Woman Awarded $2 Million For Ex-Boyfriend's Unrequited Surveillance

by Joseph C. Maya on Apr. 28, 2017

Accident & Injury Accident & Injury  Personal Injury Lawsuit & Dispute  Lawsuit 

Summary: Blog about a woman who was able to recover damages from a former boyfriend after it was discovered he had planted surveillance cameras and other equipment in and around her home.

Contact the personal injury attorneys at Maya Murphy, P.C. today. We can help you get the just compensation you deserve for your injuries or those of a loved one. For a free initial consultation, call 203-221-3100 or email JMaya@Mayalaw.com.

In the case Welsh v. Martinez, a woman sued her ex-boyfriend for noneconomic damages after it was discovered that he had planted several surveillance cameras and spyware in and around her home. In law, noneconomic damages compensate individuals for non-monetary losses, which are not readily quantifiable. Examples include pain-and-suffering, loss of future enjoyment, and loss of companionship. These damages are subjective, and determined by the jury or finder of fact. The trial court awarded the woman $2 million dollars in compensation for the psychological damage caused by the ex-boyfriend’s extreme invasion of privacy. T

The parties started dating in 2001. The ex-boyfriend was married, but nevertheless pursued a romantic relationship with the woman. In April 2001, the ex-boyfriend moved into the woman’s apartment. The parties dated for three years. In 2004, the woman moved to a new home and gave the boyfriend a set of keys to the house. The boyfriend installed wireless internet in the woman’s home. In the process, he installed several surveillance cameras. He also gifted her a new laptop, which had spyware software installed to track and record her computer’s activity. Subsequently, surveillance cameras were installed in the woman’s shower, television, and clock radios. GPS trackers were placed on the woman’s car and cell phone. All of this occurred unbeknownst to the woman. After the relationship ended, the woman discovered the surveillance equipment when making repairs to her home. This action commenced soon after. Following the trial court’s award to the woman, the ex-boyfriend appealed, claiming that the damages were prejudicial and punitive, seeking to punish the ex-boyfriend rather than compensate the woman.

The court rejected the boyfriend’s argument, and upheld the original jury award. The court determined that the psychological damage caused by the ex-boyfriend’s conduct was as entitled to just compensation as any physical damage. While there was no specific receipt or bill to display the costs associated with this damage, the jury was nevertheless instructed in how they should properly decide compensation. “[The woman] seeks to recover noneconomic damages for each of the following types of nonmoneteary loss or injury: her fear, extreme emotional distress, recurrent and intrusive thoughts of being exposed and violated, interference with her personal relationships, feeling of vulnerability and mistrust, sleep problems including damage to her teeth and difficulties concentrating as well as anxiety and anger” instructed the court. “Your award should be in accordance with the nature and extent of such physical impairment, loss of function or injury and length of time that the plaintiff is reasonably expected to endure its negative consequences . . . your verdict cannot be reached on the basis of sympathy for any party or on the basis or prejudice in favor of or against any party.” Id. at 245.

At Maya Murphy, P.C., our personal injury attorneys are dedicated to achieving the best results for individuals and their family members and loved ones whose daily lives have been disrupted by injury, whether caused by a motor vehicle or pedestrian accident, a slip and fall, medical malpractice, a defective product, or otherwise. Our attorneys are not afraid to aggressively pursue and litigate cases and have extensive experience litigating personal injury matters in both state and federal courts, and always with regard to the unique circumstances of our client and the injury he or she has sustained. 

Please contact Joseph C. Maya, Esq., at 203-221-3100, or at JMaya@mayalaw.com, to schedule a free consultation.

Source: Welsh v. Martinez, 114 A.3d 1231, 157 Conn. App. 223, 2015 Conn. App. LEXIS 172 (Conn. App. Feb. 17, 2014)

Legal Articles Additional Disclaimer

Lawyer.com is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice. Content posted on Lawyer.com is the sole responsibility of the person from whom such content originated and is not reviewed or commented on by Lawyer.com. The application of law to any set of facts is a highly specialized skill, practiced by lawyers and often dependent on jurisdiction. Content on the site of a legal nature may or may not be accurate for a particular state or jurisdiction and may largely depend on specific circumstances surrounding individual cases, which may or may not be consistent with your circumstances or may no longer be up-to-date to the extent that laws have changed since posting. Legal articles therefore are for review as general research and for use in helping to gauge a lawyer's expertise on a matter. If you are seeking specific legal advice, Lawyer.com recommends that you contact a lawyer to review your specific issues. See Lawyer.com's full Terms of Use for more information.