Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Sarah…

Summary

The Texas Supreme Court held that Wal‑Mart owed a duty of reasonable care to maintain the ramp area it controlled, but found no evidence of gross negligence and therefore reversed the punitive damages award while affirming the actual damages and loss‑of‑consortium awards. The Court also affirmed the loss‑of‑consortium finding. A dissent argued the opposite on punitive damages, and a concurrence discussed procedural issues concerning punitive‑damage trials.