Overlawyered: Chronicling The High Cost Of Our Legal System

The irrationality of non-economic damages

Unlawfully detained for fourteen years because of a crime you didn’t commit? $14.5 million in damages. Unlawfully detained for fourteen minutes because of a crime you didn’t commit? $1.2 million in damages, plus potential punitives. If the fairness of a justice system can be evaluated by whether it treats like cases alike, the status quo […]

Unlawfully detained for fourteen years because of a crime you didn’t commit? $14.5 million in damages.

Unlawfully detained for fourteen minutes because of a crime you didn’t commit? $1.2 million in damages, plus potential punitives.

If the fairness of a justice system can be evaluated by whether it treats like cases alike, the status quo fails. (“Jury returns $14.5 million verdict against city”, AP, Mar. 30; Mark Rice, “Jury awards woman $1.2M”, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Apr. 1).

One Comment

  • That works out to about $5 million an hour. I don’t know anyone whose time is anywhere close to that valuable — not even Bill Gates. And these aren’t even the punitive damages.

    Utterly ridiculous.

    Please post again when this award is reduced on appeal.

    • By Kent