Intentional Torts

Shielding Employers from Employee Personal Injury Claims

Northern Ohio Intentional Tort Defense Lawyers

Legislative revisions in 2005 were meant to put additional limits on personal injury lawsuits against Ohio employers. However, that may not mean that your insurance coverage or business law attorney can fully protect you from claims. The law firm of Koeth, Rice & Leo Co. L.P.A., has an extensive history of defending clients against intentional tort claims.

Our Cleveland, Ohio, practice represents businesses in Cuyahoga County and across Northern Ohio who: (a) do not have intentional tort insurance; or (b) are having problems with their insurance carrier regarding coverage for the incident. The firm has defended employers in a wide range of cases (some precedent-setting) brought by employees or patrons, such as:

• Assault and battery by a plaintiff's coworker
• Construction site or factory accidents alleging intentional harm or intentional disregard for worker safety
• Electrocution, fire, or explosion that injures employees or private individuals
• Dram shop liability — injuries in a bar fight or assault that are blamed on inadequate security or overzealous bouncers, or the victim of a car accident sues for overserving a drunk driver
• Libel or slander against an employee or ex-employee

Minimum Client Exposure: Analyzing the Prudence of Settlement

Particularly in assaults or accidents resulting in permanent disability or death, a jury's sympathy for the victim can be hard to overcome. While Koeth, Rice & Leo Co. L.P.A. can claim a number of victories at trial, we have also settled numerous intentional tort cases to limit clients' potential exposure to high damages. When the likelihood of employer liability seems high, a "win" may mean settling the claim without paying punitive damages awarded in excessive jury verdicts.

A success story: Koeth, Rice & Leo Co. L.P.A. defended an uninsured restaurant franchise in a wrongful death lawsuit. A patron was killed on the premises by a third party, and the family sued the establishment for $2 million. A jury verdict—or a settlement near that amount—would have put the restaurant out of business. Our lawyers successfully defended the client in an intentional tort trial, enabling the owner to stay in business.

Intentional tort claims require a showing of intentional infliction of harm or intentional indifference to safety. We have the wherewithal to make plaintiffs meet that high burden of proof. Our partners have more than twenty-five years of experience each, and have appealed one intentional tort case all the way to the Supreme Court.

Contact Koeth, Rice & Leo Co. L.P.A. at 216-696-1433 to discuss your situation and examine your options. We emphasize attentive, responsive service and a commitment to limiting client costs.