Cumulative Penalties Law and Legal Definition
Cumulative penalties are successive or continuing penalties for delay in payment of claims, or performance of a contract, or violation of statute.
As a general rule courts are loath to permit cumulative penalties and cumulative penalties not expressly authorized by statute may not be imposed. However, where it is plainly the intention of the legislature to allow a plaintiff to recover a penalty for a definite act, courts will enforce the penalty for each count. [Commonwealth v. Smith, 1963 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 112 (Pa. C.P. 1963)].
