In the world of insurance, $20 million in punitive damages is considered a very substantial jury award. |
It took three years for this to get to trial, the trial took two weeks and the jury turned in the verdict at about 5 p.m. on Tuesday. |
It's clear that this jury is sending a message to the business insurance industry that the American public, including the business community, is sick and tired of insurance companies deceptively handling and denying legitimate claims. |
It's very rare to get an award this big in punitive damages. |
The insurance carrier kept putting up a number of procedural roadblocks, none of which involved the loss itself. |
The power company shut off the electricity to the mine because the company was in arrears in paying its power bill. |
This sends a clear message to the highest levels at Westchester that we can't do business like this anymore. Every obligation they had, they breached. |