Which damages compensate a plaintiff for actual losses due to injury?

• A. Nominal Damages
• B. Punitive Damages
• C. Compensatory Damages
• D. Consideration

Answer: (C)

Damages that aim to compensate the plaintiff for actual losses suffered are compensatory damages. They’re designed to make the injured party whole by covering what they directly lost because of the injury, such as medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and, in many cases, non-economic harms like pain and suffering. The goal is to restore the plaintiff to the position they would have been in if the harm hadn’t occurred. Nominal damages are a token recognition when no real loss is proven, punitive damages punish the wrongdoer beyond the actual harm, and consideration is part of forming a contract, not a damages category.