Press Release August 5, 2008	Contact: Hannah Martone Press Officer Phone: (646) 839-3313 hmartone@manhattan-institute.org

NEW! Report on Ohio's Legal Reforms

TRIAL LAWYERS, INC. UPDATE: OHIO

JUDGING OHIO:

Legal Reforms are Steering Ohio's Struggling Economy in the Right Direction

New York, NY — August 5, 2008: Today, the Manhattan Institute's Center for Legal Policy (CLP) released its Trial Lawyers, Inc. Update: Ohio, a new report highlighting the improvement in Ohio's legal climate following bold legislative reforms implemented under the new state supreme court. The recent legal reform legislation in Ohio is one of the few bright spots helping the state's faltering economy.

Ohio's Old System of Jackpot Justice:

• In Cuyahoga and Franklin counties, the average jury verdict doubled to $112,551 and rose fivefold to $221,330, respectively, between 1996 and 2001
• Throughout the state medical-malpractice rates rose by 30% in both 2002 and 2003 and by 20% in 2004

With a newly composed supreme court more willing to uphold the rule of law, the legislature has passed numerous reforms, including limiting the size of punitive damages, requiring medical monitoring of asbestos claimants, and making it harder to avoid jury duty in order to keep juries reflective of the population.

Ohio's Legal Reforms Get Results:

• Medical-malpractice insurance rates fell by 1.7% from 2005 to 2006 and the largest insurer in the state cut its rates by 3.6%
• Medical-malpractice claims decreased by 21% from 2005 to 2006
• Asbestos litigation cases dropped significantly in comparison to the national average of 93%

Ohio needs to continue to ensure that the important legal reforms the state has made are not overturned.

What Ohio Should Do Next:

• Demand greater transparency from asbestos claimants and asbestos trusts
• Protect state-driven litigation from a hostile executive branch
• Prevent Trial Lawyers, Inc. from recapturing the state's supreme court in this fall's election

In a state that is struggling economically, reversing legal reform will only hamper economic growth.

James Copland is the director of the Manhattan Institute's Center for Legal Policy and project manager for the Institute's Trial Lawyers, Inc. series of publications that examine the size, scope, and inner workings of America's lawsuit industry.

For a copy of the report please visit: www.TrialLawyersInc.com. If you would like to schedule an interview with the author, James Copland, please contact Hannah Martone at (646) 839-3313 or hmartone@manhattan-institute.org.

The Manhattan Institute, a 501(c)(3), is a think tank whose mission is to develop and disseminate new ideas that foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility.

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