Okla. Courthouses Report a Last-Minute Rush to File Lawsuits in Advance of Damage Caps
Oklahoma lawyers were rushing to file lawsuits on Monday in advance of a new cap on damages.
More than 400 lawsuits were filed at the Oklahoma County District Courthouse, compared to 50 to 70 personal injury lawsuits on a typical day, NewsOK reports. Deputy clerk Megan McWilliams said the day was so busy it rated “an 11” on a 1-to-10 scale.
Filings were also brisk in Oklahoma’s Cleveland County, the Norman Transcript reports.
The new law caps damages for pain and suffering at $350,000. Lawyer David Bernstein told the Norman Transcript the limit could eventually be overturned in the courts. “In Oklahoma, we have a constitutional right to trial by jury without limitations,” he said. “Many states that have looked at similar laws capping pain and suffering have found said limitation to be unconstitutional.”
