Why does the wind blow across Texas?
Because Oklahoma tort reform sucks. (If you've lived in Texas or Oklahoma, it's funny.) My good friends at the Oklahoma Center for Consumer and Patient Safety wrote about SB 507 on their Myspace site. This one sounds pretty nasty:
Source: blog.myspace.com/okccps
"SB 507 is being yielded as a comprehensive tort reform bill but should be entitled a comprehensive immunity bill. There are some really bad sections to the bill which I will highlight below. Also, we have compiled a list of resources and completed a series of white papers which are on our website at: http://www.okccps.org/okccps.site/civiljusticeresources.htm
· Hard caps on non-economic damages (which would discriminate against elderly, women, and children) SEE WHITE PAPER found at above listed link
· Provides for an 8 year statute of repose (FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE WHITE PAPER found at above listed link)
· Eliminates the collateral source rule (FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE WHITE PAPER found at above listed link)
· Abolishes Joint and Several Liability (FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE WHITE PAPER found at above listed link)
· Allows for periodic payments on damages (allowing the one who caused harm to pay out their judgment to the injured party)"
I haven't had a chance to check out the bill myself, so if anyone has any additional info about it, shoot it my way. Better yet, shoot an email to the OKCCPS and get involved with them if you live in Oklahoma.