# Are extra damages available to punish bad conduct?

Canonical: https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/punitive-damages/

Reviewed by Andrew (Andy) R. Gillin; publisher reported approval on 2026-11-04. Original review date was not supplied.

## Short answer

Some cases allow extra money to punish very bad acts. These are called punitive damages. A careless mistake is usually not enough.

## Hypothetical example

A person causes harm on purpose. That raises a different issue from a driver who makes a careless turn.

## How the rule works

Civil Code § 3294 sets requirements for punitive damages in covered cases. They are separate from money intended to compensate a person for losses.

## What can change the answer

The law requires strong proof of fraud, malice, or oppression. These are legal terms for certain serious acts. Extra rules apply when a business is asked to pay for a worker’s acts.

## A useful next step

Save proof of what the person did. Ask a lawyer if this rule may apply.

## Court decisions behind this answer

### College Hospital Inc. v. Superior Court (1994)

8 Cal.4th 704, pp. 721–726. The court discussed when money can be awarded to punish bad acts. A careless mistake alone was not enough.

Limit: Some steps in that case applied to claims against a health care provider. They do not apply to every injury case.

Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/4th/8/704.html

## Sources

- [Civil Code § 3294 — Punitive damages](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=3294.)
- [College Hospital Inc. v. Superior Court (1994) 8 Cal.4th 704](https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/4th/8/704.html)

General information, not legal advice.