In re Special Docket No. 73958
{¶ 1} The central issue presented for our consideration is whether the court of appeals correctly dismissed, for lack of a final, appealable order, an appeal from a finding by the trial court, rendered pursuant to
{¶ 2} In 1997, the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas established Special Docket No. 73958, which reflects nоt only the court’s standing orders on issues such as pleading and discovery that apply to all pending asbestos-related personal-injury cases, but also filings and entries regarding individual and groups of asbestos litigants.
{¶ 3} During its 2003-2004 session, the General Assembly reviewed the state of asbestos litigation in Ohio and found that the number of asbestos cases pending in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court had grown from approximately 12,800 in 1999 to more than 39,000, with 200 additional cases being filed every month. Am.Sub.H.B. No. 292, Section 3(A)(3)(e), 150 Ohio Laws, Part III, 3970, 3989. Based on this and on its other legislative findings regarding the economic effects of asbestos litigation and the percentage of claimants who claim exposure to asbestos but who exhibit no physical symptoms, the legislature enacted Am.Sub.H.B. No. 292, stating its intent to “(1) give priority to those asbestos claimants who can demonstrate actual physical harm or illness caused by exposure to аsbestos; (2) fully preserve the rights of claimants who were exposed to asbestos to pursue compensation should those claimants become impaired in the future as a result of such exposure; (3) enhance the ability of the state’s judicial systems and federal judicial systems to supervise and control litigation and asbestos-related bankruptcy proceedings; and (4) conserve the scarce resources of the defendаnts to allow compensation of cancer victims and others who are physically impaired by exposure to asbestos while securing the right to similar compensation for those who may suffer physical impairment in the future.” Id. at Section 3(B), 150 Ohio Laws, Part III, 3991.
{¶ 4} This legislation requires claimants who file asbestos actions based on allegations of a nonmalignant condition to present a prima facie showing of an impairment that has been caused by exposure to asbestos.
{¶ 5} The record reveals that appellants, Goodrich Corporation and numerous others named as defendants in approximately 39,000 asbestos-related personal-injury cases pending in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, filed motions in the trial court to administratively dismiss certain actions pending against them in which the claimants had failed to present prima facie evidence in conformity with
{¶ 6} The court then conducted a hearing on the motions and, on January 26, 2006, entered an order holding that “the retrospective application of Am.Sub.H.B. 292 is substantive rather than merely remedial in its effect and, insofar as it impairs the substantive rights of plaintiffs who filed their claims before the effective date of the statute, violates Section 28, Article II of the Ohio Constitution.” The court concluded that, basеd on its finding of unconstitutionality, the legislation required the court to “adjudicate substantive issues in asbestos cases filed before September 2, 2004 according to the law as it existed prior to” the enactment of
{¶ 7} Appellants challenged this order in the Cuyahoga County Court of Appeals, arguing that retroactive application of the prima facie filing requirements of
{¶ 8} Appellants sought discretionary review in this court, and we agreed to address their narrow proposition of law: “As mandated by
{¶ 9} Accordingly, the issue presented is whether the court of appeals correctly dismissed the appeal for lack of a final, appealable order.
{¶ 10} Section 3(B)(2), Article IV оf the Ohio Constitution provides that “[cjourts of appeals shall have such jurisdiction as may be provided by law to review and affirm, modify, or reverse judgments or final orders of the courts of record inferior to the court of appeals within the district * * (Emphasis added.) We stated recently in Gehm v. Timberline Post & Frame,
{¶ 11} At issue in this appeal is
{¶ 12} “An оrder is a final order that may be reviewed, affirmed, modified, or reversed, with or without retrial, when it is one of the following:
{¶ 13} “* * *
{¶ 14} “(4) An order that grants or denies a provisional remedy and to which both of the following apply:
{¶ 15} “(a) The order in effect determines the action with respect to the provisional remedy and prevents a judgment in the action in favor of the appealing party with respect to the provisional remedy.
{¶ 16} “(b) The appealing party would not be afforded a meaningful or effective remedy by an appeal following final judgment as to all proceedings, issues, claims, and parties in the action.”
{¶ 17} In
{¶ 18} Consequently, we look to
{¶ 19} “(a) For any cause of action that arises before the effective date of this section, the provisions set forth in divisions (B), (C), and (D) ofsection 2307.92 of the Revised Code are to be applied unless the court that has jurisdiction over the case finds both of the following:
{¶ 20} “(i) A substantive right of a party to the case has been impaired.
{¶ 21} “(ii) That impairment is othеrwise in violation of Section 28 of Article II, Ohio Constitution.”
{¶22} This court previously addressed the finality of orders concerning provisional remedies in State v. Muncie (2001),
Provisional remedy
{¶ 23} We first concern ourselves with whether the order entered by the trial court is a “provisional remedy,” and, as we stated in Muncie,
{¶ 24}
{¶ 25} In this case, the trial court determined that retroactive application of the prima facie filing requirements set forth in
{¶ 26} Claimants contend that the trial court finding is advisory and does not specifically identify any case to which it applies. The order is not advisory, however, because the court specifically stated that it “will adjudicate substantive issues in asbestos cases filed before Septеmber 2, 2004 according to the law as it
{¶27} We also reject the appellants’ contention that the General Assembly intended for a finding made pursuant to
Order that Determines the Action and Prevents a Judgment in Favor of the Appealing Party with Respect to the Provisional Remedy
{¶ 28} Having determined that the finding of the trial court is a provisional remedy, the next step in the analysis is to consider whether “[t]he order in effect determines the action with respect to the provisional remedy and prevents a judgment in the action in favor of the appealing party with respect to the provisional remedy.”
{¶ 29} As we have already acknowledged in connection with the first step of this analysis, the trial court in the instant mаtter ruled that, because retroactive application of the prima facie requirements in
Meaningful or Effective Remedy on Appeal from a Final Judgment
{¶ 30} The last part of the analysis requires consideration of whether the appealing party will be afforded a meaningful or effective remedy by an appeal following a final judgment as to all proceedings, issues, claims, and parties in the action.
{¶ 31} In the case before us, the trial court’s order denies the appellants’ motion to аpply the prima facie filing requirements in
Conclusion
{¶ 32} A finding rendered pursuant to
Judgment reversed and cause remanded.