Damages

Damages

Legal damages is a measure of the award a person receives in a lawsuit.  Damages are awarded at the end of a long legal process.  A litigant must file a Complaint, pursue their claim all the way until a judgment.  When a party receives a judgment in their favor, that means a court has stated the other party/parties are legally "liable" to the injured party for that injury, such as a tort or breach of contract.  When a litigant finally wins that judgment, they are owed a remedy.  The remedy is usually damages (but not always).

There are a variety of damages such as special damages, incidental damages, punitive damages, compensatory damages, and even "treble" (triple) damages.  Read this article for a much more in depth explainer on the different types of damages and what they are for.

Some states measure damages in different ways or don't even have certain types of damages.  For example, Nebraska puts a limit on how much a person can receive in damages as part of a medical malpractice claim.  This means you can only receive $2.25M in damages for medical malpractice.

If you are being sued or believe you have a claim for damages, you should contact an attorney immediately.  Our office takes on civil litigation clients.  If you want the Peterson Legal Team to evaluate your claim, please contact our office by phone or email.