This entry contains information applicable to United States law only. A sum of money awarded in a civil action by a court to indemnify a person for the particular loss, detriment, or injury suffered as a result of the unlawful conduct of another.
Compensatory damages are intended to provide a plaintiff with the monetary amount necessary to replace what was lost and nothing more. They differ from punitive damages, which punish a defendant for his or her conduct to provide a deterrent to the future commission of such acts. To be awarded compensatory damages, the plaintiff must prove that he or she has suffered a legally recognizable harm that is compensable by a certain amount of money that can be objectively determined by a judge or jury.
See: damages.