Originally Posted by mbstone
P.S. After writing the above I found a civil case from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in which an award of 37.2 times compensatory damages was
upheld [pdf] against Motel 6 for knowingly renting bedbug-infested rooms. There is a discussion of the possibility of punitive damages for spitting....
Sorry, I don't believe there is any discussion possible for punitives in your example. Motel 6 KNOWINGLY rented the rooms. Restaurants do not KNOWINGLY serve food their employees spit in. I am not a personal injury attorney, just a plain old transportation attorney. I am responsible for my employees conduct, BUT. I could make a good case for insubordination, with no negligence on my part. Enjoy your discussion.