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According to and new bill passed by the South Carolina Legislature, punitive damage payouts for lawsuits will be limited in South Carolina. The House approved capping punitive damage awards in the typical case at $500,000, or three times the actual damages, whichever is greater.This bill and the limits it sets are very similar to other states within the southeast, such as the state of Florida.
Initially the House approved a lower cap of $350,000 or triple actual damages and the inital bill also would allow juries to hear whether accident victims were wearing seat belts in auto accidents. Howver, the Senate dropped the seat belt provision and raised the caps after business groups and lawyers spent many hours working out a compromise.
The bill is expected to be approved by Gov. Nikki Haley as early as this week.
