Ohio Supreme Court
In 2004, the Ohio General Assembly passed a major multi-subject general tort reform bill (SB 80), which directly tackled the sky-rocketing damages awards that are so problematic with modern-day tort actions. The Ohio Supreme Court must now decide whether the landmark legislation will survive against a constitutional challenge raised in the case of Arbino v. Johnson & Johnson. The new law limits the amount of punitive damages recoverable from small employers or individuals to the lesser of two times compensatory damages, 10 percent of the employer's or individual's net worth, or $350,000.
Status: DECIDED. Amicus brief filed in support of the legislation Dec. 15, 2006. Oral argument heard May 1, 2007. On Dec. 27, 2007, the court upheld the law.
