What is the difference between compensatory damages and punitive damages?

Asked by: Miss Abigale Wolff PhD  |  Last update: February 19, 2022
Score: 4.5/5 (66 votes)

Compensatory damages are given to the injured victim to help pay for medical expenses and other damages created, while punitive damages are meant to penalize the at-fault party.

What is the difference between compensatory and punitive damages quizlet?

What is the difference between compensatory and punitive damages? Compensatory damages are intended to compensate the injured for the loss. When a tort is intentional, punitive damages may also be awarded to punish the person who committed the tort.

Can you receive both compensatory and punitive damages?

Judges or juries can award punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages in some lawsuits. California Civil Code 3294 allows juries to award them – but the victim in the case has to prove that the defendant's conduct amounted to malice, oppression or fraud, such as when the case involves intentional harm or ...

What are examples of punitive damages?

Individuals can also be ordered to pay punitive damages that injure someone else due to negligent behavior. Examples of this would be drunk driving or distracted driving. In both cases, the defendant would have made a conscious decision to engage in behavior that could easily harm another person.

What are the 2 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.

What is the difference between compensatory and punitive damages?

25 related questions found

How do you calculate compensatory damages?

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.

What is the purpose of compensatory damages?

Compensatory damages, like the name suggests, are intended to compensate the injured party for loss or injury. Punitive damages are awarded to punish a wrongdoer.

What is the difference between actual and punitive damages?

punitive damages are the two main types of damages awarded in civil court cases. While courts grant actual damages to plaintiffs to compensate them for a loss they have suffered, they impose punitive damages on a defendant to discourage the behavior that led to the defendant being sued in the first place.

Which is the best description of punitive damages?

Punitive damages are legal recompense that a defendant found guilty of committing a wrong or offense is ordered to pay on top of compensatory damages. They are awarded by a court of law not to compensate injured plaintiffs but to punish defendants whose conduct is considered grossly negligent or intentional.

What is the opposite of punitive?

Opposite of inflicting or intended as punishment or a form of vengeance. nonpunitive. nonpunishable.

Is pain and suffering compensatory or punitive?

Damages for pain and suffering are a type of compensatory damages. Punitive damages are damages which are assessed against the defendant for egregious misconduct and are intended to punish the defendant and to deter others from similar misconduct.

Are legal fees compensatory damages?

Compensatory damages for breach of contract do not include attorney fees. Attorney fees incurred to prosecute a motion to enforce a settlement agreement constitute litigation expenses rather than damages.

Are lost wages punitive damages?

In most cases, this involves a situation where there was intentional harm or extreme recklessness. Punitive damages are different from compensatory damages that normally include medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, etc. Punitive damage awards involves a defendant's intentional harm or extreme recklessness.

What are compensatory damages also known as?

Also known as actual damages. The amount of money awarded to a party in a civil action to compensate for an injury or loss caused by another party's unlawful conduct. The purpose of compensatory damages is to make the claimant "whole," not to punish the wrongdoer.

What is compensatory damages quizlet?

Compensatory damages are paid to compensate the plaintiff for loss, injury or harm suffered. Compensatory damages in tort are referred to as reliance damages. Compensatory damages in contract are referred to as expectation damages.

What is the commonality of compensatory punitive and NOminal damages?

The law recognizes three major categories of damages: COMPENSATORY DAMAGES, which are intended to restore what a plaintiff has lost as a result of a defendant's wrongful conduct; nominal damages, which consist of a small sum awarded to a plaintiff who has suffered no substantial loss or injury but has nevertheless ...

Do you pay taxes on compensatory damages?

Compensatory damages are not taxed by the State of California nor by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Both state and federal taxes have the same requirements on taxable and non-taxable compensations.

Which of the following is the general goal of compensatory damages?

The goal of compensatory damages is to “make the plaintiff whole.” In other words, an attempt is made to put the person injured in the same position they would have been in without the injury ever occurring. This is generally referred to as the “made whole” rule.

What is the difference between nominal and contemptuous damages?

Contemptuous damages are a form of damage award available in some jurisdictions. They are similar to nominal damages awards, as they are given when the plaintiff's suit is trivial, used only to settle a point of honour or law.

Is a tort and a compensatory damage the same thing?

Damages in tort are generally awarded to restore the plaintiff to the position he or she was in had the tort not occurred. In law, damages are an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury. Damages are classified as compensatory (or actual) damages and punitive damages.

Are emotional distress damages compensatory?

Emotional distress damages are a subset of what are commonly called “compensatory damages.”

What are the types of damages?

What are the different types of damages?
  • General and Special Damages.
  • Substantial Damages.
  • Aggravated and Exemplary Damages.
  • Liquidated and Unliquidated Damages.
  • Consequential Damage and Incidental Loss.

Which injuries are eligible for compensatory damages?

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.

What are three types of damages recoverable in a lawsuit?

There are three types of damage that form the foundation of most civil lawsuits: compensatory, nominal, and punitive.

What is a compensatory case?

In California, compensatory damages are defined as money that a wrongdoer pays in order to compensate a victim for losses in a personal injury case. They contrast with punitive damages, which are intended to punish the defendant and discourage others from similar behavior.