Suing for Punitive Damages in Mountain View

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Litigation Lawyers in Mountain View

In Mountain View, California, the civil litigation system is primarily 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 Mountain View, California will order a defendant to pay the plaintiff damages which are not directly tied to any harm suffered by the plaintiff. Rather, these damages, which are known as "punitive damages", are meant to punish the wrongdoer, and serve as a deterrent.

It's necessary to note that courts in Mountain View, California prefer not to grant punitive damages. This is because the civil justice system is designed primarily to compensate the victims of wrongdoing. However, there are some cases where the defendant's conduct was so immoral and evil that civil courts have an interest in making them pay additional damages, going above and beyond what's needed to compensate the victim, in order to serve as a deterrent.

Conduct that can give rise to punitive damages in Mountain View, California

The vast majority of personal injury lawsuits in Mountain View, California involve cases in which the defendant did not intend to harm the plaintiff, but did so through carelessness. This is not enough to award punitive damages in Mountain View, California.

Punitive Damages in Mountain View, California are only awarded in cases where the behavior of the plaintiff was intentional and highly immoral, or extremely reckless. In Mountain View, California, torts such as fraud, gross negligence, and theft are sufficient to award punitive damages. Courts consider numerous factors when deciding whether or not punitive damages are warranted. Courts will look at the nature of the act, as well as the defendant's intent in performing the act. This will be weighed, on a sliding scale, against the actual harm that the defendant's conduct caused to the plaintiff.

However, in Mountain View, California, the law places limits on punitive damages. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled several 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 Mountain View, 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 determine them based on the facts of each case. Because of this, punitive damage awards larger than 10 times compensatory damages are sometimes upheld, while much smaller awards have been overturned, because they were deemed excessive in a particular case.

How Can a Mountain View, California Attorney Help?

In Mountain View, California, there are an essentially unlimited number of situtations in which punitive damages can be awarded.

If you have been hurt in Mountain View, California and you think punitive damages might be justified, a large amount of money might be at stake. For that reason, you should not hesitate to consult a civil litigation attorney in Mountain View, California.

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Life in Mountain View

Mountain View, California is a city in Santa Clara County. It has a population of about 74,000 people.

Mountain View, California is one of the major centers of Silicon Valley - a region directly south of San Francisco that's known for the huge number of technology companies and innovators located there. Since the 1950s, technology companies have chosen to make Mountain View, and other nearby Silicon Valley communities, their home.

Most notably, Mountain View is the home of search giant Google, which is also the largest employer in the city, with over 10,000 Mountain View employees. Google, and other companies, employ or retain a large number of extremely well-credentialed lawyers, as well, because of the many legal issues such companies face on a regular basis.

If you live in Mountain View, California and need a lawyer, there are many extremely sophisticated an experienced attorneys who practice in Mountain View. Mountain View, California attorneys can help residents with just about any legal problem they might face.

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