What Are the Most Frequently Awarded Legal Damages?
When a person is wronged by another, they may seek legal action in order to receive compensation for their losses. This compensation is referred to as damages, and it can come in many forms. Some of the most common types of damages awarded in legal cases are compensatory, punitive, and nominal damages.
Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages are generally the most identifiable and concrete type of damages. These include amounts for lost income, property damages, and medical care resulting from the Defendant’s misconduct. Compensatory damages are meant to make the injured party “whole” again by restoring them to the same financial position they were in before the injury occurred. Compensatory damages are the most frequently awarded type of damages, as they are designed to reimburse the injured party for their losses.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are a type of damages that are awarded in cases where the Defendant’s actions were particularly egregious or malicious. These damages are meant to punish the Defendant for their actions and to deter them from engaging in similar behavior in the future. Punitive damages are typically awarded in addition to compensatory damages, and they are not meant to reimburse the injured party for their losses.
Nominal Damages
Nominal damages are a type of damages that are awarded when the injured party has suffered some sort of harm, but there is no concrete evidence of the harm or the Defendant’s liability. These damages are typically very small and are meant to acknowledge the harm that was done, rather than to compensate the injured party for their losses.
Conclusion
When a person is wronged by another, they may seek legal action in order to receive compensation for their losses. The most frequently awarded type of damages are compensatory damages, which are designed to reimburse the injured party for their losses. Punitive damages are awarded in cases where the Defendant’s actions were particularly egregious or malicious, and nominal damages are awarded when the injured party has suffered some sort of harm, but there is no concrete evidence of the harm or the Defendant’s liability.
