The Changing Landscape of Blockbuster Punitive Damages Awards

Alison Del Rossi () and W Viscusi

No 15571, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This article investigates the determinants of the blockbuster punitive damages awards of at least $100 million. As of the end of 2008, there had been 100 such awards with an average value of $3.0 billion. The U.S. Supreme Court decision in State Farm v. Campbell suggested a single digit upper bound on the punitive damages/compensatory damages ratio, which reduced the annual number of blockbuster awards, the total annual value of blockbuster awards, and the punitive damages/compensatory damages ratio. Applying the 1:1 ratio from Exxon Shipping Co. et al. v. Baker et al. broadly would eliminate most of the blockbuster awards.

JEL-codes: K10 K40 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-law
Note: LE
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published as W. Kip Viscusi, 2009. "The Changing Landscape of Blockbuster Punitive Damages Awards," American Law and Economics Review, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 116-161.

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