Punitive damages: Supreme Court decisions

Every U.S. Supreme Court decision from the 1946 through 2025 Terms that the Supreme Court Database classifies under the issue “Punitive damages,” part of the Economic Activity area.

Legal provisions most often involved

All 13 decisions, newest first

• The Dutra Group v. Batterton
  139 S. Ct. 2275Decided June 24, 20196–3Samuel A. Alito Jr.
• Paroline v. United States
  572 U.S. 434Decided April 23, 20145–4Anthony M. Kennedy
• Atlantic Sounding Co., Inc. v. Edgar L. Townsend
  557 U.S. 404Decided June 25, 20095–4Clarence Thomas
• Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker
  554 U.S. 471Decided June 26, 20085–3David H. Souter
• Philip Morris USA v. Mayola Williams
  549 U.S. 346Decided February 20, 20075–4Stephen G. Breyer
• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company v. Inez Preece Campbell and Matthew C. Barneck
  538 U.S. 408Decided April 7, 20036–3Anthony M. Kennedy
• Kay Barnes, Etc. v. Jeffrey Gorman
  536 U.S. 181Decided June 17, 20029–0Antonin Scalia
• Cooper Industries, Inc. v. Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
  532 U.S. 424Decided May 14, 20018–1John Paul Stevens
• BMW of North America, Inc. v. Ira Gore, Jr.
  517 U.S. 559Decided May 20, 19965–4John Paul Stevens
• Honda Motor Co., Ltd. v. Karl L. ObergLaw held unconstitutional
  512 U.S. 415Decided June 24, 19947–2John Paul Stevens
• Txo Production Corp. v. Alliance Resources Corp.
  509 U.S. 443Decided June 25, 19936–3John Paul Stevens
• Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company v. Cleopatra Haslip
  499 U.S. 1Decided March 4, 19917–1Harry A. Blackmun
• Browning-Ferris Industries of Vermont, Inc. v. Kelco Disposal, Inc.
  492 U.S. 257Decided June 26, 19897–2Harry A. Blackmun

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error