Profile
Bob Palmer takes on a broad range of cases in all Ohio state and federal courts. In the precedent-setting 2002 case of Dardinger v. Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, 98 Ohio St.3d 77, 2002-Ohio-7113, Bob obtained a $51.5 million jury verdict for Anthem's bad faith denial of health care and retained the largest Ohio punitive damages award on appeal. In Schaefer v. Allstate Ins. Co. (1996), 76 Ohio St.3d 553, 668 N.E.2d 913, Bob effectively changed Ohio uninsured motorist insurance coverage law. In his practice today, Bob prosecutes cases involving serious personal injury, including traumatic brain injury, wrongful death, breach of fiduciary duty claims, aviation law, will contests and professional malpractice. Bob's more than 30 years of trial experience benefits his clients both inside and outside the courtroom. His ability in the courtroom coupled with his temperament also makes Bob an effective mediator in diverse cases. Before entering private practice, Bob served as a United States Air Force judge advocate. Professionally, Bob is active in the American Association for Justice (AAJ), the American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA), the Ohio Association for Justice (OAJ), the Ohio State Bar Association and the Columbus Bar Association. He is also a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, and he is once again honored to be named to the Super Lawyers list.
Articles about Robert Palmer appearing in Super Lawyers
Home of the Brave
Three attorneys tell of serving their country
About Robert Palmer
Law School: Washington University in St. Louis School of Law
Admitted: 1976, Ohio
Professional Webpage: www.rgpalmerlaw.com/what-about-bob.php
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Supreme Court of Ohio Task Force on Commercial Dockets (2007 -)
- Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on the Rules of Superintendence for Ohio Courts (2006 - )
- The Columbus Bar Foundation (Trustee 1990-98; President 1996-1997; Trustee 2007 -))
- Supreme Court of Ohio, Committee on Dispute Resolution (1993-1994)
- American Bar Association
- Columbus Bar Association (Board of Governors, 2003-07)
- Ohio State Bar Association (Council of Delegates, 2003-09; Negligence Law Committee, Chair 1998-2000, 1986-1990
- Central Ohio Association of Justice
- Ohio Association of Justice (Insurance Law Section, Chair 1987-1989, Civil & Business Law Section, Chair 1989-1991)
- The American Association of Justice (Federal Tort Liability and Military Advocacy Section, Chair 1999-2000, 1994-1995 and 1988-1990)
Scholarly Lectures and Writings:
- “Altered and ‘Lost’ Medical Records: Evidence of Spoliation of Records in Medical Negligence Actions,” TRIAL, Medical Negligence, May, 1999
- “A Green-Eyed Monster? Punitive Damages & Attorney Fees,” Mealey’s Managed Care Liability Report (Volume 7, Issue #8, April 25, 2003) and Mealey’s Litigation Report Insurance Bad Faith (Volume17, Issue #2 , May 21, 2003) published by Lexis-Nexis
Verdicts and Settlements:
- In Dardinger v. Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, 98 Ohio St.3d 77, 2002-Ohio-7113, he obtained a $51.5 million jury verdict for Anthem’s bad faith denial of health care and retained the largest Ohio punitive damages award on appeal. In Schaefer v. Allstate Ins. Co. (1996), 76 Ohio St.3d 553, he changed Ohio uninsured motorist insurance coverage law. He prosecutes serious personal injury (including traumatic brain injury), wrongful death, breach of fiduciary duty, aviation, will contest, and professional malpractice cases.
- Trial and Appellate Counsel in Dardinger v Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, 98 Ohio St.3d 77, 2002-Ohio-7113, where jury awarded $2,500,000 compensatory and $49,000,000 punitive damages for bad faith denial and processing of managed health care benefit and, which was reported in the National Law Journal’s Annual Survey of 1999’s largest jury awards and in the Ohio Lawyers Weekly as the highest Ohio jury award in 1999, which punitive damages award was remitted by the Supreme Court of Ohio to $30,000,000 of which $14,700,000 was used to establish The Esther L. Dardinger Neuro-Oncology Center at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center; in Schaefer v. Allstate Ins. Co. (1992), 63 Ohio St.3d 708, where Supreme Court of Ohio held unconscionable an insurance policy uninsured arbitration provision which favored insurance company, and in Schaefer v. Allstate Ins. Co. (1996), 76 Ohio St.3d 553, where same court held that each person covered by an uninsured motorist policy who is asserting claim (injured wife and husband for loss of consortium) has separate claim subject to a separate per person policy limit.
Educational Background:
- DePauw University, Greencastle, IN, B.A., 1967
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