OHIO GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSES MEANINGFUL CIVIL JUSTICE REFORM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Gretchen Schaefer
gschaefer@atra.org
202-682-0084

Washington, DC, December 09, 2004 -- The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) praised the Ohio General assembly for passing a comprehensive civil justice reform bill that will create a more hospitable legal environment, which will help to create jobs and promote economic growth in the Buckeye state. Am. Sub. SB 80 passed yesterday and now awaits Governor Bob Taft’s signature.

“We commend the Ohio General Assembly for its work on this solution to an out-of-control legal system and the impact it has on its citizens,” said ATRA President Sherman Joyce. “Since reforms passed earlier this year in Mississippi and last year in Texas, the business climate has improved in those states and healthcare liability has stabilized. We would expect the same for Ohio.”

The main provisions of Am. Sub. SB 80 include:

Limits on noneconomic damages of $350,000 per plaintiff for noncatostrophic injuries in all tort reform actions

Limits on punitive damages of $350,000 for small businesses

Institution of a 10 year statute of repose for product liability cases

Protection for the food industry from frivolous obesity lawsuits

Requirements that damages are awarded fairly and appropriately during trial

The passage of the bill is the culmination of a multi-year effort by state legislators and the Ohio Alliance for Civil Justice to pass comprehensive reform. Supporters of the bill seem confident that the bill’s language will withstand any constitutional challenges.

“The bill’s passage would not have been possible without the tireless work of the Ohio Alliance for Civil Justice,” Joyce said. “We commend them for their success.”

The cost of lawsuit abuse is at an all time high. Today, the average family of four pays a $3,236 annual "tort tax," a cost added to the price of products and services needed to cover the costs of litigation. No other industrialized country pays more as a percentage of its Gross Domestic Product.

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The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) is the only national organization dedicated exclusively to tort and liability reform through public education and the enactment of legislation. ATRA's membership includes non profits, small and large companies, as well as state and national trade, business, and professional associations.