RMA praises Ohio product liability reform bill

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Dec. 16)—The Rubber Manufacturers Association publicly has praised the Republican-dominated Ohio Legislature for passing a bill reforming the joint-and-several liability concept in product liability lawsuits. Under the provisions of the bill—which has gone to Bob Taft, Ohio's Republican governor, for signing—defendants in product liability suits who are judged to be less than 50 percent responsible for a product failure may not be forced to pay the entire amount of damages. "This is common-sense legislation," said John Falardeau, RMA State Legislative Manager in a press release. More than two-thirds of U.S. states have passed similar legislation, he said.