D.R.W. Corp. v. Cordes

D.R.W. Corp. v. Cordes, 65 Wis. 2d 303, 222 N.W.2d 671 (1974) was an action for breach of a lease in which the defendant alleged as a counterclaim that he was fraudulently induced to sign the agreement. The jury awarded $ 1,200 in compensable damages on the counterclaim, apparently based on evidence of mental suffering, but the trial court reduced this to $ 5, the amount of the down payment on the lease. The supreme court refused to reinstate the jury award because the four factors necessary for recovery "in an action in tort for damages for emotional distress" were not proved. Id. at 309.