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Whiten V. Pilot Ins. Co.: The Unofficial Death Of The Independent Wrong Requirement And Official Birth Of Punitive Damages In Contract, Dr. Yehuda Adar

Yehuda Adar Dr.

Three years have passed since the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its controversial decision in Whiten v. Pilot Insurance Co. In that case, the Court affirmed an almost unprecedented punitive damage award by a jury of one million dollars against an insurance company. More importantly, the Whiten decision appears to be the first attempt by the Supreme Court to construct a comprehensive set of rules and principles in light of which punitive damages cases should be decided in the future. While the extraordinary monetary sanction upheld by the Court has attracted much attention in legal and commercial circles, it seems …