Qwest feels the wrath of the Judge with $81 million Personal Injury Case
Denver District Court Judge Sheila Rappaport sent a strong message to Qwest Communications in the Personal Injury Case of Andrew Blood, when she increased the punitive damages to $81 million from an original amount of $39 million.
According to the Business Journal reports, Judge Rappaport, awarded the maximum increase allowed by law on the grounds that Denver-based Qwest continues "to fail to inspect, maintain and repair" its telephone poles despite having lost a previous jury trial involving Andrew Blood.
A jury on May 24, 2007, awarded Blood slightly more than $21 million in compensatory damages for his injury. Denver law allows judges to triple that amount in punitive damages -- those meant to punish and correct the actions that led to the judgment -- if the situation that led to the lawsuit is repeated or not corrected.
I am sure that Qwest will keep their word and appeal Judge Rappaport's ruling. Regardless of the outcome of the appeal, it is loud and clear from Judge Rappaport's ruling that Qwest needs to clean up their act and implement a solid and worthy maintenance program for their telephone poles across the country. It will save them in the long run with large lawsuits like in the Andrew Blood case.
According to the Qwest reports their stock recently closed at $8.92 an increase of $.13 from prior trading.
Click here to read more on this case from the Denver Business Journal.
