Appeals court slashes Romo punitives

“A California appeals court has cut a record $290 million punitive-damages verdict to $23.7 million for a Ford Bronco rollover accident that killed three people.” The decision in Romo v. Ford Motor is the largest award reduction yet following guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court in its April decision in a punitive damages case against […]

“A California appeals court has cut a record $290 million punitive-damages verdict to $23.7 million for a Ford Bronco rollover accident that killed three people.” The decision in Romo v. Ford Motor is the largest award reduction yet following guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court in its April decision in a punitive damages case against State Farm. (David Kravets, “Court reduces $290 million verdict against Ford to $23.7 million”, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 25). “As we read State Farm ? the legitimate state goal that punitive damages may seek to achieve is the ‘condemnation of such conduct’ as has resulted in ‘outrage and humiliation’ to the plaintiffs before the court,” Justice Steven Vartabedian wrote for [a unanimous panel of California’s 5th District Court of Appeal]. “It is not a permissible goal to punish a defendant for everything it may have done wrong.” (Mike McKee, “Punitive Damages Take Big Hit”, The Recorder, Nov. 26). The Romo trial itself in 1999 was remarkable for its combination of brazenly demagogic plaintiff’s arguments and bizarre jury deliberations: see Aug. 24, 1999, Sept. 17-19, 1999, Aug. 27, 2002 and more recent links. Update Feb. 15: case settles.

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