A Texas state jury has awarded a record-breaking $150 billion in punitive damages to the estate and parents of a deceased young man who they claim was sexually assaulted and then set on fire by the same person when he was a child in 1998.
When he was only eight-years-old, Robert Ray Middleton was allegedly sexually assaulted by 13-year-old Don Willburn Collins, according to the Los Angeles Times. Two weeks later, Collins followed Middleton into the woods where he tied him to a tree, poured gasoline on him, and set him on fire.
The incident, which took place on Middleton’s birthday, left him with third-degree burns all over his body that required a number of skin treatments. He later developed skin cancer from his burns and passed away in April at the age of 20.
The verdict, which is symbolic in that it is reportedly the largest personal injury lawsuit award ever handed out by a U.S. jury, ordered Collins to pay $370 million in actual damages to Collin and Bobby Ray Middleton, Robert’s parents.
Collins neither appeared in court during the trial nor was charged for the alleged crime.
If you or a loved one has been abused as a child, you may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Contact Sokolove Law to learn about your options and receive a free legal consultation.