Marine on deployment to Iraq awarded $3.5 million punitive damages in dispute with USAA
I don't know that much about this case -- I only learned of it yesterday when the reporter called me -- but it has something to do with a pipe bursting under the slab of the house, I believe. In any event, the punitive damage award was a whopping $3.5 million. That's huge, considering the underlying breach of contract and emotional damages were only $84,000 and $50,000, and will likely be reduced somewhere along the way as exceeding the constitutional boundaries for punitive damages. Here's a blog post I saw on the story, where the commentary appears to be limited to which category the item was placed in.
It's funny, every time I talk with a reporter, I wish I still was one, but that's about the only time that happens.
Why do you want to be a reporter when you are the managing editor of the ICLB! You have the power who hoo ha ha (fill in a better evil laugh here)!
Quite true, unfortunately my staff consists only of me.
USAA has now responded to the blog comments posted in reply to the initial article giving more details from their side of the fence:
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/clockingin/2008/04/usaa_responds_to_jury_award.html