Ohio Code 4730.34 – State medical board – immunity
In the absence of fraud or bad faith, the state medical board, the board’s physician assistant policy committee, a current or former board or committee member, an agent of the board or committee, a person formally requested by the board to be the board’s representative or by the committee to be the committee’s representative, or an employee of the board or committee shall not be held liable in damages to any person as the result of any act, omission, proceeding, conduct, or decision related to official duties undertaken or performed pursuant to this chapter. If any such person requests to be defended by the state against any claim or action arising out of any act, omission, proceeding, conduct, or decision related to the person’s official duties, and if the request is made in writing at a reasonable time before trial and the person requesting defense cooperates in good faith in the defense of the claim or action, the state shall provide and pay for the person’s defense and shall pay any resulting judgment, compromise, or settlement. At no time shall the state pay any part of a claim or judgment that is for punitive or exemplary damages.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 4730.34
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures; this provision does not affect any law relating to signatures. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Physician: means an individual who is authorized under Chapter 4731 of the Revised Code to practice medicine and surgery, osteopathic medicine and surgery, or podiatric medicine and surgery. See Ohio Code 4730.01
- Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.