Court Opinion

ID: 9936127
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-09 18:57:22.644943+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:30:17.388017
License: Public Domain

I agree with Justice Houston's dissent, except that if his view had prevailed, that is, if this Court had been persuaded to allow recovery of compensatory damages for wrongful death, I would not have applied that new holding to this case, but would have applied it only prospectively. I believe that a prospective only application would be necessary because two of the three defendants in this case have settled the claims against them based upon the rule that only punitive damages were recoverable. To change the rules in the middle of this litigation would unfairly place the burden of any award of compensatory damages solely on the shoulders of Schering Corporation, while still leaving that defendant liable for punitive damages.
Therefore, I concur with the majority opinion to the extent that it allows only a recovery of punitive damages in thiscase.