Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company v. Cleopatra Haslip
499 U.S. 1 · Decided March 4, 1991 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company v. Cleopatra Haslip was decided on March 4, 1991 by a vote of 7–1. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Punitive damages” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 499 U.S. 1 · 111 S. Ct. 1032 · 113 L. Ed. 2d 1 · 1991 U.S. LEXIS 1306
- Docket number
- 89-1279
- Decided
- March 4, 1991
- Argued
- October 3, 1990
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–1
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Punitive damages
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company v. Cleopatra Haslip et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1990-042, docket 1990-042-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Punitive damages”
- Browning-Ferris Industries of Vermont, Inc. v. Kelco Disposal, Inc.
- Txo Production Corp. v. Alliance Resources Corp.
- Honda Motor Co., Ltd. v. Karl L. ObergLaw held unconstitutional
- BMW of North America, Inc. v. Ira Gore, Jr.
- Cooper Industries, Inc. v. Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
- Kay Barnes, Etc. v. Jeffrey Gorman
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Arizona v. FulminanteAltered precedent
- Bryan Stuart Lankford v. Idaho
- Connecticut and John F. Digiovanni v. Brian K. DoehrLaw held unconstitutional
- Edward Harold Schad, Jr. v. Arizona
- Tommy Cage v. Louisiana
- Cruzan v. Director
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Mercedel W. Miles v. Apex Marine Corporation
- Jay Palmer v. BRG of Georgia, Inc.
- Arcadia v. Ohio Power Company
- Coy R. Grogan v. Frank J. Garner, Jr.
- McDermott International, Inc. v. Jon C. Wilander
- Trinova Corporation v. Michigan Department of Treasury
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error