Evidence, which also includes a statement or statements concerning negligence or culpable conduct pertaining to an accident or event, is admissible to prove liability of the communicator.