Supreme Court of California

The Court of Appeal erred when it reduced a $10 million punitive damages award to $53,435 since it failed to adequately consider defendant's fraud as more reprehensible because it was part of a repeated corporate practice rather than an isolated incident.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/16/2005
• Published 06/16/2005

Judges

• WERDEGAR, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Pillsbury & Levinson, Arnold R. Levinson, San Francisco;  Esner & Chang, Stuart B. Esner, Los Angeles, Andrew N. Chang;  Bach Law Office and Amy Bach, Mill Valley, for United Policyholders as Amici Curiae.


• For Appellees:
  
• McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte & Carruth, D. Gregg Durbin, Fresno;  Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr., Sonja R. West, Courtney A. Cook, William E. Thomson and Dominic Lanza, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Appellant., Hugh F. Young, Jr.;  Martin, Bischoff, Templeton, Langlset & Hoffman, Jonathan M. Hoffman;  Drinker Biddle & Reath and Alan Lazarus, San Francisco, for The Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc., as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Appellant., Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, Evan M. Tager, Washington, D.C., Donald M. Falk, Palo Alto;  National Chamber Litigation Center and Robin S. Conrad for The Chamber of Commerce of the United States as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Appellant., Deborah J. La Fetra, Sacramento, for Pacific Legal Foundation as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Appellant., Susan Liebeler;  Daniel J. Popeo and David Price, Long Beach, for Washington Legal Foundation as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Appellant., Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland, Robert A. Olson, Los Angeles, and Feris M. Greenberger for Farmers Insurance Exchange, Truck Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Mid-Century Insurance Company as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Appellant., Erwin Chemerinsky;  William M. Krieg & Associates, William M. Krieg and Kimberly L. Mayhew, Fresno, for Plaintiffs and Respondents., Chavez & Gertler, Mark A. Chavez and Kathryn C. Palamountain, Mill Valley, for Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Respondents., Anderson, Kill & Olick, Lawrence Fischer, Eugene R. Anderson and Alex D. Hardiamn for California Consumer Health Care Council, Inc., as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Respondents., Kenneth Chesebro;  Law Offices of Michael J. Piuze and Michael J. Piuze, Los Angeles, for Keith N. Hylton as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Respondents., Lawrence A. Organ and Pamela S.F. Kong for the Civil Rights Forum as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Respondents., Center for Constitutional Litigation, Ned Miltenberg;  Robinson Calcagnie & Robinson and Sharon J. Arkin, Newport Beach, for Trial Lawyers of America as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Respondents., Law Office of Daniel U. Smith, Daniel U. Smith, Kentfield, Ted W. Pelletier;  Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson, Sharon J. Arkin, Newport Beach;  Rose, Klein & Marias, David A. Rosen, Los Angeles;  Shernoff, Bidart & Darras, Michael J. Bidart, Claremont;  Law Offices of Nicholas Wagner, Nicholas Wagner, Fresno;  Robin E. Brewer;  Donna Bader, Laguna Beach;  Law Offices of Ian Herzog, Ian Herzog, Santa Monica;  Law Offices of Jill P. McDonell, Jill P. McDonell;  Michels & Watkins, Steven B. Stevens, Los Angeles;  Law Offices of Donald L. Galine, Donald L. Galine, San Mateo;  and Lea-Ann Tratten for Consumer Attorneys of California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Respondents., Law Offices of Jeffrey K. Winikow, Jeffrey K. Winikow, Los Angeles;  The deRubertis Law Firm, David M. deRubertis, Woodland Hills;  Pine & Pine and Norman H. Pine, Los Angeles, for California Employment Lawyers Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Respondents.