Punitive damages awarded in Smithfield subsidiary trial dramatically reduced
A U.S. District Court judge has reduced the damages awarded to plaintiffs against Murphy-Brown in a pollution case from $50 million to $3.25 million. The ten plaintiffs won a case against the subsidiary of Smithfield Foods earlier, as they successfully claimed that odors and noise from a neighboring hog farm affected their abilities to enjoy the outdoors.
Each of the 10 plaintiffs will receive $325,000, reports INDY Week. After nearly a month-long trial, the jurors awarded each of the ten plaintiffs $75,000 in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. Murphy-Brown attorneys argued that North Carolina law limits the amount of punitative damages that the plaintiffs could receive.
Source: INDY Week
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