Home > Great American Court Cases > Damages

Damages are a civil judicial remedy used to monetarily compensate a party for injuries caused by the wrongful conduct of another, resulting in loss, injury, or other detriment to one's person, property, or rights. Damages are awarded to a plaintiff for losses caused either by a defendant's conduct or to provide a remedy for the breach of a contractual relationship. Damages are sometimes also used to punish outrageous conduct and deter future misconduct. Damages are only one category of remedies; other remedies include restitution (restoring something to its rightful owner); injunctive relief (forbidding a party to do an act); mandamus (requiring a party to do an act); and declaratory relief (a judicial decision setting forth the legal rights of respective parties even when no further relief is ordered).

Damages are traditionally awarded in American dollars and are generally made in a single lump-sum...