In Ohio, victims of medical negligence can pursue two types of compensation for a medical malpractice claim: economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages provide compensation for a patient’s financial losses after the act of malpractice. In Ohio, there is no cap limiting the amount of economic damages you are allowed to receive, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Long-term or short-term care
- Medical assistance equipment
Additionally, certain victims of medical malpractice may be entitled to non-economic damages. Non-economic damages include compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Disability or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Losses related to one’s reputation
Unlike economic damages, Ohio
limits the amount of non-economic damages you can recover through a medical malpractice lawsuit.
A patient cannot receive more than either $250,000 or three times the patient’s economic losses, whichever amount is greater. Furthermore, the non-economic damages awarded for a medical malpractice lawsuit in Ohio shall not exceed a maximum of $350,000 for each patient or $500,000 for each occurrence.
However, the amount of non-economic damages that can be awarded may be extended to $500,000 for each patient or $1 million for each occurrence if the patient suffers a significant injury, such as:
- Permanent and substantial physical deformity
- Loss of a use of limb
- Loss of bodily organ system
