A judge has knocked $47.6 million off a $73 million verdict by enforcing Georgia’s $250,000 cap on punitive damages.
Fulton County State Court Judge Eric Richardson ruled from the bench Tuesday afternoon following a hearing on a motion from defense attorneys for companies that own and manage an apartment complex hit with a $73 million verdict on Jan. 15. The jury awarded $17.9 million in damages to compensate the plaintiff for severe burns from a gas explosion in his apartment. Then the jury added $7 million in attorney fees and $47.9 million in punitive damages. The judge Tuesday enforced the cap, dropping the punitive damages portion down from $47.9 million to $250,000.
