Opinion ID: 1138293
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Efforts to remedy the wrong.

Text: Independent Life notes that the trial court left it for this Court to determine what effect its post-verdict remedial efforts to place proper endorsements on the type of insurance policies at issue should have on the jury's punitive damages award. The trial court's Hammond order stated: Whether post-verdict efforts at remedying a wrong come too late is a matter for the Supreme Court of Alabama to determine; that Court may hold that remedies are to be prompt upon discovery of the wrong and not admissible at trial (but admissible post-trial) as subsequent remedial measures. As noted previously, Ala.Code 1975, § 6-11-23(b), requires a court reviewing a punitive damages award to consider whether the defendant has undertaken any effort to remedy the wrong complained of and also whether the defendant has had an opportunity to do so. Further, sound public policy dictates that the type of action taken by Independent Lifelocating and properly endorsing all outstanding policies of the type in question, action that benefits a much wider class of Alabama citizens than would a monetary award to a single plaintiffshould be encouraged by this Court's acknowledging that action as a mitigating factor in a review of a punitive damages award. However, the weight of that action as a mitigating factor in a punitive damages review would not be so great where, as in this case, the remedial action is taken only after the jury has returned a substantial punitive damages verdict.