Milton Hambrice, Inc. v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Company

MURPHY, Circuit Judge.

State Farm Fire and Casualty Company (State Farm) appeals from a judgment awarding Milton Hambrice, Inc. compensatory and punitive damages for a claim of malicious prosecution. Hambrice, a contractor on a restaurant remodeling project, was sued by State Farm in a subrogation action after a fire extensively damaged the restaurant during the remodeling. After State Farm later voluntarily dismissed its action, Hambrice brought this case. A jury returned a verdict for Hambrice, awarding it $312,000 in compensatory damages and $7,500,000 in punitive damages. The district…