Suing for Punitive Damages in Milpitas

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Litigation Lawyers in Milpitas

In Milpitas, 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 situations, courts in Milpitas, 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.

It's crucial to note that courts in Milpitas, California prefer not to grant punitive damages. This is because the civil justice system is designed mainly to compensate the victims of wrongdoing. Nonetheless, there are some cases where the defendant's conduct was so immoral and evil that civil courts have an interest in making them pay further 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 Milpitas, California

The vast majority of personal injury lawsuits in Milpitas, California involve instances 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 Milpitas, California.

In Milpitas, California, punitive damages are only awarded in extreme situations. Civil wrongs such as fraud, conversion (theft), battery, and other intentional, depraved acts are sufficient to award punitive damages. In deciding whether or not to award punitive damages, and how much money to award, courts in Milpitas, California will consider many different factors. Normally, they employ a sliding scale, weighing the nature of the conduct and the actual harm that the conduct caused. The more immoral the conduct, and/or the more harm caused, the more likely a court is to award punitive damages.

You should be cognizant of the fact that there are some pretty severe limits on punitive damages in Milpitas, California. The U.S. Supreme Court has found that there are constitutional limits on punitive damage awards. Punitive damages can't be too disproportionate to the actual damages that the plaintiff has suffered. Appeals courts have found that excessive punitive damage awards violate the defendant's right to due process, by depriving them of massive amounts of property.

A good rule of thumb for calculating the upper limit of punitive damages in Milpitas, 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 Milpitas, California Attorney Help?

Milpitas, California's courts have wide discretion in awarding punitive damages. Therefore, it is impractical to comprehensively discuss all the situations in which punitive damages can arise.

If you live in Milpitas, California and are immersed in a case that you believe carries the possibility of a punitive damage award, you may be entitled to a large amount of funds from the person or company that harmed you. To know for sure, you should speak with a civil litigation attorney in Milpitas, California.

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Life in Milpitas

Milpitas, California is a city in Santa Clara County. It is a suburb of San Jose, which is the largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area. The current population of Milpitas, California is approximately 67,000 people.

Milpitas, California was incorporated in the 1950s, in order to prevent itself from being annexed by the rapidly-expanding San Jose. Many Milpitas, California lawyers were involved in setting up the city's incorporation.

Nowadays, many residents of Milpitas, California work outside the city, mostly in San Jose. Because of its proximity to Silicon Valley, many residents of Milpitas, California work in the high tech industry. Also, many of the nation's largest law firms have Silicon Valley offices, so there are many extremely successful and sophisticated Milpitas, California attorneys.

However, if you live in Milpitas, California, you won't have to look to a big, expensive law firm for help. There are many experienced, competent, and affordable Milpitas, California lawyers who can help you with almost any legal issue you may face.

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