Gurule v. Illinois Mutual Life & Casualty Co.

FELDMAN, Vice Chief Justice.

Plaintiff Ramon Gurule (Gurule) sued defendant Illinois Mutual Life and Casualty Company (Illinois Mutual) for breach of contract and the tort of “bad faith.” A jury awarded Gurule $25,506.54 in contract damages, $90,000 in compensatory tort damages, and $384,493.46 in punitive damages. Illinois Mutual appealed the bad faith claim, arguing that the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict. The court of appeals affirmed the jury’s award of compensatory damages but vacated the punitive damages award. The court reasoned “that before punitive damages may be…