Except as otherwise provided by law, a money judgment, penalty, fine, or forfeiture rendered or imposed by any court of the State shall be expressed in dollars and cents.

A judgment against less than all partners or persons jointly liable on a contract, agreement, instrument, or any other obligation does not extinguish or merge the cause of action against any other partner or person jointly liable but not bound by the judgment. If the debt is not completely satisfied, any partner or person jointly liable but not bound by the judgment may be sued as if his original liability had been joint and several.

In a contract action brought against alleged joint debtors: The plaintiff need not prove their joint liability as alleged in order to maintain the action; The plaintiff may recover as in actions in tort against one or more of the defendants who are shown by the evidence to be indebted to the plaintiff; and Judgment shall be entered in the plaintiff’s favor against one or more of the defendants as fully as if the defendant or defendants against whom the plaintiff fails to establish a claim had not been joined in the suit.

In an action of detinue a plaintiff may recover the personal property and damages for the wrongful detention of the property. The judgment or verdict, if jury trial is elected, shall separately specify the value of the property and damages. If the judgment is rendered for the return of the property, the plaintiff may enforce the judgment by a writ of capias in withernam unless the court for good cause shows orders otherwise or the plaintiff agrees on the record to accept the value of the property in lieu of its return.

In any cause of action affecting the common property, rights, and liabilities of an unincorporated association, joint stock company, or other group which has a recognized group name, a money judgment against the group is enforceable only against the assets of the group as an entity, but not against the assets of any member.

A money judgment entered in an action arising from a contract for the loan of money shall carry interest at the rate charged in the contract on any balance remaining unpaid until the date of maturity of the contract as originally scheduled. However, the rate of interest shall be on the unpaid principal of the money borrowed. The provisions of this section do not apply to any loan secured by a mortgage or deed of trust. The provisions of this section do not apply when the contractual rate of interest for a student loan of money is less than the prevailing legal rate of interest allowable on the judgment, as set forth in § 11-107 of this subtitle, unless the agreement for the loan of money expressly provides otherwise. In this section, “student loan” means any loan or advance of funds, money, or credit to an individual by an institution of higher learning or a lender to defray, in part or in full, educational or educational related expenses. It includes national defense, national direct, health professional, and nursing student loans.

Except as provided in § 11-106 of this subtitle, the legal rate of interest on a judgment shall be at the rate of 10 percent per annum on the amount of judgment. The legal rate of interest on a money judgment for rent of residential premises shall be at the rate of 6 percent per annum on the amount of the judgment. The legal rate of interest on a money judgment for delinquent real or personal property taxes shall be the greater of: The sum of the rates fixed under §§ 14-603 and 14-702 of the Tax - Property Article for interest and penalties; or At the rate of 10 percent per annum.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. “Noneconomic damages” means: In an action for personal injury, pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, disfigurement, loss of consortium, or other nonpecuniary injury; and In an action for wrongful death, mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering, loss of society, companionship, comfort, protection, care, marital care, parental care, filial care, attention, advice, counsel, training, guidance, or education, or other noneconomic damages authorized under Title 3, Subtitle 9 of this article. “Noneconomic damages” does not include punitive damages. “Primary claimant” means a claimant in an action for the death of a person described under § 3-904(d) of this article. “Secondary claimant” means a claimant in an action for the death of a person described under § 3-904(e) of this article. In any action for damages for personal injury in which the cause of action arises on or after July 1, 1986, an award for noneconomic damages may not exceed $350,000. Except as provided in paragraph (3)(ii) of this subsection, in any action for damages for personal injury or wrongful death in which the cause of action arises on or after October 1, 1994, an award for noneconomic damages may not exceed $500,000. The limitation on noneconomic damages provided under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall increase by $15,000 on October 1 of each year beginning on October 1, 1995. The increased amount shall apply to causes of action arising between October 1 of that year and September 30 of the following year, inclusive. The limitation established under paragraph (2) of this subsection shall apply in a personal injury action to each direct victim of tortious conduct and all persons who claim injury by or through that victim. In a wrongful death action in which there are two or more claimants or beneficiaries, an award for noneconomic damages may not exceed 150% of the limitation established under paragraph (2) of this subsection, regardless of the number of claimants or beneficiaries who share in the award. An award by the health claims arbitration panel in accordance with § 3-2A-05 of this article for damages in which the cause of action arose before January 1, 2005, shall be considered an award for purposes of this section. In a jury trial, the jury may not be informed of the limitation established under subsection (b) of this section. If the jury awards an amount for noneconomic damages that exceeds the limitation established under subsection (b) of this section, the court shall reduce the amount to conform to the limitation. In a wrongful death action in which there are two or more claimants or beneficiaries, if the jury awards an amount for noneconomic damages that exceeds the limitation established under subsection (b)(3)(ii) of this section, the court shall: If the amount of noneconomic damages for the primary claimants equals or exceeds the limitation under subsection (b)(3)(ii) of this section: Reduce each individual award of a primary claimant proportionately to the total award of all of the primary claimants so that the total award to all claimants or beneficiaries conforms to the limitation; and Reduce each award, if any, to a secondary claimant to zero dollars; or If the amount of noneconomic damages for the primary claimants does not exceed the limitation under subsection (b)(3)(ii) of this section or if there is no award to a primary claimant: Enter an award to the primary claimant, if any, as directed by the verdict; and Reduce each individual award of a secondary claimant proportionately to the total award of all of the secondary claimants so that the total award to all claimants or beneficiaries conforms to the limitation. The provisions of this section do not apply to a verdict under Title 3, Subtitle 2A of this article for damages in which the cause of action arises on or after January 1, 2005.

In this section, “economic damages” means loss of earnings and medical expenses. “Economic damages” does not include punitive damages. As part of the verdict in any action for damages for personal injury in which the cause of action arises on or after July 1, 1986 or for wrongful death in which the cause of action arises on or after October 1, 1994, the trier of fact shall itemize the award to reflect the monetary amount intended for: Past medical expenses; Future medical expenses; Past loss of earnings; Future loss of earnings; Noneconomic damages; and Other damages. The court or the health claims arbitration panel may order that all or part of the future economic damages portion of the award be paid in the form of annuities or other appropriate financial instruments, or that it be paid in periodic or other payments consistent with the needs of the plaintiff, funded in full by the defendant or the defendant’s insurer and equal when paid to the amount of the future economic damages award. In the event that the court or panel shall order that the award for future economic damages be paid in a form other than a lump sum, the court or panel shall order that the defendant or the defendant’s insurer provide adequate security for the payment of all future economic damages. The court or panel may appoint a conservator under this subsection for the plaintiff, upon such terms as the court or panel may impose, who shall have the full and final authority to resolve any dispute between the plaintiff and the defendant or the defendant’s insurer regarding the need or cost of expenses for the plaintiff’s medical, surgical, custodial, or other care or treatment. If the plaintiff under this section dies before the final periodic payment of an award is made, the unpaid balance of the award for future loss of earnings shall revert to the estate of the plaintiff and the unpaid balance of the award for future medical expenses shall revert to the defendant or to the defendant’s insurer if the insurer provided the funds for the future damages award.

A calculation of damages for loss of earnings resulting from personal injury or wrongful death may not be reduced based on race, ethnicity, or gender.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. “Compensatory damages” means: In the case of the death of a pet, the fair market value of the pet before death and the reasonable and necessary cost of veterinary care; and In the case of an injury to a pet, the reasonable and necessary cost of veterinary care. “Pet” means a domesticated animal. “Pet” does not include livestock. A person who tortiously causes an injury to or death of a pet while acting individually or through an animal under the person’s ownership, direction, or control is liable to the owner of the pet for compensatory damages. The damages awarded under paragraph (1) of this subsection may not exceed $25,000.

If a court orders that a deed of any kind shall be executed, it may appoint a trustee to execute the deed. Until the trustee executes a deed, the decree: If passed in the county where the land lies, has the same effect as an executed deed; and If passed in another county, has the same effect as an executed deed if recorded in the county where the land lies within 6 months after the date of the decree.

In this section, “payor” has the same meaning stated in § 19-132 of the Health - General Article. Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, this section applies to any right of subrogation under a contract or applicable law for payment of health care benefits or services for an injured person paid or payable by a payor or under any system of self-insurance or indemnification for health care expenses, if the amount of the subrogee’s claim as determined under subsection (c) of this section is voluntarily paid by the injured person from the injured person’s recovery in a claim for personal injury. This section does not apply to a voluntary reduction of a subrogation claim by a payor that exceeds the reduction of the subrogation claim described in subsection (c) of this section. Unless a subrogee files a petition to intervene in the personal injury action and is independently represented by counsel, in a subrogation claim arising out of a claim for personal injury, the amount permitted to be recovered by a payor for health care benefits or services paid or payable on behalf of the injured person shall be reduced by the amount that is determined by: Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, dividing the amount of the total recovery in the claim for personal injury into the total amount of the attorney’s fees incurred by the injured person for services rendered in connection with the injured person’s claim; and Multiplying the result under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph by the amount of the payor’s subrogation claim. The percentage under paragraph (1)(i) of this subsection may not exceed one-third. A payor has no obligation to advise an injured person or an attorney for the injured person of the injured person’s right to a reduction of the subrogation claim described in subsection (c) of this section. On written request by a payor, an injured person or an attorney for the injured person who demands a reduction of the subrogation claim described in subsection (c) of this section shall provide the payor with a certification by the injured person that states the amount of the attorney’s fees incurred by the injured person for services rendered in connection with the injured person’s claim.