If you own a home or automobile, there are certain things that you need to know in order to protect your assets and your rights.
In this article, we share eleven important facts to know in the State of Ohio.
11 Things About Ohio Law that You Should Know
1. Did you know that under Ohio law you are only required to have auto liability insurance in the amount of $12,500.00 per person or $25,000.00 for the entire total loss, and $7,500.00 in property damage coverage?
2. Did you know that in a recent insurance council study (2006 Edition), nationally, one in eight drivers, or 14.6%, were uninsured. In 2004, in Ohio, 15% of drivers were uninsured.
3. Did you know that as of 2001, your insurance company is not required to offer you uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage?
4. Did you know that under most health insurance plans, your health provider requires you to reimburse or pay back the health plan when involved in an auto wreck in which you have settled with the negligent driver’s insurance company (even though you have paid for the premiums)?
5. Did you know that most homeowners’ insurance policies exclude sewage backup issues and mold-related exposure?
6. Did you know that on December 9, 2004, new tort reform legislation was passed?
Non-economic damages (pain and suffering, loss of consortium, etc.) damages for non-catastrophic injury (injuries involving permanent and substantial physical deformity, loss of use of limb or permanent physical functional injury) are capped.
7. Did you know that the cap will be the greater of $250,000.00 or three times the amount of economic damages up to $350,000.00 per plaintiff and $500,000.00 per occurrence?
8. Did you know that there are caps for punitive damages recoverable from certain small employers? Small employers are defined as employers who have less than 100 full-time, permanent employees.
9. Did you know that there are limits on the amount of punitive damages recoverable from certain employers?
For large employers, the limit is two times the amount of compensatory damages (all financial expenses for actual damages associated with personal injury). For small employers or individuals, the limit is the lesser of two times compensatory damages, ten times the employers or individual’s net worth, or $350,000.00. A small employer is an employer who has not more than 100 full-time permanent employees. For manufacturing employers, a small employer is one who employs not more than 500 full-time, permanent employees.
10. Did you know that under the new tort reform laws, evidence of collateral source payments will now be permitted to allow defendants to introduce this evidence?
11. Did you know that under the new tort reform law, evidence of failure to wear a seat belt will be admitted as long as the evidence shows that the failure contributed to the harm alleged?
