1、But punitive damage awards often take years to resolve and can be cut down on appeal.
2、A number of states have managed to institute some kind of so-called tort reform, limiting the size of damage awards by juries in medical-malpractice cases.
3、The Supreme Court ruled that the jury's award to his widow had overstepped the mark by punishing the cigarette-maker for harm done to others, but it failed to set any limits on future punitive-damage awards and sent the case back to Oregon's state Supreme Court for a new hearing.
