Insurance
Apr. 8, 2006
Ratio for Punitive Damages Is an Area of Law Still in Motion
According to State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Campbell , 538 U.S. 408 (2003), an award of punitive damages "more than four times the amount of compensatory damages [awarded] might be close to the line of constitutional impropriety." Naturally, appellate courts later addressed this "ratio" issue. See, e.g., Diamond Woodworks Inc. v. Argonaut Insurance Co. , 109 Cal.App.4
Rex Heeseman
JAMS
555 W 5th St Fl 32
Los Angeles , CA 90013-1055
Phone: (213) 253-9772
Fax: (213) 620-0100
Email: rheeseman@jamsdar.com
Stanford Univ Law School
Rex Heeseman retired from the Los Angeles Count Superior Court bench in 2014. He is at JAMS, Los Angeles. Besides speaking at various MCLE programs, he co-authors The Rutter Group's practice guide on "Insurance Litigation." From 2002 to 2015, he was an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School.
By Rex Heeseman
According to State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Campbell, 538 U.S. 408 (2003), an award of punitive damages "more than four times the amount of compensatory damages [awarded] might be close to the line of constitutional impropriety." Naturally, appellate courts later addressed this "ratio" issue....
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