Opinion ID: 1952793
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: credit unions' appeal

Text: [¶ 15] The Credit Unions appeal the trial court's post verdict entry of a judgment for Sun on the punitive damages claims. In reviewing a trial court's grant of a Rule 50(b) motion for a judgment as a matter of law, we examine the jury's verdict to `determine if any reasonable view of the evidence and those inferences that are justifiably drawn from that evidence supports the jury verdict.' Me. Energy Recovery Co. v. United Steel Structures, Inc., 1999 ME 31, ¶ 6, 724 A.2d 1248, 1250 (quoting Townsend v. Chute Chem. Co., 1997 ME 46, ¶ 8, 691 A.2d 199, 202). [¶ 16] [I]n order to recover punitive damages, a plaintiff must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with malice. Tuttle v. Raymond, 494 A.2d 1353, 1354 (Me.1985). Malice can be express or implied. Id. at 1361. Express malice exists when the defendant's tortious conduct is motivated by ill will toward the plaintiff. Id. Implied malice arises when deliberate conduct by the defendant, although motivated by something other than ill will toward any particular party, is so outrageous that malice toward a person injured as a result of that conduct can be implied. Id. Implied malice, however, is not established by the defendant's mere reckless disregard of the circumstances. Id. [¶ 17] There is no evidence of express malice and, even viewing the evidence most favorably to the Credit Unions, Sun's conduct was not so outrageous that malice could be implied. Although the jury found that the certificates of insurance overstated the extent of the coverage, the documents were standard form certificates, used throughout the insurance industry, and supplied to insurance brokers who filled in the names of the parties and amounts of coverage and mailed them out. There was no knowing participation in a malicious scheme to defraud armored car customers. At best, the evidence shows that Sun was reckless in drafting and issuing the certificates. The trial court properly entered judgments as a matter of law in favor of Sun on the punitive damages claims.