GMSR: Practice Area

Click on featured cases (in red) for more information or click on attorney name for Punitive Damages cases associated with that attorney.

Pointe San Diego Residential v. W.W.I. Properies, Inc. (2007) 2007 Cal.App. LEXIS 1309
Real estate dispute; reversal of punitive damage award in corporate derivative suit; only injured party can recover punitive damages; ratio of punitive to compensatory damages
Irving H. Greines , Barbara W. Ravitz

Perez v. Fire Insurance Exchange (2005) 2005 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 11757
Reduction of $25 million punitive damage award to $711,000 in insurance bad faith judgment in farm tractor accident
Robert A. Olson

396 Investments, Inc. v. Truck Insurance Exchange (2005) 2005 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 4876
Reduction of $25 million punitive damage award to $1 million
Robert A. Olson , Peter O. Israel

Alexander v. Farmers Group, Inc. (2004) 2004 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 5685
Independent contractor claims for fraudulent inducement of employment barred by statute of limitations and parol evidence rule
Robert A. Olson , Peter O. Israel

Hanstad v. Truck Ins. Exchange (2002) 2002 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 8605
$40 million punitive damages award reversed because trial court improperly usurped jury’s role in determining facts regarding managing agent’s ratification of tortious conduct
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger

Surgin Surgical v. Truck Insurance Exchange (2002) 2002 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 5582
Reversal of $59.8 million punitive damage award in case involving imposition of terminating sanctions; constitutional limits on such awards
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger , Robert A. Olson

Ricketts v. The Farmers Group, Inc. (2001) 2001 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 1391
Claim for wrongful termination of an insurer’s in-house (“staff”) counsel
Robert A. Olson , Peter O. Israel

Sonnier v. Farmers Insurance Exchange (2001, B141794)
Challenge to independent contractor discharge (settled before decision)
Robert A. Olson , Peter O. Israel

Guardian Post-Acute Services, Inc. v. Superior Court (2001, H021342)
Criminal information filed against healthcare provider did not suffice, without more, to allow punitive damages to be sought in civil action
Robert A. Olson

Cruz v. HomeBase (2000) 83 Cal.App.4th 160
Punitive damages judgment reversed because security supervisor not “managing agent”
Kent L. Richland

Pelz v. Weider Management, Inc. (1999, C025517)
Impact of plaintiff's refusal to testify under Fifth Amendment in fraud action
Robin Meadow , Robert A. Olson , Peter O. Israel

Butcher v. Rolling Hills Country Club (1998, B105846)
New trial after $10 million punitive damage verdict concerning drainage from a neighboring property
Robert A. Olson , Alan Diamond

BMW v. Gore (1996) 517 U.S. 559
Constitutional limits on right to recover punitive damages (amicus curiae brief)
Irving H. Greines , Robin Meadow , Robert A. Olson , Barbara W. Ravitz

Looney v. Superior Court (1993) 16 Cal.App.4th 521
Threshold proof of “malice, oppression or fraud” must be viewed through “clear and convincing” standard
Kent L. Richland

Central Pathology Service Medical Clinic, Inc. v. Superior Court (1992) 3 Cal.4th 181
MICRA punitive damages provisions apply to claimed intentional torts
Kent L. Richland

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