Skip to main content
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

653 chars
Finally, this reading is consistent with the philosophy that underlies punitive damages. The purpose of punitive damages is “to both punish and deter according to the gravity of the act giving rise to a punitive damage award * * Rosenbloom v. Flygare, 501 N.W.2d 597, 601 (Minn.1993) (quoting Melina v. Chaplin, 327 N.W.2d 19, 20 n. 1 (Minn.1982)). Punitive damages “are imposed to punish the defendant and to deter him, and others like him, from intentional wrongs and deliberate disregard of the safety or rights of others.” Id. at 602. The focus lies on the defendant’s wrongful conduct that must be deterred, not the specific outcome of the conduct.