Seffert v. Los Angeles Transit Lines
Supreme Court of California
364 P.2d 337 (1961)
Seffert (plaintiff), previously healthy and self-supporting, suffered severe permanent injuries after being dragged by a bus door operated by L.A. Transit (defendant), undergoing nine painful operations with more possibly needed, and facing an estimated 34.9 remaining years of life with ongoing pain; a jury awarded her the full $187,903.75 she claimed, including roughly $134,000 in nonpecuniary damages for pain, suffering, disfigurement, and amputation-related anxiety, and the trial court denied L.A. Transit's motion for a new trial based on excessiveness.
Whether a damages award is excessive as a matter of law if it does not shock the conscience or indicate passion, prejudice, or corruption on the part of the jurors.