Under California law established in *Taylor v. Superior Court* (1979) and codified in California Civil Code § 3294, operating a motor vehicle while voluntarily intoxicated constitutes **oppression and malice** supporting an award of **punitive damages** designed to punish the drunk driver and deter future reckless conduct.
1. Evidence Required for Civil Punitive Damages
Securing punitive damages against an impaired motorist requires proving that the defendant acted with a conscious disregard for human life. We obtain preliminary breath test (PBT) records, bar/restaurant surveillance video, credit card receipts, and police body camera footage to construct an undeniable record of willful misconduct.