What obligation does a breaching party generally have if they engage in wrongful conduct?

When a party breaches a contract and engages in wrongful conduct, they can indeed be liable for punitive damages in tort actions. Punitive damages are intended to punish the wrongdoer for their misconduct and deter similar future behavior. This is distinct from compensatory damages, which focus solely on making the injured party whole by covering their losses resulting from the breach.

While a breaching party is generally expected to fulfill their contract obligations unless a valid legal excuse for non-performance exists, the presence of wrongful conduct introduces additional liability that may not be relevant in standard breach of contract scenarios.

The concept of being immunized from penalties does not apply to breaching parties; rather, wrongful conduct typically incurs more serious consequences and can lead to additional legal repercussions, including punitive damages. Thus, the obligation to potentially face punitive damages highlights the serious nature of wrongful conduct and the legal systems' responses to deter such behavior.