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Full-Text Articles in Law
Statutory Caps On Punitive Damages: Are They Infringing On Your Rights?, Lynsey Russell
Statutory Caps On Punitive Damages: Are They Infringing On Your Rights?, Lynsey Russell
Missouri Law Review
The argument surrounding statutory caps on punitive damages seems to be black and white – either for or against. However, this may not be the case, as a closer evaluation of Missouri history and the instant decision suggest that the issue is more nuanced. First, Part II of this Note summarizes the facts, procedural posture, and holding of Lewellen v. Franklin. Second, Part III explores the legal background of punitive damages and the limitations that have historically been imposed on them. Next, Part IV describes the majority opinion in Lewellen and examines the Supreme Court of Missouri’s rationale. Lastly, Part …
Raised Eyebrow Test Produces Further Head-Scratching: Punitive Damages In Ondrisek V. Hoffman, The, Valerie Shands
Raised Eyebrow Test Produces Further Head-Scratching: Punitive Damages In Ondrisek V. Hoffman, The, Valerie Shands
Missouri Law Review
Ondrisek reveals that although the Eighth Circuit uses the same test as the Supreme Court, it certainly applies it differently. When comparing Ondrisek and other Eighth Circuit cases, one sees a subtle pattern that diverges from the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence. However, these differences are not yet distinct enough for the Supreme Court to have granted certiorari to resolve the inconsistencies.
Two Wrongs Do Not Make A Right: Reconsidering The Application Of Comparative Fault To Punitive Damage Awards , Victor E. Schwartz, Christopher E. Appel
Two Wrongs Do Not Make A Right: Reconsidering The Application Of Comparative Fault To Punitive Damage Awards , Victor E. Schwartz, Christopher E. Appel
Missouri Law Review
The purpose of this Article is to reexamine and appropriately analyze the application of comparative fault to punitive damages. The Article challenges the conventional wisdom that these spheres of law should remain separate. Part II begins with an overview of the development of the law of comparative fault with punitive damages. It discusses the limited attention that has been paid to potential overlap in these areas of law and draws parallels with other developments in the law of comparative fault supporting more accurate and just awards of damages. Part III analyzes the public policy arguments for and against applying comparative …
Statutory Leapfrog: Compensatory And Punitive Damages Under The Retaliatory Provision Of The Ada, David A. Doellman
Statutory Leapfrog: Compensatory And Punitive Damages Under The Retaliatory Provision Of The Ada, David A. Doellman
Missouri Law Review
Equality has traditionally been an important issue in many different aspects of American life, and Congress created various laws to ensure that this equality is preserved. One of these laws is the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The ADA was created to ensure that those with disabilities would be treated equally in aspects of both public services and accommodations, as well as in the employment sector. Among its many provisions, the ADA serves to protect employees from being discharged from their positions in "retaliation" for opposing practices by the employer that would have also been unlawful under the …
Punitive Damages And Due Process: Trying To Keep Up With The United States Supreme Court After Philip Morris Usa V. Williams , Tyler C. Schaeffer
Punitive Damages And Due Process: Trying To Keep Up With The United States Supreme Court After Philip Morris Usa V. Williams , Tyler C. Schaeffer
Missouri Law Review
Throughout the past two decades, the United States Supreme Court has gradually formed several procedural and substantive protections under the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause limiting the size of punitive damages a State can award against civil defendants. The Court has made it clear that the catalyst for the recent constitutional doctrine stems from its concern towards punitive damages that "run wild." What has not been as clear is what prior constitutional authority the Court has drawn from when creating these new rules. Consequently, state courts, left with little guidance, have struggled with applying as well as predicting the evolving …
Having Failed To Defend, An Insurer Can Still Argue Lack Of Coverage - Royal Insurance Co. Of America V. Kirksville College Of Osteopathic Medicine, Inc., Matthew Towns
Missouri Law Review
This Note explores the consequences of an insurer’s breach of the duty to defend under Missouri case law. It also examines the theories applied in other states in support of the position that a breach of the duty to defend entails loss of the right to argue lack of coverage. The Note concludes that the holding in Royal insurance Co. of America v. Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Inc. resolved a burgeoning controversy by clarifying insurers’ rights to an extent unknown in other jurisdictions.
I'Ll Take That: Legal And Public Policy Problems Raised By Statutes That Require Punitive Damages Awards To Be Shared With The State, Victor E. Schwartz, Mark A. Behrens, Cary Silverman
I'Ll Take That: Legal And Public Policy Problems Raised By Statutes That Require Punitive Damages Awards To Be Shared With The State, Victor E. Schwartz, Mark A. Behrens, Cary Silverman
Missouri Law Review
This Article will provide a brief review of the purpose and history of punitive damages. It will then examine the various reforms adopted by the states, with a particular focus on "split-recovery" laws that require punitive damages recoveries to be shared with the state or a state-specified fund. This Article explains that such laws may actually fuel, rather than curb, punitive damages awards. The Article also explains that these laws are ethically and constitutionally problematic. This Article concludes that states seeking to reform their punitive damages laws would be better served by (1) adopting a heightened burden of proof and …
Manifestations Of A Reluctance To Recognize Punitive Damages In Products Liability, Christopher P. Rackers
Manifestations Of A Reluctance To Recognize Punitive Damages In Products Liability, Christopher P. Rackers
Missouri Law Review
Asbestos is one of many products which have a once-latent danger now facing consumers. Our judicial system uses many means to confront these dangers, including imposing punitive damages on manufacturers. At what point does a manufacturer's business decisions affect society such that punitive damages become necessary? This issue is increasingly important in our highly industrialized and technological society. Angotti v. Celotex Corp. mandates an in-depth examination of this issue: first, how are jurisdictions other than Missouri approaching this problem; second, what considerations affect how punitive damages are used in a products liability setting; third, does Missouri's approach further these considerations; …