Section 3746.25. State, officers or employees - immunity

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Harm" means injury, death, or loss to person or property.

(2) "Tort action" means a civil action for damages for harm and includes a civil action under section 3746.23 of the Revised Code for recovery of the costs of conducting a voluntary action, but does not include a civil action for damages for a breach of contract or another agreement between persons or for a breach of a warranty that exists pursuant to the Revised Code or common law of this state.

(B) The state, and any officer or employee thereof as defined in section 109.36 of the Revised Code, is not liable in a tort action when the state inspects, investigates, removes, or remediates hazardous substances or petroleum unless an action or omission of the state, or an officer or employee thereof, constitutes willful or wanton misconduct or intentionally tortious conduct.

(C)

(1) This section does not create, and shall not be construed as creating, a new cause of action against or substantive legal right against the state or an officer or employee thereof.

(2) This section does not affect, and shall not be construed as affecting, any immunities from civil liability or defenses established by another section of the Revised Code or available at common law to which this state, or an officer or employee thereof, may be entitled under circumstances not covered by this section.

(3) Section 9.86 of the Revised Code does not apply to an officer or employee of the state if the officer or employee is performing work in connection with inspecting, investigating, removing, or remediating hazardous substances or petroleum at the time that he allegedly caused the harm, or caused or contributed to the presence or release of hazardous substances or petroleum, for which damages, or the recovery of the costs of conducting a voluntary action, are sought in a tort action. Instead, the immunities conferred by division (B) of this section apply to that individual.

Effective Date: 09-28-1994