The majority of damages in a civil case are compensatory damages intended to make a victim whole. However, in some cases a party is allowed to seek damages to compensate for a wrong done or an injury causes that are punitive in nature. The most popular case is probably the McDonald's coffee case.
Select a civil case in which punitive damages were awarded. Discuss the basis for awarding punitive damages and were those met in the case you analyzed. What should the criteria for awarding punitive damages be? What do you think about high profile punitive damage cases such as the McDonald's coffee cases - how does that impact other cases? Are juries awarding excessive damages in these cases? How should we decide what is a frivolous lawsuit? Should limits be placed on punitive damages - why or why not?