Suing for Punitive Damages in Columbus

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Litigation Lawyers in Columbus

In Columbus, Indiana, civil litigation serves the main purpose of compensating individuals who have been victims of wrongdoing, and not meting out punishment, vengeance, or moral judgment.

There is an exception to this basic rule, however: in certain cases, a court in Columbus, Indiana will award damages designed to punish the wrongdoer, and deter others from future wrongdoing. This practice is recognized as "punitive damages."

It's crucial to note that courts in Columbus, Indiana 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 Columbus, Indiana

Generally personal injury cases in Columbus, Indiana do not involve punitive damages, because the defendant did not intend to cause harm, or act with some other form of malice. Rather, most of these cases involve situations where the defendant acted carelessly, but did not actually intend to cause harm. This is enough to award compensatory damages, but it is far from sufficient to award punitive damages in Columbus, Indiana.

Punitive damages in Columbus, Indiana are only awarded in the most extreme cases. Fraud, theft, assault, battery, and other intentional, immoral acts are grounds for punitive damages. Columbus, Indiana courts will consider many 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 actions against the actual harm that it caused to the plaintiff, and calculate damages accordingly.

It's crucial to note that in Columbus, Indiana, punitive damages are not unlimited. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that punitive damages cannot be hugely disproportionate to the amount awarded to compensate the plaintiff for the actual injuries they suffered. If the punitive damages are extremely excessive, an appeals court might rule that they amount to a deprivation of property without due process of law, or a de facto criminal punishment, without affording the defendant the protections available in criminal cases.

A good rule of thumb for calculating the upper limit of punitive damages in Columbus, Indiana is that punitive damages can be no larger than compensatory damages times ten. This rule is not absolute, of course. Courts in Indiana 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 Columbus, Indiana Attorney Help?

Columbus, Indiana'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 are located in Columbus, Indiana, and are immersed 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 Columbus, Indiana civil litigation attorney

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Life in Columbus

Columbus is located in Indiana's Bartholomew County. Specifically it is 40 miles from Indianapolis and on the east fork on the White River. Columbus is the twentieth largest city in Indiana. It is also ranked eleven on the U.S.'s safest cities to live in.

The largest employer in Columbus is Cummins, Inc. In fact, GQ Magazine included Columbus in its "62 Reasons to Love Your Country" article.

Some popular attractions include the Miller House, Otter Creek Golf Course, First Baptist Church, and the Large Arch sculpture by Henry Moore.

Famous residents include Stevie Brown, Lee H. Hamilton, Jeff Osterhage, Jill Tasker, Herbert Wright, and Bob Paris.

Columbus is also home to many attorneys and law firms that practice in any and every field of law.

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