What are special damages in a personal injury case?

Asked by: Dr. Kamren Considine DVM  |  Last update: July 17, 2022
Score: 4.2/5 (39 votes)

Special damages financially compensate the injured person for losses suffered due to the defendant's actions. Special damages are out-of-pocket expenses that can be determined by adding together all the plaintiff's quantifiable financial losses. However, these losses or expenses must be proven with specificity.

What are examples of special damages?

Types of Special Damages
  • Property damage.
  • Lost wages and loss of earnings.
  • Medical treatment costs (including past and/or future)
  • Costs toward everyday household assistance necessitated by the injury.
  • Loss of one-of-a-kind items.

What is the difference between general 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 are special damages in insurance?

Special Damages — objectively assessed monies awarded to an injured party for tangible losses, such as wage loss, loss of use, nursing care, and medical expenses.

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.

Special Damages in Your Personal Injury Case

41 related questions found

Are special damages compensatory?

Special and general damages are both types of compensatory damages in a personal injury lawsuit. Compensatory damages are designed to compensate an injured victim for the expenses and losses he or she incurred due to a defendant's mistake.

What three 3 Things Must a court consider in reviewing punitive damages?

To ensure that unconstitutional punishment is not imposed in the form of punitive damages, the Court has set forth three "guideposts" for courts to consider in reviewing punitive damages awards: "(1) the degree of reprehensibility of the defendant's misconduct; (2) the disparity between the actual or potential harm ...

What are the 5 types of damages?

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

What are the two types of compensatory damages?

There are two types of compensatory damages—general and actual. Actual damages are intended to provide funds to only replace what was lost. General compensatory damages awarded are more complex, as these compensatory damages do not represent a monetary expenditure.

How are personal injury claims calculated?

How A Personal Injury Claim Is Calculated. The amount of compensation is usually directly proportional to the extent of injury that the pursuer has suffered. This generally means, that the more severe your injury, the higher the amount of compensation you would expect to receive.

Are special damages the same as 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 special loss?

special loss or damage means loss or damage of a kind or extent which arises from circumstances special to the party claiming for loss and not from the ordinary course of things, whether or not those circumstances were known to the Escrow Agent either at the time this Agreement was entered into or later.

Is loss of income special damages?

Lost wages and loss of earning capacity are examples of special damages. Special damages are monetary amounts that are able to be calculated such as medical bills, lost wages, property damages, and any out-of-pocket expenses.

Why are special damages awarded in only certain circumstances?

Some contracts relate to matters where losses are hard to quantify. These contracts often contain a condition requiring one of the parties to give up their right to sue for special damages. Certain jurisdictions also only allow special damages claims if the losses suffered were unavoidable.

What are vindictive damages?

vindictive damages. Also known as exemplary damages, retributory damages or vindictive damages. Damages awarded in excess of the claimant's loss. They are intended to punish the defendant and are more closely connected to criminal law than tort or contract.

Which of the following is awarded for pain and suffering and loss of income?

At the end of a court case or when a case is resolved through an out of court settlement, the money that is paid for pain and suffering, medical bills, loss of income or any other types of losses are called “damages”.

Are actual and special damages the same?

Special damages are actual damages you incurred in the accident. Actual damages intend to provide a monetary award to replace what was lost – nothing more.

What are the 3 types of damages that can be awarded for winning a tort case?

There are three common types of damages awarded in a civil tort or wrongful death case: economic, non-economic and punitive (Harvard Law).

Which injuries are eligible for compensatory damage?

General Compensatory Damages
  • Disfigurement.
  • Mental anguish.
  • Future lost wages.
  • Future medical expenses.
  • Loss of consortium.
  • Long-term physical pain and suffering.
  • Loss of opportunity.
  • Loss of enjoyment of life.

How do you prove special damages?

Receipts, invoices, or the fair market value of damaged property can be used to prove your special damages. Any of the following losses may be considered special damages: The cost of repairing or replacing damaged or destroyed property, such as your vehicle.

What are substantial damages?

Substantial damages are awarded as a means to compensate a plaintiff where they have suffered an actual loss. Substantial damages can be either general or special.

What types of damages can be awarded?

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

What's the difference between compensatory and punitive damages?

Compensatory And Punitive Damages

The compensatory damages awarded to plaintiffs are designed to give justice to them after being wronged. Punitive damages are designed to prevent others from being hurt by the same or similar actions.

How are compensatory damages calculated?

Add up the total replacement cost for your items. Add the other costs and fees that you have incurred in prosecuting the lawsuit, including your attorney fees, postage and filing fees. You can also include other losses for which you are entitled to compensation, such as loss of work or loss of lifestyle.

When can exemplary damages be awarded?

In contracts and quasi-contracts, the court may award exemplary damages if the defendant acted in a wanton, fraudulent, reckless, oppressive, or malevolent manner. Article 2233. Exemplary damages cannot be recovered as a matter of right; the court will decide whether or not they should be adjudicated.