Suing for Punitive Damages in Milledgeville

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Litigation Lawyers in Milledgeville

In Milledgeville, Georgia, the civil litigation system is mainly concerned with compensating the victims of wrongdoing, rather than punishing the wrongdoers, or casting moral blame upon them.

This basic principle is subject to an significant exception, however. There are cases where a judge in Milledgeville, Georgia will order a defendant to pay the plaintiff a sum of money which is not calculated based on actual harm the plaintiff has suffered. These are called "punitive damages" and serve the purpose of punishing and deterring wrongdoing.

You should be cognizant that courts in Milledgeville, Georgia are not especially fond of authorizing punitive damages, because they view it as a financial windfall that generally runs counter to civil litigation's primary purpose of compensating victims of wrongdoing for the harm they've suffered. However, if the conduct of the defendant was completely reprehensible and the harm caused was deliberate, a court might impose damages to punish the defendant, known as "punitive damages."

Conduct that can give rise to punitive damages in Milledgeville, Georgia

Typically personal injury cases in Milledgeville, Georgia involve injuries that the defendant did not intend to cause, but was still at fault in causing them (through negligence, for instance). In Milledgeville, Georgia, this is not enough to justify the award of punitive damages.

In Milledgeville, Georgia, punitive damages are not awarded in most cases. They are normally only awarded when the defendant's actions was so reckless or deplorable that punishment of the defendant is warranted. Acts such as battery, fraud, and defamation (in some cases) are usually considered sufficient in Milledgeville, Georgia to justify punitive damages. In deciding whether to award punitive damages, and how much to award, the two most important factors the court looks at will be the level of immorality of the act, as well as the actual harm that the plaintiff suffered as a result of the defendant's conduct.

It's essential to know that punitive damages in Milledgeville, Georgia are subject to limits. The Supreme Court of the United States has held, more than once, that punitive damages can't be grossly disproportionate to the actual harm sustained by the plaintiff. Grossly excessive punitive damage awards are unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has held, because they amount to the government acquiring property from the defendant without due process of law.

Punitive damages in Milledgeville, Georgia typically cannot surpass 10 times the amount of actual damages suffered by the plaintiff. Nonetheless, this is just a guideline, and not a strict rule. Courts in Georgia have found larger punitive damage awards to be perfectly valid, and smaller ones to be invalid. This will be strongly dependent on the facts of each case.

How Can a Milledgeville, Georgia Attorney Help?

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

If you are engaged in a case in Milledgeville, Georgia where punitive damages are a possibility, a very large amount of money could be at stake, whether you are the plaintiff or defendant. You should not delay to speak with a civil litigation attorney in Milledgeville, Georgia

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Life in Milledgeville

Milledgeville, Georgia is a town in, and the county seat of, Baldwin County. Its current population is approximately 18,000 people. Milledgeville was one of the first capitals of Georgia, and it served in that capacity from 1806 to 1868, when the capital was moved to its current location of Atlanta.

Milledgeville, Georgia was named after John Milledge, an early governor the state of Georgia.The town was founded in the early 19th Century, andis a very early example of a planned city, being built for the express purpose of serving as Georgia's capital.

Milledgeville has the distinction of being the hometown of Oliver Hardy, famous for being one of the Laurel and Hardy pair, one of the most famous and popular comedy duos of the time. Furthermore, Milledgeville is the birthplace of Congressman Car Vinson, as well as several professional athletes, most of whom are in the NFL.

Milledgeville, Georgia attorneys, and the legal community as a whole, are part of what makes Milledgeville what it is today. If you need any type of legal assistance, it's probable that there's at least one Milledgeville, Georgia lawyer who can help you with your case.

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