Opinion ID: 777337
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Ratio Between Harm and Award

Text: 52 The ratio between compensatory and punitive damages in this case is 42.5 to 1. In BMW the United States Supreme Court stated that punitive damages must bear a reasonable relationship to compensatory damages. BMW, 517 U.S. at 580, 116 S.Ct. at 1601. Although the BMW Court applied a 10 to 1 ratio, the Court did not establish a rigid mathematical formula. Indeed the Court stated ratios may be higher where the harm is particularly egregious but the economic harm is minor or the monetary value of the injury is difficult to assess. Id. at 582, 116 S.Ct. at 1602. In this case, Plaintiffs' reputations and free speech rights were impaired. These injuries are without a ready monetary value as opposed to the injuries in BMW. Thus, while the 42.5 to 1 ratio is larger than the 10 to 1 ratio approved by the Court in BMW, we cannot say it is unreasonable.