Harkom v. Ohio Power Co.

1994 Ohio 538, 68 Ohio St. 3d 305

Opinion

[This opinion has been published in Ohio Official Reports at 68 Ohio St.3d 305.]

HARKOM ET AL., APPELLANTS AND CROSS-APPELLEES, v. OHIO POWER COMPANY, APPELLEE AND CROSS-APPELLANT. [Cite as Harkom v. Ohio Power Co., 1994-Ohio-538.] Torts—Negligence—Compensatory damages and loss of consortium awards reinstated—Punitive damages award vacated. (No. 92-2479—Submitted January 11, 1994—Decided February 16, 1994.) APPEAL and CROSS-APPEAL from the Court of Appeals for Stark County, No. CA-8714. __________________ Spangenberg, Shibley, Traci, Lancione & Liber, Ellen Simon Sacks and James A. Marx, for appellants and cross-appellees. Day, Ketterer, Raley, Wright & Rybolt, James R. Blake and Merle D. Evans III, for appellee and cross-appellant. __________________ {¶ 1} The judgment of the court of appeals is reversed. The awards of $500,000 for compensatory damages and $200,000 for loss of consortium are reinstated. The award of $500,000 for punitive damages is vacated on the authority of Preston v. Murty (1987), 32 Ohio St.3d 334, 512 N.E.2d 1174. MOYER, C.J., A.W. SWEENEY, DOUGLAS, WRIGHT, RESNICK, F.E. SWEENEY and PFEIFER, JJ., concur. __________________