http://shernoff.com/news Mon, 07 May 2012 23:31:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/arbitrator-hits-travellers-insurance-with-2-4-million-in-punitive-damages.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=arbitrator-hits-travellers-insurance-with-2-4-million-in-punitive-damages http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/arbitrator-hits-travellers-insurance-with-2-4-million-in-punitive-damages.html#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:10:05 +0000 admin http://shernoff.com/news/?p=726 http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/arbitrator-hits-travellers-insurance-with-2-4-million-in-punitive-damages.html/feed 0 http://shernoff.com/news/events/gregory-l-bentley-to-speak-on-technology-in-the-courtroom-pasadena-bar-association-event.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gregory-l-bentley-to-speak-on-technology-in-the-courtroom-pasadena-bar-association-event http://shernoff.com/news/events/gregory-l-bentley-to-speak-on-technology-in-the-courtroom-pasadena-bar-association-event.html#comments Sat, 14 Apr 2012 01:20:07 +0000 admin http://shernoff.com/news/?p=717 http://shernoff.com/news/events/gregory-l-bentley-to-speak-on-technology-in-the-courtroom-pasadena-bar-association-event.html/feed 0 http://shernoff.com/news/events/gregory-l-bentley-to-chair-caoie-palm-springs-seminar-2012.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gregory-l-bentley-to-chair-caoie-palm-springs-seminar-2012 http://shernoff.com/news/events/gregory-l-bentley-to-chair-caoie-palm-springs-seminar-2012.html#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:18:08 +0000 admin http://shernoff.com/news/?p=685 http://shernoff.com/news/events/gregory-l-bentley-to-chair-caoie-palm-springs-seminar-2012.html/feed 0 http://shernoff.com/news/news/progressive-insurance-to-get-a-taste-of-their-own-cooperation-clause-in-court.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=progressive-insurance-to-get-a-taste-of-their-own-cooperation-clause-in-court http://shernoff.com/news/news/progressive-insurance-to-get-a-taste-of-their-own-cooperation-clause-in-court.html#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:58:02 +0000 admin http://shernoff.com/news/?p=640 http://shernoff.com/news/news/progressive-insurance-to-get-a-taste-of-their-own-cooperation-clause-in-court.html/feed 0 http://shernoff.com/news/news/plaintiffs-dispute-with-farmers-insurance-exchange-generates-discussion.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=plaintiffs-dispute-with-farmers-insurance-exchange-generates-discussion http://shernoff.com/news/news/plaintiffs-dispute-with-farmers-insurance-exchange-generates-discussion.html#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:33:59 +0000 admin http://shernoff.com/news/?p=631 http://shernoff.com/news/news/plaintiffs-dispute-with-farmers-insurance-exchange-generates-discussion.html/feed 0 http://shernoff.com/news/articles/proving-winning-keeping-punitive-damage-awards.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=proving-winning-keeping-punitive-damage-awards http://shernoff.com/news/articles/proving-winning-keeping-punitive-damage-awards.html#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:54:41 +0000 admin http://shernoff.com/news/?p=647
Introduction
In Bardis v. Oates (2004) 119 Cal.App.4th 1, 26, the court discussed the purpose of punitive damages — punishment and deterrence — and explained: “In order to serve these aims, a punitive damages award must send a message to the offender and others in similar positions that this sort of behavior will not be tolerated.” It is your job as the trial lawyer to motivate the jury to “send a message.” The starting point is to make sure you explain the purpose of punitive damages.

Proving Punitive Damages

A. Getting the Jury to Understand You Represent The Public For Purposes of Punitive Damages
In order to prove punitive damages, it is important that the jury understand that the purpose of punitive damages is to protect the public, which includes the members of the jury. One way to accomplish this task is to refer the jury back to the law. For example, in California, one powerful jury instruction is the following:
“The purpose of punitive damages is purely a public one. The public’s goal is to punish wrongdoing, and thereby protect itself from future misconduct, either by the same defendant or other potential wrongdoers. In determining the amount of punitive damages to be awarded, you are not to give any consideration as to how the punitive damages will be distributed.” Adams v. Murakami (1991) 54 Cal.3d 105, 110; Neal v. Farmers Ins. Group (1978) 21 Cal.3d 910, 928, fn 13 (emphasis added). ]]> http://shernoff.com/news/articles/proving-winning-keeping-punitive-damage-awards.html/feed 0 http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/lawsuit-filed-against-farmers-insurance-exchange-for-unreasonably-withholding-full-benefit-due-under-automobile-policy.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lawsuit-filed-against-farmers-insurance-exchange-for-unreasonably-withholding-full-benefit-due-under-automobile-policy http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/lawsuit-filed-against-farmers-insurance-exchange-for-unreasonably-withholding-full-benefit-due-under-automobile-policy.html#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:21:02 +0000 admin http://shernoff.com/news/?p=634 http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/lawsuit-filed-against-farmers-insurance-exchange-for-unreasonably-withholding-full-benefit-due-under-automobile-policy.html/feed 0 http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/shernoff-bidart-echeverria-bentley-in-top-verdicts-2011-daily-journal-special-report.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=shernoff-bidart-echeverria-bentley-in-top-verdicts-2011-daily-journal-special-report http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/shernoff-bidart-echeverria-bentley-in-top-verdicts-2011-daily-journal-special-report.html#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:11:32 +0000 admin http://shernoff.com/news/?p=621 http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/shernoff-bidart-echeverria-bentley-in-top-verdicts-2011-daily-journal-special-report.html/feed 0 http://shernoff.com/news/articles/second-chair-like-a-champ.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=second-chair-like-a-champ http://shernoff.com/news/articles/second-chair-like-a-champ.html#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:52:49 +0000 admin http://shernoff.com/news/?p=614 http://shernoff.com/news/articles/second-chair-like-a-champ.html/feed 0 http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/litigation-underway-against-ohio-national-life-assurance-company-in-viatical-life-settlement-case.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=litigation-underway-against-ohio-national-life-assurance-company-in-viatical-life-settlement-case http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/litigation-underway-against-ohio-national-life-assurance-company-in-viatical-life-settlement-case.html#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:17:52 +0000 admin http://shernoff.com/news/?p=600 http://shernoff.com/news/insurance-bad-faith/litigation-underway-against-ohio-national-life-assurance-company-in-viatical-life-settlement-case.html/feed 0