What are damages in tort law?

In tort law, damages are primarily understood as monetary compensation awarded to a plaintiff for losses suffered due to the wrongful act of another party. This compensation is aimed at making the plaintiff whole again, essentially restoring them to the financial position they were in prior to the tortious conduct. The principle underlying damages is to address the harm caused, whether it be physical injury, emotional distress, or financial loss.

Furthermore, damages can be categorized into various types, such as compensatory damages, which cover actual losses (like medical expenses or lost wages), and sometimes punitive damages, meant to punish the defendant for particularly egregious conduct. However, the core concept remains that damages in tort law are fundamentally about providing financial restitution for the harm suffered, aligning closely with the given choice of monetary compensation awarded to a plaintiff for losses.

Other options, while related to the legal process, do not accurately capture the essence of damages in tort law. Punitive measures focus on punishment rather than compensation for losses. Restitution for product defects might pertain to specific kinds of claims but does not encapsulate the broader nature of damages across all tort claims. Legal fees covered by the defendant are more about the costs of litigation than compensation for the harm suffered by the plaintiff.