Opinion ID: 2625838
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Facts and Circumstances Surrounding State Farm's Misconduct

Text: ¶ 35 This factor looks to the circumstances surrounding the illegal conduct, particularly with respect to what the defendant knew and what was motivating his or her actions. See Bundy v. Century Equip. Co., 692 P.2d 754, 759 (Utah 1984). Discussing this point, the trial court referred to its previous analysis of State Farm's conduct and stated those facts speak for themselves with respect to the type of insensitive and callous behavior exhibited by State Farm. In addition to the trial court's findings, we note that State Farm refuses in its brief on appeal to concede any error or impropriety in the handling of the Campbell case. Rather, testimony at trial indicated that State Farm was proud of the way it treated the Campbells. Id. Further, State Farm asserts that it is in fact a victim in this case because it is the target of a secret conspiracy perpetrated by the Campbells, Ospital, Slusher, and their attorneys to bring this bad faith lawsuit and to share any recovery obtained. ¶ 36 Even if we agreed with State Farm's characterization of the agreement between the plaintiffs and Ospital and Slusher, we are unable to comprehend State Farm's logic. No behavior by those parties operates to excuse State Farm's dishonest and illicit practices over the course of many years, nor its treatment of the Campbells. In fact, without this so-called conspiracy, which contains no illegal elements whatever, State Farm's wrongdoing would have remained unexamined and unpunished, and the direct harm to the Campbells, the indirect harm to the other parties, and the harmful effect on the larger community of all those who deal with the company, would have had no remedy. The facts and circumstances surrounding State Farm's misconduct all point to a scheme motivated by the goal of making a profit by any means necessary. We agree entirely with the trial court's conclusion that this factor supports the imposition of a higher than normal punitive damages award.