{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-51-51-158","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 51, § 51-158","heading":"Settlement or defense of claim – Settlement payout -","body":"Liability insurance - Public records.\n\nA. The state or a political subdivision, after conferring with\n\nauthorized legal counsel, may settle or defend against a claim or\n\nsuit brought against it or its employee under The Governmental Tort\n\nClaims Act subject to any procedural requirements imposed by\n\nstatute, ordinance, resolution or written policy, and may\n\nappropriate money for the payment of amounts agreed upon. When the\n\namount of any settlement exceeds Twenty-five Thousand Dollars\n\n($25,000.00), and any payment required by the settlement will not be\n\npaid through an applicable contract or policy of insurance, the\n\nsettlement shall not be effective until approved by the district\n\ncourt and entered as a judgment as provided by law.\n\nB. Any settlement payout pursuant to this section may be\n\nstructured in any manner as agreed to by the parties involved;\n\nprovided, if the state is a party to the settlement, and the\n\nsettlement provides for a structured settlement, the state may\n\nparticipate in the structured settlement if the state payments to\n\nthe claimant or the insurance or annuity company that is the\n\nassignee of the claimant are completed within the fiscal year in\n\nwhich settlement is agreed to and if the parties sign a Qualified\n\nAssignment and Release Agreement that releases the state from\n\nfurther obligation.\n\nC. If a policy or contract of liability insurance covering the\n\nstate or political subdivision or its employees is applicable, the\n\nterms of the policy govern the rights and obligations of the state\n\nor political subdivision and the insurer with respect to the\n\ninvestigation, settlement, payment and defense of claims or suits\n\nagainst the state or political subdivision or its employees covered\n\nby the policy. However, the insurer may not enter into a settlement\n\nfor an amount which exceeds the insurance coverage without the\n\napproval of the governing body of the state or political subdivision\n\nor its designated representative if the state or political\n\nsubdivision is insured.\n\nD. Nothing in this section shall be construed to repeal or\n\nmodify Sections 361 through 365.6 and 435 of Title 62 of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes and it is intended that this section be construed\n\nin conformance with those sections.\n\nE. The state or a political subdivision shall not be liable for\n\nany costs, judgments or settlements paid through an applicable\n\ncontract or policy of insurance but shall be entitled to set off\n\nthose payments against liability arising from the same occurrence.\n\nF. The state or a political subdivision shall have the right of\n\nsubrogation against the insurer issuing any applicable contractor\n\npolicy of insurance to the monetary limit of said policy of\n\ninsurance or contract, if judgment or settlement of any claim\n\narising pursuant to this act results in the imposition of monetary\n\nliability upon the state or the political subdivision.\n\nG. Judgments, orders, and settlements of claims shall be open\n\npublic records unless sealed by the court for good cause shown.","path":["OK Code","Title 51"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os51.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"3985115e13f59ac6b370b7b814b5f732fbeb793353c45b6601894ceef2f42879","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-51-51-157","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-51-51-159"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}