Opinion ID: 1874238
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: did the trial court err in granting defense motion for a directed verdict on plaintiffs' claim for punitive damages?

Text: Punitive damages are awarded in order to serve as an example to others and should only be awarded in extreme cases. Central Bank of Mississippi v. Butler, 517 So.2d 507, 512 (Miss. 1987). In order to warrant the recovery of punitive damages, there must enter into the injuries some element of aggression or some coloring of insult, malice, or gross negligence, evincing ruthless disregard for the rights of others, so as to take the case out of the ordinary rule. South Central Bell v. Epps, 509 So.2d 886, 892-893 (Miss. 1987) [quoting Fowler Butane Gas Co. v. Varner, 244 Miss. 130, 150-51, 141 So.2d 226, 233 (1962)]. The award of punitive damages, along with the amount of such, are within the discretion of the trier of fact. Fought v. Morris, 543 So.2d 167, 173 (Miss. 1989). The trial court, in determining if the issue should be submitted to the jury, must decide whether, under the totality of the circumstances and viewing the defendant's conduct in the aggregate, a reasonable, hypothetical trier of fact could have found either malice or gross neglect/reckless disregard. (Citations omitted). Colonial Mortgage Co., Inc. v. Lee, 525 So.2d 804, 808 (Miss. 1988). The basis of the appellants' contention that punitive damages are proper in this case is that Switzer committed a number of large monetary errors, that he failed to follow generally accepted accounting procedures, and that he refused to accept responsibility for the results of his errors. We cannot say, however, that the court abused its discretion in granting a directed verdict on the issue of punitive damages. When Switzer discovered the omission, he informed the Estate attorney of that fact. Even though the record does not include an explanation by Switzer for the omission, the evidence presented by the appellants does not show that the alleged negligence evinced a ruthless disregard for the rights of others so as to justify punitive damages.