Punitive damage reform, seat belt use admissibility, and statute of repose advance from committee

On Tuesday, February 12, the Senate Government Reform Committee, chaired by Sen. Ed Emery, approved three measures that will have a big impact on the tort environment in Missouri, especially for manufacturers.

The three measures were:

SB 30 (Hegeman) – requiring seat belt use information to be provided when a plaintiff alleges safety devices in a vehicle failed to adequately protect them;

SB 65 (White) – punitive damages reform to ensure such damages are awarded when the defendant has acted in an egregious manner but not routinely alleged as a coercion to settle cases; and,

SB 100 (Riddle) – a statute of repose at 15 years, limiting the time within which lawsuits may be brought alleging manufacturing defects.

For more information on these bills, see our original story here.