Rose v. Whitbeck
Decision Date | 24 May 1977 |
Citation | 564 P.2d 671,278 Or. 463 |
Parties | Betty E. ROSE, Respondent, v. Nettie C. WHITBECK, also known as Nettie DeFord, and Theodore Rose, Appellants. |
Court | Oregon Supreme Court |
David G. Frost, Frost & Hall, Hillsboro, for petitioner.
Before DENECKE, C.J., and HOLMAN, HOWELL, BRYSON, LENT and BRADSHAW, JJ.
Defendant Theodore Rose (Ted), on petition for rehearing, contends that upon reversing the case as to petitioner's codefendant, both as to general and punitive damages, this court should have remanded the question of punitive damages as to Ted for a new trial.
This is a question of first impression for this court. In Fredeen v. Stride, 269 Or. 369, 375--76, 525 P.2d 166 (1974), we reversed the rule of Gill v. Selling et al., 125 Or. 587, 594--95, 267 P. 812 (1928), and held that a plaintiff does not waive her claim for punitive damages against one defendant by electing to join in the same action another defendant who is not liable for such damages. The question of whether or not a defendant is liable for the entire amount of a joint and several punitive damages judgment upon appellate reversal of the judgment against a codefendant was neither raised nor briefed by the parties in Fredeen (Or briefs 2110). Accordingly, we did not discuss the matter in the decision of that case.
This court has recently spoken on a variation of this same question. In Weiss v. Northwest Accept. Corp., 274 Or. 343, 546 P.2d 1065 (1975), we ordered a new trial on the punitive damages issue after determining that one of the two general damages claims sent to the jury was improper as a matter of law:
'Plaintiff, however, is entitled to a new trial upon the issue of punitive damages. * * *' 274 Or. at 351--52, 546 P.2d at 1071.
The general rule is that reversal as to one of several joint-tortfeasors requires reversal of a joint judgment for punitive damages and a new trial on that issue. 1 An often quoted case in this general area is Washington Gas Light Co. v. Lansden, 172 U.S. 534, 19 S.Ct. 296, 43 L.Ed. 543 (1898), a libel action instituted against a corporation and its officers. A joint and several verdict was rendered against the corporation and two officers, but on appeal it was reversed as to the corporation and one of the officers. The court stated the following:
172 U.S. at 555--56, 19 S.Ct. at 304.
Although punitive damages were not in fact awarded, the court ruled that the general damages in that libel action had a punitive element to them and should be treated similar to purely discretionary punitive damages, stating:
'Punitive damages are damages beyond and above the amount which a plaintiff has really suffered, and they are awarded upon the theory that they are a punishment to the defendant, and not a mere matter of compensation for injuries sustained by plaintiff. * * *' Washington Gas Light Co. v. Lansden, supra at 553, 19 S.Ct. at 303.
General and special damages being compensatory in nature, it is not unfair in the typical case to hold a joint tortfeasor liable for the entire amount of such damages should the judgment against a codefendant be reversed. However, punitive damages serve no compensatory function. As we recently noted in Roshak v. Leathers, 277 Or. 207, 211, 560 P.2d 275, 277 (1977):
'For many years it has been recognized in this state that '(t)he generally accepted doctrine (of punitive damages) is that such damages are awarded by way of punishment to the offender and as a warning to others, or, according to some authorities, by way of example.' Martin v. Cambas, 134 Or. 257, 261, 293 P. 601 (1930). The rule was more...
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