What is the term for money sought by a plaintiff in a civil case?
Asked by: Theodora Dach | Last update: October 2, 2025Score: 4.9/5 (10 votes)
Damages: Money that a defendant pays a plaintiff in a civil case if the plaintiff has won. Damages may be compensatory (to compensate for a loss or injury) or punitive (to punish or deter future misconduct).
What is the monetary compensation requested by a plaintiff?
Compensatory damages represent the money awarded to a plaintiff in a lawsuit. This type of compensation is awarded in civil court cases.
What are monetary awards sought by the plaintiff?
Compensatory damages are awarded to plaintiffs to reimburse them for actual losses they have suffered due to the negligence of another person or entity. These damages can cover medical expenses, future expenses resulting from the injury, or property damage.
What is lawsuit money called?
What is the money called in a lawsuit? The money awarded to the plaintiff in a lawsuit is called damages. There are 2 types of damages: Compensatory damages are intended to compensate the plaintiff for losses suffered as a result of the defendant's actions.
What is the money awarded to a successful plaintiff in a civil suit?
Civil damages are monetary awards owed to a winning plaintiff by the losing defendant in a civil case tried in a court of law. Civil damages are granted when a person is injured or suffers a loss that stems from the wrongful or negligent actions of another party.
What are 'punitive damages' in a civil claim?
How do you get paid from a civil lawsuit?
Collecting money from a civil suit involves a multi-step process, including identifying the debtor's assets, obtaining a court-ordered judgment, and enforcing it through methods like wage garnishment or seizing property, all while adhering to legal procedures and timelines.
What is an exemplary award to a plaintiff?
Punitive damages, or exemplary damages, are damages assessed in order to punish the defendant for outrageous conduct and/or to reform or deter the defendant and others from engaging in conduct similar to that which formed the basis of the lawsuit.
What do you call the money won in a lawsuit?
If the case is taken to trial and the plaintiff wins, then the defendant is ordered to pay the plaintiff, then it's considered an award.
What is a movant in legal terms?
A movant is any party that makes a motion in a case , whether the case be civil or criminal . For example, if a plaintiff in a civil case moves for summary judgment , the plaintiff is the movant. [Last updated in June of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team ]
How to calculate damages in a civil suit?
To calculate your compensatory damages, your lawyer will start by totaling the value of your economic damages, such as medical bills and lost income. While this may sound simple enough, accurately calculating the value of your actual damages requires organization, thoroughness, and great attention to detail.
What is the rule 68 for plaintiffs?
(a) Making an Offer; Judgment on an Accepted Offer. At least 14 days before the date set for trial, a party defending against a claim may serve on an opposing party an offer to allow judgment on specified terms, with the costs then accrued.
Who decides the monetary reward in a civil case?
In a civil case, the jury not only decides on a verdict for one side or the other, but also awards damages. That is, if the jury determines that an award of money should be made, the jury decides how much money should be paid.
What type of monetary awards are considered to best punish the wrongdoer?
Compensatory damages reimburse the victim for losses and cover tangible and intangible costs, while punitive damages punish the wrongdoer and deter others. In most personal injury cases, victims receive compensatory damages. However, punitive damages are reserved for extreme cases.
What is compensation in a civil case?
Lawsuit compensation in civil litigation is designed to redress the wrongdoing done to the plaintiff through financial recovery from the defendant.
What is an example of a vindictive damage?
There are two scenarios for awarding vindictive or exemplary damages: Breach of a promise to marry because it causes injury to his/her feelings. Wrongful dishonour of cheque by a banker because it causes loss of reputation and credibility.
What is requested compensation?
Desired compensation is the salary and benefits you ask for from an employer. An employer may refer to salary or benefits separately as compensation during the hiring process. Desired salary could be hourly or salaried depending on the type of position a company is hiring for.
What is a Rule 42 motion?
Rule 42(a) allows a court to order a consolidation of actions if they involve common questions of law or fact. This can streamline proceedings, reduce litigation costs, and avoid conflicting judgments by handling all related matters in a single trial.
What is a Rule 32 motion?
Sentence and Judgment. (a) In General; Time for Sentencing . When a presentence investigation and report are made under subdivision (b)(1), sentence should be imposed without unnecessary delay following completion of the process prescribed by subdivision (b)(6).
What percentage of civil cases are recovered by a settlement?
Kiser, principal analyst at DecisionSet, states, “The vast majority of cases do settle — from 80 to 92 percent by some estimates.” Other sources even claim that this number is closer to 97 percent. However, not all cases are created equally.
What is it called when you get money from a court case?
If you win your case, the money the court awards you is called the judgment. You are the Judgment Creditor. The person who owes you money is the Judgment Debtor.
Is money won in a lawsuit considered income?
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The general rule regarding taxability of amounts received from settlement of lawsuits and other legal remedies is Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 61. This section states all income is taxable from whatever source derived, unless exempted by another section of the code.
What is a punitive award?
Punitive damages are awarded punish a defendant for malicious conduct (such as drunk driving). Punitive damages are not available in all cases. You must request punitive damages when you file your lawsuit. There is no formula to calculate punitive damages. A judge or jury will award an amount.
What is a de facto award?
In contrast to an actual award, a de facto award is “a legal fiction crafted by the courts, 'a creature of case law not statutory law.
What are exemplary damages civil?
The Civil Code provides for the rules concerning the award of exemplary damages, as follows: Article. 2229. Exemplary or corrective damages are imposed, by way of example or correction for the public good, in addition to the moral, temperate, liquidated or compensatory damages.