Opinion ID: 788028
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Motion to Amend in Order to Add Punitive Damages Claim11

Text: 36 Under Idaho law, a party may seek punitive damages only with leave of court. IDAHO CODE § 6-1604(2). The court must allow amendment to the pleadings to state a prayer for punitive damages if the moving party [establishes] ... a reasonable likelihood of proving facts at trial sufficient to support an award of punitive damages. Id. At the time in issue, an award of punitive damages was permissible only where the claimant had proven by a preponderance of the evidence, oppressive, fraudulent, wanton, malicious, or outrageous conduct. IDAHO CODE § 6-1604(1) (Michie 2000). 12 The claimant must show that the defendant acted in a manner that was an extreme deviation from reasonable standards of conduct, [ ] that the act was performed ... with an understanding of or disregard for its likely consequences[, and] that the defendant acted with an extremely harmful state of mind. Gen. Auto Parts Co. v. Genuine Parts Co., 132 Idaho 849, 979 P.2d 1207, 1210-11 (1999) (internal quotations marks omitted). The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying leave to amend on the ground that Kuntz had not established a reasonable likelihood of proving the requisite extremely harmful state of mind.