Caps on Pain & Suffering Damages and Exceptions in Ohio (2026)

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Ohio has a formula cap on noneconomic damages, and it disappears for catastrophic injuries and wrongful death.

The general cap

Under R.C. 2315.18, damages for noneconomic loss are limited to the greater of three times the economic loss or $250,000. Three times economic loss cannot exceed $350,000 for each plaintiff or $500,000 for each occurrence.

What the cap leaves alone

Economic damages are entirely outside the cap. An occurrence means all claims from one person's bodily injury, so related claims may be measured against the $500,000 per-occurrence figure.

The catastrophic injury exception

There is no limit on noneconomic damages if the injury involves permanent and substantial physical deformity, loss of use of a limb, loss of a bodily organ system, or a permanent functional injury that prevents you from independently caring for yourself.

Wrongful death

There is no cap at all in wrongful death claims; R.C. 2315.18 exempts them and the Ohio Constitution provides that damages for death caused by another's wrongful act shall not be limited by law.

Medical claims

R.C. 2323.43 uses the same formula, but for the severe injury categories it raises the ceiling to $500,000 per plaintiff or $1,000,000 per occurrence rather than removing it.

Punitive damages

Punitive damages are capped at twice compensatory damages, and for an individual or small employer at the lower of that or $350,000, according to one summary.

Official sources

• Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.18 — noneconomic damages limits
• Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.21 — punitive damages
• Ohio Rev. Code § 2323.43 — medical claims
• Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.33 — contributory fault

This is general information, not legal advice, and the state comparisons above are illustrative, not an exhaustive survey. Confirm how Ohio's rules apply to your specific case with a licensed Ohio attorney.