The Ohio Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in a lawsuit stemming from the death of a motorcyclist after he was struck by a falling tree in Youngstown.

The case centers around the city's potential liability in the death of Thomas Morar, who died in April 2019, one year and nine months after the incident. Morar's estate, represented by executor Cheryl Durig, filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking $5 million in damages.

The crux of the legal battle lies in whether the city can claim immunity from the lawsuit. Morar’s estate argues that the city waived its right to immunity by failing to include it as a defense in its initial response to the lawsuit. The city contends that it did not waive its immunity and that the trial court was wrong to deny its request to amend its answer to include the immunity defense.

The Mahoning County Court of Appeals previously upheld the trial court's decision, prompting the city to appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court.

The oral arguments will be held at the Supreme Court of Ohio in Columbus.