The Supreme Court Punitive Damages Decision in Philip Morris – Good for Plaintiffs?

On its face, the United States Supreme Court’s Philip Morris v. Williams decision earlier this year tossing out a $79.5M punitive damage award in an Oregon smoking case where the compensatory damages were $821,000, was seen as a victory for big business in limiting punitive damage awards.

However, New York personal injury lawyer, Eric Turkewitz takes a contrarian view, and argues persuasively in his blog that the dissent of Justice Stevens in the Philip Morris case suggests that high punitive damage multipliers will be allowed in future cases.

About the Author

Tom D'Amore is the founder of D'Amore Law Group and a trial attorney with over 30 years of experience representing injured people and their families across the West Coast, securing more than $325 million in recoveries. He handles cases involving car accidents, trucking accidents, construction injuries, medical malpractice, and sexual abuse. Licensed in Oregon, Washington, and California, Tom is the only NBTA board-certified truck accident attorney in Oregon. He is a national Board of Governors member, past Executive Committee member, and past Budget and Audit Chair of the American Association for Justice, as well as past President of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and an Eagle member of the Washington State Association for Justice.