Louisiana jury awards $1.1bn to woman who sued over childhood molestation in 1960s

Article excerpt

A northwest Louisiana jury awarded $1.1 billion in damages to Pamela Elaine Lockridge for childhood sexual abuse by her late stepfather in the 1960s and 1970s. The unusually large verdict became possible under Louisiana's "lookback law," which temporarily allows survivors to sue for decades-old abuse claims that would otherwise be barred by statutes of limitations. Lockridge said the award "sends a message that children are precious" and "deserve protection." The verdict has reverberated through Louisiana's legal community, raising questions about similar cases and the liability exposure for estates and institutions.