United States Tenth Circuit

District court erred in finding that punitive damages for insurer's bad faith required a culpable mental state that was lacking here; given the liability findings and the factual dispute about the bona fides of the policy switch, a punitive damages instruction is warranted. Remanded for a new trial on damages.

Appellate Information

• Decided 03/05/2004
• Published 03/05/2004

Judges

• PAUL KELLY, JR., Circuit Judge., Before KELLY, PORFILIO, and BRISCOE, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Tenth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Stephen L. Tucker,Tucker Law Firm, Santa Fe, NM (Lisa K. Vigil, Vigil and Vigil, and Steven Vogel, Albuquerque, NM, with him on the briefs), for Plaintiffs-Appellants/Cross-Appellees., Terry R. Guebert (Ramona G. Bootes, with him on the brief), Guebert, Bruckner & Bootes, P.C., Albuquerque, NM, for Defendant-Appellee/Cross-Appellant.