Which damages are intended for non-economic harms like pain and suffering?

• A. Compensatory damages
• B. General damages
• C. Nominal damages
• D. Treble damages

Answer: (B)

Non-economic harms like pain and suffering are addressed with general damages. These are intangible losses that don’t have a clear financial bill attached, such as physical discomfort, emotional distress, or a reduced quality of life. General damages are meant to compensate for the impact those experiences have on a person’s daily life and well-being, rather than reimbursing specific monetary expenses.

It helps to understand how damages are organized: compensatory damages aim to make the plaintiff whole and are often split into economic (special) damages, covering out-of-pocket costs and lost wages, and non-economic (general) damages, covering the less tangible effects. Nominal damages are a symbolic recognition of a rights violation when no actual harm occurred, and treble damages are punitive in some statutes, intended to punish and deter rather than compensate for harm.