Supreme Court of Connecticut

Ashmore v. Hartford Hospital

June 4, 2019

Summary

The concurrence joins the majority's application of a presumption that a loss of consortium award ordinarily should not substantially exceed the corresponding wrongful death award to the directly injured spouse. It explains that this guidepost allowed the court to assess whether exceptional circumstances justified the unusually disproportionate award. The concurrence also reiterates concerns that Connecticut's abuse of discretion review for excessive verdicts lacks objective standards, particularly for noneconomic damages.