Damages Awarded in California Liability Case for HIV Infection
On Friday, a Los Angeles Superior Court directed a man to pay $12.5 million to his former wife for infecting her with HIV, the Los Angeles Times reports.
In his tentative ruling, Judge Rolf Treu said the man acted with fraud and malice. Treu awarded $5 million in future lost earnings and $7.5 million in other damages.
The case has been working its way through the courts for about six years, including a 2006 ruling by the California Supreme Court that permitted the case to go to trial. The Supreme Court ruled that people could be held liable for not informing new sexual partners of past participation in high-risk sex acts (Lin, Los Angeles Times, 11/25).
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