Greedy Trial Lawyer
U.S. Supreme Court Erases Another Punitive Award Without Even Breaking A Sweat
Category: The Latest Baddest
It has always bothered me when an appellate court sets aside a judgment for a Plaintiff without even writing an opinion. There is an arrogance and dismissive quality to the process that is an embarrassment to the legal system. It bothers me even more when the appellate court is the U.S. Supreme Court which, on the subject of punitive damages, has become the nation's giant eraser. We have now arrived at a place where every punitive damage award in the nation is likely to be bounced back for another try until the Gang of Nine in Washington decides the amount is acceptable.
US high court throws out compensation for accident victim
The US Supreme Court on Monday tossed out a ruling requiring Ford Motor Co. to pay 55 million dollars in punitive damages to a driver who was paralyzed in a rollover of her sport utility vehicle.Without issuing an opinion, the justices sent the case back to a California appeals court to recalculate damages under new guidelines on punitive damages.
The high court in recent years has issued several ruling limiting punitive damage awards including one suggesting punitive awards are reasonable only if they are in "single-digit" multiples of compensatory damages. In another case, the court said a punitive award cannot be a punishment for harm to others.
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