Litigation Lawyers in Walla Walla
Civil litigation in Walla Walla, Washington is concerned almost exclusively with providing financial redress to the victims of wrongdoing. It is not concerned with meting out punishment or moral judgment upon the wrongdoers.
There is an exception to this general rule, however: in some cases, a court in Walla Walla, Washington 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 Walla Walla, Washington 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 Walla Walla, Washington
Generally personal injury cases in Walla Walla, Washington 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 Walla Walla, Washington.
In Walla Walla, Washington, 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 Walla Walla, Washington 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.
There are limits on punitive damages in Walla Walla, Washington. The Supreme Court has held that punitive damage awards which are grossly disproportionate to the immorality of the conduct, and the harm that it caused, are an unconstitutional deprivation of property without due process of law.
Punitive damages in Walla Walla, Washington normally cannot exceed 10 times the amount of actual damages suffered by the plaintiff. However, this is just a guideline, and not a strict rule. Courts in Washington have found larger punitive damage awards to be perfectly valid, and smaller ones to be invalid. This will be highly dependent on the facts of each case.
How Can a Walla Walla, Washington Attorney Help?
Walla Walla, Washington's courts have wide discretion in awarding punitive damages. Accordingly, it is impractical to comprehensively discuss all the situations in which punitive damages can arise.
If you are located in Walla Walla, Washington, 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 Walla Walla, Washington 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.