Quote:
Originally Posted by VeriSexy
I always wonder how they determine the amount owed
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in a civil case, there are 2 different types of damages the jury can award..
1. actual damages - these are the medical expenses, missed income, pain and suffering, legal expenses, etc.... these damages are to compensate the injured party for their financial, physical and mental losses.
2. punitive damages - these damages are for the purpose of punishing the guilty, and the jury can literally pick the amount out of the sky. unlike actual damages, the jury can award you an amount which is higher than the amount that you ask for.
the total award is the combined amount of those damages.
i sat in on a case where a jury awarded over $300,000 to a family because their grandpa got buried in the wrong hole. i can't remember the actual damages of having grandpa dug up and buried in the right hole, but don't think it was very much. $300.,000 was the punitive damages and if i remember correctly, they proved that the funeral parlor deliberately lied about the mistake and that's why it was so high.