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Issue: Under Texas law, does the proper amount of punitive damages have a relation to a plaintiff’s need for compensation?
| Area of Law: | Litigation & Procedure |
| Keywords: | Punitive damages; Need for compensation; Punishment and deterrence |
| Jurisdiction: | Texas |
| Cited Cases: | 972 S.W.2d 35; 879 S.W.2d 10 |
| Cited Statutes: | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.001(5) |
| Date: | 08/01/2001 |
Texas law makes clear that the purpose of punitive damages is not to compensate a plaintiff for her loss, but rather punitive damages ARE levied for the public purpose of punishment and deterrence. See Transp. Ins. Co. v. Moriel, 879 S.W.2d 10, 17 (Tex. 1994); Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.001(5) (1997) (defining exemplary damages as damages awarded as a penalty or by way of punishment). In other words, rather than compensating the injured party, exemplary damages serve the purposes of punishing the liable party and protecting the public. Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corp. v. Malone, 972 S.W.2d 35, 39-40 (Tex. 1998). Accord Pac. Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. Haslip, 499 U.S.1 (1991); Maxey v. Freightliner Corp., 665 F.2d 1367 (5th Cir. 1982).
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