Damages; increasing maximum limitation on compensation for noneconomic loss; removing exceptions to limitation on noneconomic loss compensation. Effective date.

SB 827 increases Oklahoma's cap on non-monetary damages (like pain and suffering) in bodily injury lawsuits from $350,000 to $500,000. It removes previous exceptions that allowed higher awards in certain cases, meaning most plaintiffs will now be limited to this new cap unless specific conditions are met. The bill requires courts to specify the portion of damages for non-monetary harm in verdicts and sets clear criteria - such as reckless disregard, gross negligence, fraud, or intentional harm - for exceeding the cap. This affects plaintiffs in personal injury cases involving bodily injury, excluding government tort claims and wrongful death actions, and takes effect November 1, 2025.