How do general damages differ from special damages?

Asked by: Stanford Ziemann  |  Last update: August 8, 2022
Score: 4.8/5 (21 votes)

In tort law, special damages are damages like car dents or medical expenses that can actually be ascertained, and they are contrasted with general damages, which refer to damages for things like intentional infliction of emotional distress which do not have a set monetary cost.

What is a general damage?

Damages that arise directly and inevitably from a breach of contract. In other words, those damages that would be theoretically suffered by every injured party under these circumstances.

What are general damages in insurance?

General damages, commonly called “pain and suffering,” are intended to compensate you for non-monetary injuries you experience, such as pain, anxiety, and other suffering you have to endure because of your injury.

What is the difference between general and punitive damages?

General and special damages are compensatory damages, which serve to compensate the plaintiff for economic loss and pain and suffering, attempting to make them whole. Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant for his or her negligence or recklessness.

What is the difference between compensatory damages and special damages?

There are two separate types of compensatory damages: “general damages” and “special damages.” General damages are the non-economic damages, commonly referred to as pain and suffering. Special Damages are economic damages, the medical bills, the lost earnings, all out-of-pocket expenses incurred because of the injury.

What's the difference between General vs. Special vs. Punitive Damages?

26 related questions found

What are general damages and special damages in tort?

Like ordinary damages are the right of the aggrieved party whatever loss he has suffered it will get but special damages get in a special situation so it might not get in all the situations.

What are examples of general damages?

General Damages
  • Physical pain and suffering.
  • Disfigurement.
  • Physical impairment.
  • Mental health issues.
  • Loss of love, care, and companionship.
  • Reduced quality of life.
  • Future pain and suffering.

What is meant by special damages?

DEFINITIONS1. money paid to an injured party in a legal case for financial losses such as loss of earnings, property damage and medical expenses.

What are special damages in contract law?

Special Damages. Special damages (also called “consequential damages”) cover any loss incurred by the breach of contract because of special circumstances or conditions that are not ordinarily predictable. These are actual losses caused by the breach, but not in a direct and immediate way.

Which of the following would be classified as general damages?

General damages include pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of companionship. Special damages are awarded for out-of-pocket or economic losses such as medical costs, loss or income, or damage to property.

What does the term general damages mean in law?

This means that courts indemnify an injured party for “physical arrangements which can make [the person's] life more endurable”, or, as stated in Lindal v. Lindal, [1981] 2 SCR 629 p 634, “to substitute other enjoyments and pleasures for those that have been lost”.

What are special damages in personal injury?

What are special damages? Special damages may be awarded to cover the financial losses and actual expenses incurred as a result of an accident or negligent medical treatment. The aim is to put you back in the financial position you would have been had the accident or negligence not occurred.

Which description applies to general damages?

Which description applies to General Damages? It is compensation to an injured party for pain, suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement and similar types of losses - General Damages are damages that are likely to continue into the future, and where it is difficult to put a final figure on the losses.

What are general damages in construction?

It held that general damages and LDs are "underpinned by different considerations": whilst general damages are intended to compensate an innocent party for actual losses suffered as a result of a breach; LDs are intended to be a genuine pre-estimate of the likely losses that would be suffered in the event of a breach.

What are the 3 types of damages?

Types of Damages
  • COMPENSATORY. Compensatory damages are generally the most identifiable and concrete type of damages. ...
  • GENERAL. General damages are sought in conjunction with compensatory damages. ...
  • PUNITIVE. Punitive damages are meant to punish a Defendant for particularly egregious conduct.

Are general damages direct?

California recognizes two main types of damages for breach of contract. These are general damages and special damages. General damages, (sometimes called Direct Damages) are direct result of the breach i.e. general damages flow directly and necessarily from the breach of contract.

What are the two types of damages?

Generally, there are two types of damages: compensatory and punitive. (The term "damages" typically includes both categories, but the term, "actual damages" is synonymous with compensatory damages, and excludes punitive damages.)

What is general damages in breach of contract?

Ordinary or general damages

Section 73 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 identifies general damages to mean the damages which naturally occurred in the usual course events or things from the breach that has been caused, or which the parties were sure would arise in the event of a breach.

What is special damage tort?

Thus, where a person's property is damaged as a result of the wrongful act of another, it would usually be possible to quantify the loss in terms of the amount of money involved. When such amount can be determined as in the case of cost of repairs, replacement or restitution, it is referred to as special damages.

What are the different types of damages?

There are six different types of damages: compensatory, incidental, consequential, nominal, liquidated, and (sometimes) punitive.

Which of the following qualifies for compensation as general damages?

General damages award the injured person for the non-monetary losses that they endured due to an accident. Non-monetary losses include pain and suffering, loss of companionship, physical disfigurement, mental anguish, and a general loss of enjoyment in life that results from diminished wellness.

What are general damages in PI claim?

General damages or non-pecuniary losses are those damages which cannot be mathematically assessed at the date of trial. The predominant head of general damages in personal injury claims is pain, suffering and loss of amenity although there are a number of other heads of general damages which must also be considered.

What does without proof of special damages mean?

English term or phrase: without proof of special damages. The Recipient agrees that the Discloser will be entitled without proof of special damages to seek the remedies of an injunction and other equitable relief for any actual or threatened breach by the Recipient of this Agreement.

Which of the following is an example of general damages quizlet?

Which of the following is an example of general damages? Loss of future earning capacity.

Which of the following types of liability limits allow the most to be paid for a single occurrence without regard for the number of claimants?

Which of the following types of liability limits allow the most to be paid for a single occurrence without regard for the number of claimants? D)Under a Combined Single Limit policy, the policy will pay both bodily injury and property damage claims without regard to the number of claimants.