Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas judge Gwendolyn Bright. Courtesy photo 'Clearly Inappropriate': Why This Phila. Judge Slashed $24M Off of $26.2 Crash Verdict
"While plaintiff seeks to paint an almost demonic magnitude of intent centering around 'speed' the evidence supports only that driving over the speed limit was one of the many circumstances in place at the time of the crash," Bright ruled.
April 16, 2024 at 12:05 PM
3 minute read
What You Need to Know
- Judge Gwendolyn Bright entered an opinion explaining her decision to slash a $26.2 million verdict by $24 million.
- Bright ruled that the award was grossly excessive based on the evidence in the case and the compensatory damages.
- She determined punitive damages that were twice the compensatory award were appropriate.
A $25 million punitive damages award against defendants in a trucking accident case was "clearly inappropriate," according to a Philadelphia judge.
Several weeks after slashing the $26.2 million verdict in Clemmons v. Lehr by more than 90%, Judge Gwendolyn Bright of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas entered her opinion explaining the order.
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