Taliban Toyota!
 

http://news.yahoo.com/owner-car-deal...004302989.html

My question is how do they decide the amount to award for damages? Is that how much in sales the dealership was cost? Surely he couldn't have lost out on that much in sales. I wonder in a lot of cases like this. What determines the amount of damages awarded? Why so stinking much?

Well if the other dealership was telling customers that the Iranian guy was a terrorist, then they were wrong...and need to do some research into different cultures.

According to the article, there is 2.5 million in compensatory damages...this would be the amount of actual damage to the plaintiff.

The other 5 million is for punitive damages...that is an additional award designed to punish the defendent for his conduct, and is based more on how much the defendent has rather than how much the damage was done. It's sort of like a fine, but gets paid to the plaintiff.

It's Alabama. What do you expect?

Damn! 2.5 mil is a lot of sales! Basing it on how much the defendent has makes sense but GD that's a hefty fine!

Is it? Doesn't sound like a lot to me...but, I'm not in the car dealership business. He could have had some value assigned to loss of reputation, too...past and future busness loss. Of course some of it would be an estimated WAG.

Basing it on how much the defendent has makes sense but GD that's a hefty fine! I guess they probably won't do that again.

Ahhh, yes. I forgot that goodwill has a value! Good point.

At a dealership you can lose a lot of money very fast, and reputation = sales. I'm not surprised by the amount.

I'm surprised by the idiot who thought those comments would pass the smell test in court.

God damn it. This is why I don't tell anyone I am from the south.

I think they come up with that costs because they assume the slander hurt their business for the rest of their lives.

Those cost levels are probably more akin to less than annual revenues.

Good thing he was quick on his feet filing that lawsuit. Being an Iranian car salesman in the United States is dangerous for your health as it is (We all know the FBI has a Muslim-fetish.)... hick rednecks down the street claiming you're "money laundering for the Taliban" doesn't make it any better.