Iowa Court Vacates $1.76 Million Punitive Damage Award in Benzene Case; Rejects Challenges to Damage Award

DES MOINES, Iowa –– An Iowa federal court has vacated a punitive damage award of $1.76 million in a benzene case, finding that the plaintiff had failed to present evidence to that the defendants willfully and wantonly disregarded the plaintiff’s safety.

In the July 12 order, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa rejected a number of defense challenges to the actual damages verdict –– also $1.76 million –– however, finding in part that two questions on the verdict sheet that the defendants argued resulted in conflicting answers did, in fact, cover different ground and deserved different …