Punitive damages are intended to punish defendants whose behavior is found to be especially harmful. But when the value of those damages is statutorily capped, some attorneys contend so, too, is justice for aggrieved plaintiffs.
On the heels of the Supreme Court of Georgia affirming the state’s $250,000 punitive damages cap as constitutional, lawyers are divided on the ruling’s implications. As some attorneys argue limiting punitive damages impedes their purpose of deterring conduct, others contend the cap appropriately limits windfalls for parties who’ve already been compensated for their losses.
