What do 'general damages' refer to in legal contexts?

General damages refer specifically to compensation for non-monetary losses that a plaintiff may suffer as a result of a wrongful act, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, or loss of enjoyment of life. This type of damages is fundamentally different from other forms of compensation, such as special damages, which focus on quantifiable monetary losses, like medical expenses or lost wages.

In cases of personal injury or defamation, for example, a court may award general damages to address the subjective impact of the injury on the victim. This can include factors such as the severity and duration of pain or suffering experienced by the individual, which cannot be easily quantified in terms of a specific financial amount.

Understanding the distinction between general and other types of damages, such as punitive or special damages, is essential in legal contexts. Punitive damages serve as a form of punishment to deter the defendant and others from similar conduct, while special damages deal specifically with imminent and calculable losses. General damages focus on the broader impacts of an injury that do not have a direct monetary value attached but still warrant compensation.