Spectrum ordered to pay $7 billion in punitive damages after employee killed Irving woman

[TexasTowelie]

A Dallas County jury on Tuesday ordered Charter Communications to pay $7 billion in punitive damages to the family of an 83-year-old woman who was killed by a technician in her Irving home the day after he helped her with her phone service.

The payment is in addition to $375 million a jury ordered the company to pay in compensatory damages last month. Charter, which also operates as Spectrum, is responsible for 90% of the compensatory payment.

Chris Hamilton, an attorney for the victim’s family, said her relatives were “very grateful” for the verdict.

“It’s a bittersweet day, because they lost their mom in a horrifying, preventable tragedy they’re never going to recover from,” he said. “There is certainly some relief for the family that the public has the ability to know about this danger that their mother didn’t have the opportunity to know about.”

The company said that the technician was solely responsible for the death and that it plans to appeal the verdict.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2022/07/26/spectrum-ordered-to-pay-7-billion-in-punitive-damages-after-employee-killed-irving-woman/

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. 7 - Billion Dollars?

Sorry, seems non-sensical. But, if true, I'm informing my next of kin, I'm worth 98.7 BB.

[stopdiggin]

2. it does seem to be a bit la-la land

on the other hand - is there a legal principal that punitive damages may be adjusted - so as to actually incur a desired (and punitive) penalty against the defendant (and their unique financial position)?

(which does kinda make sense. a couple million is 'walking around' money to and entity like Comcast.)

[TexasTowelie]

4. The punitive damages will be reduced to $750,000 because of tort law restrictions.

I suspect that most of the compensatory damages will be reduced also.

[stopdiggin]

5. not a big fan of 'tort reform'

(to my way of thinking - if you're looking for a place where the wealthy and powerful are exercising privilege and tilting the scales ... here ya' go.)

But thank you for the info and explanation anyway. Nice to have solid information.

[TexasTowelie]

3. The compensatory damages are also excessive. nt

[Shell_Seas]

6. Paywall, but if he was on the clock and in her house because of her job, seems straightforward.

Also, did he have a past criminal record? If he did, the employer should have known about it.

[Trailrider1951]

7. Here is a link without a paywall

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cable-company-ordered-pay-7-billion-damages-family-texas-grandmother-m-rcna40586

He did a service call at her home for the company and returned the next day and robbed and murdered her.