Ainsworth v. Franklin County Cheese Corp.

This is an appeal from a jury verdict against defendant Franklin County Cheese Corporation for nonpayment of vested severance benefits, awarding plaintiff Winston Ainsworth $316,050 in compensatory damages and $200,000 in punitive damages. Defendant raises four claims of error: (1) the trial court erred in submitting to the jury the question of whether plaintiff was discharged without cause; (2) punitive damages cannot be awarded as a matter of law in a contract action without proof of an independent malicious tort; (3) even if proof of an independent tort is not required, the evidence failed…