punitive damages News

Broker Awarded $3.8M Verdict in Reputation Suit

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury has awarded $3.8 million in lost profits and business reputation damages to HCF Insurance Agency. On June 3, HCF, represented by law firm Winget Spadafora & Schwartzberg LLP, got the unanimous jury award, which …

Washington Jury Awards $26M Over Plane Crash Deaths

A jury has awarded $26 million to the families of three people killed when a small plane crashed near Arlington, Wash. in 2008. The single-engine Cessna went down en route from San Juan Island to Auburn when its engine failed. …

R.I. Issues Bulletin Affirming Punitive Damages Not Insurable Under State Law

Rhode Island’s Insurance Superintendent Joseph Torti III issued a bulletin last week that affirmed that punitive damages are not insurable under the state’s law. “Punitive damages are not insurable under Rhode Island law. The department will, therefore, reject any form …

Florida Debates Wage Theft Legislation

Businesses and workers-rights advocates are fighting over a bill that would set uniform state standards for employees who say they haven’t been paid their full wages to seek compensation. The bill would require workers to file a claim through the …

Federal Court Seeks Rebriefing on Mississippi Damages Cap

A federal appeals court has asked parties involved in a personal injury lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of Mississippi’s $1 million cap on non-economic damages to re-brief the issue. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans filed the …

Iowa Lawmaker Seeks Punitive Damages in Libel, Slander Case

Both sides intend to appeal an Iowa jury’s decision that a television campaign ad by Democrats libeled and slandered Sioux City Republican Sen. Rick Bertrand during the 2010 campaign, The Des Moines Register reported. A Woodbury County jury has awarded …

Oregon Jury Awards $25M In Smoker’s Death

An Oregon jury has awarded $25 million in punitive damages in the death of a Salem smoker whose family sued tobacco company Philip Morris USA over its low-tar cigarettes. The award is the second time a jury has considered punitive …

Muslim Guard Gets $465,000 in California Harassment Suit

A San Francisco, Calif. jury has awarded $465,000 to a Muslim security guard who says his co-workers and supervisors called him a terrorist and an al-Qaida member. The San Francisco Chronicle reported jurors added $400,000 in punitive damages Monday to …

How One Music Downloader Could Change Copyright Law

In the age of iTunes and an-app-for-everything, Joel Tenenbaum’s battle with the music industry over illegal downloading seems as relevant as an eight-track cassette. But it turns out the fight could produce something surprisingly enduring: a change in copyright law. …

Damages Ruling May Be Pivotal in BP Gulf Oil Case

A key court ruling in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill litigation could change the landscape in the massive case — encouraging more plaintiffs to sue, or spurring the parties to make a deal to resolve what could be a …