Section 18.16 Exemplary Damages

• Library: Tort Law 2016

3. (§18.16) Exemplary Damages

Exemplary damages differ from other damages because their purpose is not to make the plaintiff whole. Instead, the purpose of punitive damages is to deter repetition of certain conduct by the same party by inflicting punishment and to discourage similar conduct by other parties by serving as an example. Alcorn v. Union Pac. R.R. Co., 50 S.W.3d 226, 248 (Mo. banc 2001). When a statute creates a cause of action unknown to the common law, punitive damages will not be allowed...