What types of damages can be awarded in civil litigation?

In civil litigation in Washington, damages are awarded to a plaintiff if a court or jury finds that a defendant has acted wrongfully toward them. Damages are meant to compensate the plaintiff for the harm or loss they have suffered. Generally, there are three types of damages that can be awarded in civil litigation. The first type of damages is compensatory damages. These are the most common type of damages and are intended to compensate the plaintiff for any harm they have suffered. Examples of compensatory damages include medical expenses, lost wages due to an injury, property damage, or emotional distress. The second type of damages is punitive damages. These are intended to punish the defendant for their wrong behavior, and are usually only awarded if the defendant acted with malicious intent or was grossly negligent. These damages are usually much higher because of the added punishment factor. The third type of damages is nominal damages. These are usually very small amounts of money used to indicate that the plaintiff has won their case but has not suffered any real monetary loss. For example, if a plaintiff proves that a defendant defamed them but the court finds that the defendant’s words did not have any impact on the plaintiff’s reputation, the court may award nominal damages to the plaintiff. These are the three types of damages that can be awarded in civil litigation in Washington. It is important to note that awards for damages vary greatly depending on the particular case. The court or jury considers several factors when determining the amount of damages to award, so the damages awarded in each case will be different.

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What types of damages can be awarded in civil litigation?

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