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Generally the courts have held that the acts of a defendant for which the plaintiff is awarded punitive or exemplary damages must be characterized by being wanton, wilful, reckless, or malicious.
418, the California Supreme Court articulated 'three guideposts' for courts reviewing punitive damages: ?(1) the degree of reprehensibility of the defendant's misconduct; (2) the disparity between the actual or potential harm suffered by the plaintiff and the punitive damages award; and (3) the difference between the ...
Before awarding punitive damages, the court must take several factors into account. The following points are of particular importance: Assessing if the defendant's actions were malicious, intentional, or grossly negligent. Looking at similar cases to determine if punitive damages were awarded.
Receiving actual damages does not prevent a party from also receiving punitive damages. When calculating actual damages, courts will often look at the fair market value of destroyed/damaged property, lost wages/income, and necessarily incurred expenses.
Individuals can also be ordered to pay punitive damages that injure someone else due to negligent behavior. Examples of this would be drunk driving or distracted driving. In both cases, the defendant would have made a conscious decision to engage in behavior that could easily harm another person.