The U.S. Department of Justice Releases Report on Civil Trials Concluded in 2005 in which Punitive Damages were Requested or Awarded

The U.S. Department of Justice released a report on civil trials concluded in 2005 in which punitive damages were requested or awarded.  A summary of the report is printed below. The view the entire report, click here.

This report presents findings on civil trials concluded in 2005 in a national sample of state trial courts in which punitive damages were requested or awarded. Litigants sought punitive damages in 12 percent of the estimated 25,000 civil trials concluded in 2005. Punitive damages were sought in 10 percent of all tort trials. However, for certain case types including slander or libel, conversion, and intentional tort cases, punitive damages were requested in approximately 30 percent of trials. Punitive damages were awarded in 700 (5 percent) of the 14,359 trials where plaintiffs prevailed. Plaintiffs received punitive damages in 30 percent of the 1,761 civil trials in which these damages were requested and the plaintiff prevailed. The median punitive damage award was $64,000, and 13% of cases with punitive awards had damages of $1 million or more.