What Are Punitive Damages?
By the Dennis and King Law Firm In Chattanooga, TN In some personal injury cases, a jury may award the injured person punitive damages. The judge will instruct the jury to award punitive damages if the jury finds the defendant’s behavior exceptionally malicious or reckless. Unlike compensatory damages, punitive damages are intended to punish the negligent person and to deter future wrongdoing. Unlike the other type of damages, economic and non-economic, punitive damages are not meant to compensate the injured person for his or her losses even though the injured person receives the damages from the defendant if the jury awards them. Tennessee and Georgia allow an injured person to sue for punitive damages when the proof indicates the defendant’s behavior is grossly negligent, intentional or reckless. The injured person must have a good reason and a good evidentiary basis to prove such punitive damages. If there is little to no evidence in support of the injured perso...