A Los Angeles jury awarded $200 million in punitive damages and $8.8 million in compensatory damages last week in an asbestos product liability case. But it looks likely to be reduced.
After the jury handed down its verdict, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Conrad Aragon asked attorneys from both sides to write briefs on what an appropriate punitive damages award would be. The judge “refused to enter the judgment” until he evaluates the legal basis for the award, said an attorney for defendant CertainTeed Corp., a building materials manufacturer the jury hit with 70 percent of the liability.
