Understanding Civil Liability Risks for Businesses Related to Human Trafficking Statutes

Frantz Ward Partner Gregory R. Farkas recently examined statutory civil claims relating to human trafficking in the Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys’ (OACTA) Fall/Winter 2025 Quarterly Review.

The article, “Civil Liability for Human Trafficking: Statutory Remedies,” explains the civil liability risks for businesses relating to non-criminal anti-trafficking statutes. Ohio’s civil trafficking statute creates standalone civil cause of action for victims of criminal trafficking and allows victims to recover compensatory and punitive damages from the trafficker. This is in addition to any common law remedies the victim may have.

Additionally, the federal Trafficking Victim Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) imposes liability in scenarios where a defendant “(1) knowingly benefits, from (2) participation in a venture, that (3) the defendant knew or should have known engaged in a trafficking act prohibited by anti-trafficking laws.” TVPRA does not limit civil liability to criminal conduct and claims have been brought against manufacturers purchasing goods allegedly created with forced labor and employers whose complex contracts were considered “coercive.”

Learn more about how civil liability claims and statutes for human trafficking are being applied in Ohio court cases here.

Greg handles a wide range of litigation matters, such as lender liability, insurance coverage, consumer fraud, commercial disputes, and has extensive experience defending clients in class actions across state and federal courts. Greg is on the OACTA’s Board of Directors and is the Chairperson of its Business and Commercial Litigation Committee.

The OACTA is an organization of attorneys, corporate executives, and managers who devote their time to the defense of civil lawsuits and the management of claims against individuals, corporations, and governmental entities. OACTA, “The Source for Defense Success,” has been serving the public, the business community, and the legal profession in Ohio for over 50 years.