Opinion ID: 3207074
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Statutory Damages Cap

Text: As noted above, the jury found that Kevin had suf- fered $5,237,700 in economic damages and $3,125,000 in noneconomic damages and that Mitzi was entitled to damages in the amount of $1,012,500 for noneconomic injuries. After accounting for the fact that the jury had allocated 25% of the fault to Kevin, plaintiffs submitted a form of limited judgment against Weyerhaeuser and Stayton for a total of $6,272,025 as to Kevin and $759,375 as to Mitzi. Of those amounts, approximately $2,343,750 of the damages awarded to Kevin was for noneconomic injuries and the entire amount awarded to Mitzi was for noneconomic injuries. Weyerhaeuser objected based on ORS 31.710(1), which provides that “the amount awarded for noneconomic damages shall not exceed $500,000” in cases for damages arising out of bodily injury or loss of consortium. Because plaintiffs’ damages arose out of claims for bodily injury and loss of consortium, Weyerhaeuser argued that the noneconomic damage awards for both Kevin and Mitzi should be reduced to $500,000. Plaintiffs responded by arguing that application of the statutory cap on noneconomic damages in ORS 31.710(1) to plaintiffs’ claims in this case would violate Article I, section 17, of the Oregon Constitution, which states that, “[i]n all cases the right of Trial by Jury shall remain inviolate.” Plaintiffs relied on this court’s opinion in Lakin v. Senco Products, Inc., 329 Or 62, 987 P2d 463 (1999), opinion clarified, 329 Or 369, 987 P2d 476 (1999), which held that Article I, section 17, “guarantees a jury trial ‘in those classes of cases in which the right was customary at the time the [Oregon] constitution was adopted or in cases of like nature.’ ” Id. at 69 (quoting Molodyh v. Truck Insurance Exchange, 304 Or 8 We reject without discussion Weyerhaeuser’s alternative argument that the trial court plainly erred by giving the verdict form to the jury. Cite as 359 Or 610 (2016) 639 290, 295, 744 P2d 992 (1987)). Plaintiffs argued that the strict-products-liability and loss-of-consortium claims either were recognized at the time that the Oregon Constitution was adopted or were claims of a like nature. The trial court agreed with plaintiffs, concluding that both claims had roots in the common law predating the adoption of the Oregon constitution. Thus, the trial court held that Article I, section 17, precluded the legislature from limiting noneconomic damages with respect to plaintiffs’ claims. The trial court therefore denied Weyerhaeuser’s motion to limit plaintiffs’ noneconomic damages.9 On appeal, the Court of Appeals agreed with the trial court that Article I, section 17, shielded Mitzi’s claim for loss of consortium from the statutory damages cap in ORS 31.710(1), but it held that Kevin’s claim for strict products liability was not afforded the same protection and that the legislature could subject that claim to a statutory cap on noneconomic damages. Rains, 264 Or App at 659-66. Weyerhaeuser sought review of the Court of Appeals’ determination that Article I, section 17, protects Mitzi’s claim for loss of consortium from the statutory damages cap in ORS 31.710(1). Petitioners, in turn, challenged the Court of Appeals conclusion that Article I, section 17, did not similarly protect Kevin’s claim for strict products liability. Following the briefing in this case, this court decided Horton, 359 Or 168, which overturned Lakin based on this court’s conclusion that Article I, section 17, does not independently restrict the legislature’s ability to impose a statutory damage cap on specific claims. Id. at 244-54.10 Because the Court of Appeals did not have the benefit of our decision in Horton in addressing the parties’ arguments under Article I, section 17, we vacate its decision with respect to 90 Although plaintiffs’ written response to Weyerhaeuser’s motion was based solely on Lakin and Article I, section 17, plaintiffs amended that response days before the hearing, adding arguments based on Article I, section 10, and Article VII (amended), section 3, of the Oregon Constitution. The trial court, however, did not consider those arguments and denied Weyerhaeuser’s motion based entirely on Article I, section 17. 10 In Horton, this court further held that Article I, section 10, of the Oregon Constitution, substantively ensures a remedy for persons injured in their person, property, or reputation. Id. at 218-21. 640 Rains v. Stayton Builders Mart, Inc. the parties’ assignments of error relating to the application of the statutory damage cap to plaintiffs’ noneconomic damage awards and remand to that court for reconsideration of those assignments of error in light of Horton.11