Previous rulings on punitive damages

0 Comments | USA TODAY, February, 2008 | by Joan Biskupic

Latest Supreme Court decisions curtailing punitive damages awards:

Philip Morris USA v. Williams (2007) -- The court threw out a $79.5 million award to a smoker's widow, saying jurors were not properly limited in their consideration of harm caused to people who were not part of the lawsuit.

State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance v. Campbell (2003) -- Any punitive damages award more than 10 times the actual damages for an injury is presumed excessive, and juries may not consider out-of-state wrongdoing when weighing a company's actions. The court tossed out a $145 million award against State Farm for acting in bad faith by not settling claims against a policyholder involved in a fatal accident.

BMW v. Gore (1996) -- Punitive damages may not be "grossly out...