Kraeer Funeral Homes, Inc. v. Noble
Docket: No. 87-1590
Court: District Court of Appeal of Florida; March 8, 1988; Florida; State Appellate Court
A lawsuit was filed against Kraeer Funeral Homes, Inc. for allegedly mishandling the remains of Ralph Noble, leading to emotional distress for his widow, Martha Noble. The jury awarded Martha $85,000 in compensatory damages based on intentional infliction of emotional distress. The funeral home appealed the award, but the court affirmed it, finding substantial evidence supporting the jury's decision. The jury was correctly instructed on the legal standards for intentional infliction of emotional distress, which required proof that the funeral home acted in an outrageous or malicious manner or with reckless disregard for the likelihood of causing severe emotional distress. The court emphasized that the conduct must be extreme and intolerable in a civilized community and that the emotional distress must be of significant and enduring quality. Additionally, the appellees cross-appealed regarding the trial court's summary judgment in favor of the funeral home on punitive damages. The court noted that affirming the compensatory damages award necessitated reversing the summary judgment on punitive damages, thus remanding the case for trial on that issue. The decision concluded with a reversal of the summary judgment on punitive damages and a remand for further proceedings on that aspect, while affirming the compensatory damages award.