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DRAFT FOR ATTORNEY REVIEW — NOT FINAL

Molenaar v. United Cattle Co., 553 N.W.2d 424 (1996)

Citation
Molenaar v. United Cattle Co., 553 N.W.2d 424 (1996)
Parent Document
Molenaar v. United Cattle Co., 553 N.W.2d 424 (1996)
Jurisdiction
Minnesota (state)
Effective Date
1996-07-30

Other Sections in This Document (93)

Full Text

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Limiting Keene to produet-related injury also reestablishes consistency between case law and statutory law. The statute governing punitive damages, enacted in 1978, provides that “[pjunitive damages shall be allowed in civil actions only upon clear and convincing evidence that the acts of the defendant show deliberate disregard for the rights or safety of others.” Minn.Stat. § 549.20, subd. 1 (1994). The statute codified existing law. Lewis v. Equitable Life Assurance Soc’y, 389 N.W.2d 876, 891 (Minn.1986). Punitive damages for property injury continued to be available after enactment of the statute. See Vikse v. Flaby, 316 N.W.2d 276, 286 (Minn.1982) (permitting punitive damages for fraud).