Ok, let's do that:
"
Punitive damages, or
exemplary damages, are
damages assessed in order to punish the defendant for outrageous conduct and/or to reform or deter the
defendant and others from engaging in conduct similar to that which formed the basis of the lawsuit.
[1] Although the purpose of punitive damages is not to compensate the
plaintiff, the plaintiff will receive all or some of the punitive damages in award.
Punitive damages are often awarded if
compensatory damages are deemed an inadequate remedy. The court may impose them to prevent
undercompensation of plaintiffs and to allow redress for undetectable
torts and taking some strain away from the criminal justice system.
[2] Punitive damages are most important for violations of the law that are hard to detect.
[3]
However, punitive damages awarded under court systems that recognize them
may be difficult to enforce in jurisdictions that do not recognize them. For example, punitive damages awarded to one party in a US case would be difficult to get recognition for in a European court in which punitive damages are most likely to be considered to violate
ordre public.
[4]
Because they are usually paid in excess of the plaintiff's provable injuries,
punitive damages are awarded only in special cases, usually under
tort law, if the defendant's conduct was
egregiously insidious. Punitive damages cannot generally be awarded in
contract disputes. The main exception is in
insurance bad faith cases in the US if the insurer's breach of contract is alleged to be so egregious as to amount to a breach of the "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing", and is therefore considered to be a
tort cause of action eligible for punitive damages (in excess of the value of the insurance policy).
[a]"
en.wikipedia.org
Did YOU look up 'punitive damages', or is this just another example of you throwing anything against the wall and hoping it sticks?
