Case Title: Harkom v. Ohio Power Co.

Citation: 1994-Ohio-538

Docket Number: 19922479

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 1994-02-16T00:00:00Z

Document:
OPINIONS OF THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO                               
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Thomas J. Moyer.                                                                 
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Harkom et al., Appellants and Cross-Appellees, v. Ohio Power                     
Company, Appellee and Cross-Appellant.                                           
[Cite as Harkom v. Ohio Power Co. (1994),     Ohio St.3d    .]                   
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.                            
                                                                                 
     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.