Litigation Lawyers in Daly City
In Daly City, California, the civil litigation system is mainly concerned with compensating the victims of wrongdoing, rather than punishing the wrongdoers, or casting moral blame upon them.
There is a major exception to this rule, however. In limited cases, courts in Daly City, California will order a defendant to pay the plaintiff damages which are not directly tied to any harm sustained by the plaintiff. Rather, these damages, which are known as "punitive damages", are meant to punish the wrongdoer, and serve as a deterrent.
In Daly City, California, punitive damages are not awarded in many cases. This is because the civil litigation system highly disfavors giving money to plaintiffs in amounts disproportionate to the injuries they have suffered. Nonetheless, in some cases, the conduct of the defendant is so reprehensible, that simply punishing the defendant is a worthy goal, and this interest outweighs the preference against giving civil plaintiffs financial windfalls.
Conduct that can give rise to punitive damages in Daly City, California
Personal injury litigation doesn't typically carry with it the possibility of punitive damages in Daly City, California, because typically personal injury cases stem from harm that was caused accidentally, not deliberately. Accidental harm is not enough to warrant an award of punitive damages in Daly City, California.
Punitive damages in Daly City, California are only awarded in the most extreme cases. Fraud, theft, assault, battery, and other intentional, immoral acts are grounds for punitive damages. Daly City, California courts will consider various factors in considering whether or not to award punitive damages. For instance, the court might employ a sliding scale that weighs the immorality of the defendant's behavior against the actual harm that it caused to the plaintiff, and calculate damages accordingly.
Nonetheless, in Daly City, California, the law places limits on punitive damages. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled numerous times that punitive damages cannot be grossly disproportionate to the evil nature of the conduct, and the injuries that the defendant suffered. If they are disproportionate, punitive damages might be considered a deprivation of the defendant's right to due process of law.
A good rule of thumb for calculating the upper limit of punitive damages in Daly City, California is that punitive damages can be no larger than compensatory damages times ten. This rule is not absolute, of course. Courts in California have a good deal of discretion in awarding punitive damages, and will decide them based on the facts of each case. Because of this, punitive damage awards larger than 10 times compensatory damages are occasionally upheld, while much smaller awards have been overturned, because they were deemed excessive in a certain case.
How Can a Daly City, California Attorney Help?
In Daly City, California, there are a large variety of situations in which punitive damages are appropriate, because the decision to grant punitive damages is largely up to the discretion of the jury.
If you are located in Daly City, California, and are engaged in a case that you think, based on the information conveyed above, that might have punitive damages as an option, you can't be sure what, if anything, you're entitled to from the defendant until you consult with a Daly City, California civil litigation attorney
Another lawyer said my case would take weeks of work and require thousands of dollars of research. Howard pointed to a very fundamental clause in the contract, wrote a letter to termite the contract and dealt with all responses from the opposing parties attorney. Very cut and dry for a fraction of the fees. Highly recommended.
An excellent Attorney with a keen legal mind. He is attentive, responsive and his fees very reasonable!
I understand many lawyers are very busy, But Howard Bender, busy as he is, responded quickly and professionally. My impression is he is a man of his word.
Howard Bender has a wealth of knowledge with trademark contract negotiations. His expertise has helped us move our case forward productively.
This lawyer is the best! He is sharp, grasps everything quickly, and has a friendly approach. He helped me out & all without fighting.