The Daily Report of Fulton County, Georgia is reporting that a jury there has awarded $72.8 million to a school teacher who was burned after a gas line in his apartment exploded. He sued his landlord, claiming that the explosion was caused by the landlord's violation of building codes. The verdict consists of $17.9 million in compensatory damages, $47.9 million in punitive damages, and $7 million in attorney fees.
A Georgia statute limits punitive damages to $250,000 except in products liability cases, cases involving a specific intent to harm, and cases where the defendant was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. None of those exceptions would seem to apply here.
January 16, 2015
Georgia jury awards $47.9 million in punitive damages
