When you suffer an injury due to a defective product in Georgia, you probably want to hold the manufacturer responsible. In many cases, such a situation results from negligence on the part of the manufacturer. This means they did not do something or did something to make their product dangerous. They should have discovered the issue or known about the issue before the product made its way to consumers like you. When you go to court, you have the right to ask for different types of damages. One option is punitive damages.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, punitive damages are usually only awarded in civil cases. The design of it is to punish the defendant. In this case, it would be a form of punishment for the manufacturer. It also is a deterrent. If others see the punitive damage award in a product liability case, it is the idea that they will be more cautious so as to avoid their own court case in the future where they could get punished.
As with any damages, punitive damages also are a way to compensate you for your injuries stemming from the incident. However, there are other types of damages that will do this as well. So, the main goal is these damages punish the wrongdoer in the situation.
For this reason, the court does not always grant them. You have to prove the negligence and show the court that the manufacturer deserves punishment. This information is for education only. It is not legal advice.
