Opinion ID: 1846468
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: National's financial position.

Text: According to the trial court's posttrial order, National indicated that its financial position is sufficiently strong and adequate such that this factor does not provide a basis for remitting the punitive damage award. We find no other references in the record to the impact of the punitive-damages award upon National's financial position. Accordingly, this factor does not support a remittitur of the punitive-damages award. 5. Costs of litigation. In analyzing this factor, the Court is required to consider whether the punitive-damages award is sufficient to reward the plaintiff's counsel for assuming the risk of bringing the lawsuit and to encourage other victims of wrongdoing to come forward. Green Oil, 539 So.2d at 223; see also Life Ins. Co. of Georgia v. Parker, 726 So.2d 619, 624 (Ala.1998). Parker required the parties to travel to Indiana for depositions and to review a large number of records. The trial of this action lasted four days. The costs that Sockwell and her attorneys incurred in bringing this case to trial and the need to encourage others in similar situations to bring wrongdoers to trial justify a significant punitive-damages award. 6. Criminal sanctions. We are unaware of any applicable criminal sanctions for National's wrongdoing. Accordingly, this factor is inapplicable to our analysis of the Hammond/Green Oil factors. 7. Other civil actions. We are unaware of any other civil actions that have been filed against National as a result of the wrongful conduct at issue in this case. This factor is therefore inapplicable to our analysis of the Hammond/Green Oil factors. 8. Summary of the Hammond/Green Oil analysis. Two of the seven Hammond/Green Oil factors are inapplicable to this case: criminal sanctions and other civil actions. However, the other Hammond/Green Oil factors counsel in favor of a significant punitive-damages award: the relationship of the punitive-damages award to the actual and likely harm; the reprehensibility of National's conduct; National's profit from its misconduct; National's financial position; and the costs of litigation.