Arbino v. Johnson & Johnson, decided today by the Ohio Supreme Court, upheld the constitutionality of legislation that caps the amount of non-economic and punitive damages available in Ohio tort actions. The at-issue legislation applies to all "tort" claims except medical, dental, optometric, and chiropractic claims, and civil actions for damages for a breach of contract or another agreement. There is no exception for employment-related claims, such as intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, or wrongful discharge public policy claims.
The tort reform statute caps non-economic damages at the greater of $250,000, or 3 times the economic loss, to a maximum of $350,000 for each plaintiff or $500,000 for each occurrence that is the basis for the claim. There is no statutory cap for economic losses. Punitive damages are capped at 2 times the total amount of compensatory damages. However, for small employers (5o0 or less employees for manufacturing companies, and 100 or less employees for all others) and individuals, punitive damages are capped at the lesser of 2 times the total compensatory damages, or 10% of the small employer's or individual's net worth measured at the time the tort was committed, up to a maximum of $350,000.
No court has yet to rule whether this tort reform legislation specifically applies to statutory employment discrimination claims. While there is a clear distinction between common law tort claim, and statutory claims, one could certainly argue that discrimination claims, which are claims for harm to the person, are tort claims covered by the statute. Most likely, however, these claims are not covered by this tort reform because of their statutory nature. Regardless, this case marks another milestone in what has become a very business-friendly Supreme Court.