Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Jon R. Takasugi has granted Liberty Motion’s posttrial motion to vacate a jury’s award of $83 million in a lawsuit alleging age discrimination and violation.
Judge Takasugi ruled that the punitive damages award cannot stand because the plaintiff failed to present evidence that Liberty Mutual acted with malice, oppression, or fraud. The order notes that, according to the LA Times, the total damages award in this case ($103 million) was the largest discrimination case in U.S. history.
The posttrial order vacates the punitive damages award in its entirety, but does not disturb the jury’s award of $20 million in compensatory damages.
The National Law Review has a full story here.
