Opinion ID: 569105
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: punitive damage award

Text: 62 The defendants contend that there was insuffient evidence to support the jury award of punitive damages against some of the defendants. We disagree and will affirm. 63 Fraud, alone, is not sufficient to justify an award of punitive damages. Golomb v. Korus, 261 Pa.Super. 344, 348, 396 A.2d 430, 432 (1978). The conduct must be outrageous for a jury to award punitive damages. Rizzo v. Haines, 520 Pa. 484, 507, 555 A.2d 58, 69 (1989); Pittsburgh Outdoor Adv. Co. v. Virginia Manor Apts., Inc., 436 Pa. 350, 353, 260 A.2d 801, 803 (1970). Where the defendants are agent and principal, the agent's conduct must be clearly outrageous to justify the vicarious imposition of exemplary damages upon the principal. Delahanty, 318 Pa.Super. at 132, 464 A.2d at 1264 (quoting Skeels v. Universal C.I.T. Credit Corp., 335 F.2d 846, 851-52 (3d Cir.1964)). Plaintiffs must show outrageous conduct by a preponderance of the evidence. See Martin v. Johns-Manville Corp., 508 Pa. 154, 494 A.2d 1088, 1098 (1985). 64 Plaintiffs clearly showed outrageous conduct. Upshur agent Boggs told the Hughes that they would have to be out of their house within two months though they had no interest in selling their property. He told the Headlees: [Y]ou forget Consol. You are dealing with Mon railway system now. App. at 116A. When the Headlees expressed concern about the proximity of the track to their house and children, Boggs stated that if the right-of-way were condemned, the railroad could place the tracks within 10 feet of their home and is under no duty to fence the track or to otherwise provide for the safety of the Headlees' children. We hold that the jury could reasonably conclude that defendants acted outrageously when they obtained property by fraud, economic coercion, and thinly-veiled personal threats.