Law Commons^™

Adding Insult To Death: Why Punitive Damages Should Not Be Imposed Against A Deceased Tortfeasor's Estate In Ohio, Alec A. Beech

Akron Law Review

A majority of jurisdictions in the United States have determined, either statutorily or judicially, that punitive damages cannot be imposed against deceased tortfeasors. However, a recent Ohio appellate court held to the contrary. In Whetstone v. Binner, the Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals adopted the minority view when it held that punitive damages could be imposed against a decedent’s estate. This Comment takes the position that Whetstone was incorrectly decided. Specifically, this Comment argues that the longstanding purposes of punitive damages are not furthered when such damages are imposed against estates and that Ohio law supports this conclusion.

Products Liability - Strict Liability In Tort - Measure Of Proof: Defectiveness Of Product - Unreasonably Dangerous Test Abandoned: Cronin V. J.B.E. Olson Corp., Stanley M. Schultz

Akron Law Review

Thus the issue facing the court was whether California's concept of strict liability necessarily requires a showing that the defective, injury causing product was also unreasonably dangerous." They held that it does not. In arriving at this decision the court relied heavily on the language used in its landmark decision in Greenman v. Yuba Power Products, Inc.

Medical Malpractice - Statute Of Limitations - Foreign Objects - The Adoption Of The Discovery Rule - Legislative Or Judicial Prerogative? Melnyk V. Cleveland Clinic, Alan J. Sobol

Akron Law Review

The rationale of the Court was that Melnyk could be distinguished with the recent case of Wyler v. Tripi, which held that a cause of action for medical malpractice accrues at the latest when the physician-patient relationship terminates, and which also recognized the legislature's authority to act in this area, on the basis that Wyler was not a foreign object case. Therefore, the Court felt it need not disturb the Wyler holding and could nevertheless hold the failure to remove the foreign objects in Melnyk was negligence as a matter of law and that equity and public policy require …

The Federal Tort Claims Act - Absolute Liability, The Discretionary Function Exception, Sonic Booms; Laird V. Nelms, Daniel Wallen

Akron Law Review

[A]lthough the legislative history of the FTCA lends great support for the argument that the doctrine of absolute liability is an acceptable theory to employ to seek recovery under the FTCA, the Supreme Court has chosen to rely on the Dalehite decision and completely overlook later Supreme Court interpretations. The legislative history of the FTCA also indicates that the discretionary function exception must always be confronted, regardless of the theory one proceeds under to seek recovery.

Automobile Guest Statute; Unconstitutional; Equal Protection; Due Process; Right To Seek Legal Redress; Primes V. Tyler, Margaret Fuller Corneille

Akron Law Review

IN JULY 1975, the Supreme Court of Ohio in the case of Primes v. Tyler' joined a small but growing number of states' which have declared automobile guest statutes' unconstitutional. The circumstances of the Primes case are similar to those encountered in countless other suits brought by injured guest passengers since the Ohio guest statute was enacted in 1933.' George Primes, III and Donald G. Tyler were members of an informal golf group which shared a car pool arrangement. Tyler, driving for the car pool, was involved in an automobile accident in which Primes, a passenger, was injured. Primes brought …

Minors Under The Age Of Seven; Incapable Of Primary Negligence Or Intentional Torts; Conclusive Presumption; Deluca V. Bowden, Robert Austin Cross

Akron Law Review

The only question considered by the supreme court was "whether a child under the age of seven is liable for primary negligence or for an intentional tort." The court noted the general incapacity of a child of this age to act with reason and foresight, and further expressed its own reluctance to attach blame to a child "in any sense comparable to the blame attachable to an adult." For these reasons it held that such a child shall be conclusively presumed incapable of both primary negligence and intentional tort.

In so holding, Ohio joins a distinct minority of states which …

Liability For Product Design In Ohio - A First Step Toward Solution, Edgar A. Strause, James H. Hedden

Akron Law Review

This article concerns an area of the law of strict liability in tort which is now emerging from an embryonic stage in Ohio - namely, a manufacturer's liability for conscious design choices in developing its product. It is the thesis of this article that in the recent case of Temple v. Wean United, Inc., the Ohio Supreme Court has taken a major step toward a solution to the inherent difficulties in passing judgment upon the reasonableness of a manufacturer's conscious design choices. In doing so, the court has simultaneously lessened the otherwise open-ended exposure of manufacturers to liability concerning …

Strict Liability And Economic Harm In Ohio, Edward J. Howlett Ii

Akron Law Review

In Temple v. Wean United, Inc., the Ohio Supreme Court formally adopted section 402 (A) of the Restatement (Second) of Torts, thus recognizing in Ohio the Restatement's strict liability cause of action for injury caused by defectively manufactured products. Although the Restatement clearly states that recovery may be had in strict liability for personal injury and for property damage, there is debate over whether "economic loss" should be recoverable under the doctrine of strict liability. This comment will review existing case law to determine whether economic loss may be recovered from the manufacturer of a defective product under a …

Book Review: Lawsuit: By Stuart M. Speiser, Lawrence P. Wilkins

Akron Law Review

The seven ages of a lawsuit are portrayed in new light through the lively prose of Mr. Speiser, as he tells the backstage stories in seven major tort cases in which he or members of his firm have participated during his distinguished career. More than just chronicled events observable by anyone, the author's stories reveal some of the thinking processes which turn the seven ages of a lawsuit into working tools in the resolution of controversies. More than just another collection of "stories-about-cases-the-author-has-won," the book is a discourse on the author's thesis that the American "trinity of torts" (jury trial, …

Ohio Supreme Court Symposium

Akron Law Review

During the 1981-1982 term the Ohio Supreme Court rendered 250 written opinions on a wide range of topics from wiretapping to the liability of landlords for injuries. In several cases, individuals gained significant legal rights in dealing with business and others. In addition, there were some significant changes in the law governing municipal sovereignty and immunity. This symposium will not attempt to cover all decisions of the Ohio Supreme Court, but rather to highlight some of the major decisions which affect Ohioans.

Administering Ohio's Newly Recognized Tort: The Negligent Infliction Of Serious Emotional Distress, Dan A. Morrell Jr.

Akron Law Review

Before examining the standards set forth by the Ohio Supreme Court in Paugh v. Hanks, a brief overview of the history and treatment of emotional distress in other jurisdictions is necessary because Ohio has borrowed from the experiences and illustrations of several states in delineating the standards for administration of this new tort.

The Landlord's Liability To His Tenants For Injuries Criminally Inflicted By Third Persons, Marvin M. Moore

Akron Law Review

Until approximately fifteen years ago a landlord was never held civilly liable to his tenants for injuries inflicted by the criminal acts of third persons, regardless of the deficiency of the security measures provided by the landlord.' The landlord was protected from tenant lawsuits by three factors: The historical concept of a lease, certain tort theories of a legalistic nature, and some policy concerns having significant influence upon the courts. In recent years the courts have begun holding landlords liable in some circumstances for criminally-induced injuries sustained by their tenants. The following discussion will examine the reasons for the landlord's …

Tortious Necessity; The Privileged Defense, John P. Finan, John Ritson

Akron Law Review

The similarities between the laws of torts in the United States of America and England enable one to make an interesting comparison between the two sets of rules applicable to the general defense of necessity. Although both tort systems are derivatives to a greater or lesser extent of the English common law, they have inevitably developed their own individual jurisprudence over the years. Concepts have been refined and extended to produce significant and curious differences which provide an interesting exercise in legal forensic. The similarities of the two tort systems make a comparative study possible, and the differences provide the …

Celebrity Newsgathering And Privacy: The Transformation Of Breach Of Confidence In English Law, John D. Mccamus

Akron Law Review

In recent years, a series of leading cases have returned to consider these questions. The implications of these decisions for the current shape of English law relating to civil redress for privacy invasion are the subject of this article. Surprisingly, perhaps, English courts have remained steadfast in their refusal to recognize invasion of privacy as a tort and in doing so have quite explicitly declined to rely on American experience in this area. Rather, English courts have preferred to resist innovation of this kind and leave the difficult question of privacy law reform to Parliament. On a number of recent …