Hibschman Pontiac, Inc. v. Batchelor
Supreme Court of Indiana
362 N.E.2d 845 (1977)
Relevant factsFree
Batchelor (plaintiff) bought a car from Hibschman Pontiac (defendant) after being assured its service department was excellent, but the car needed repeated repairs that Hibschman falsely claimed to have fixed each time, eventually telling Batchelor not to come back because he was a bad customer. Batchelor sued for breach of contract and oppressive conduct, and a jury awarded him $15,000 in punitive damages; the Court of Appeals reversed the punitive damages award entirely, and Batchelor appealed.
IssueFree
Whether punitive damages are appropriate in a breach of contract action when elements of fraud, malice, gross negligence, or oppression are involved.
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