What type of damages compensates for non-economic losses such as pain and suffering?

General damages are designed to compensate for non-economic losses that a plaintiff suffers as a result of an injury. This category of damages includes compensation for intangible losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. These damages are not easily quantifiable in monetary terms, unlike special damages, which are intended to reimburse for measurable financial losses like medical expenses and lost wages.

In legal contexts, general damages recognize the subjective experience of the injured party and acknowledge that injuries can lead to significant personal struggles and diminished quality of life, which merit compensation. This distinguishes general damages from punitive damages, which are intended to punish the wrongdoer and deter future misconduct, and from liquidated damages, which are pre-determined amounts specified in a contract for breach of that contract. Thus, in scenarios involving the assessment of pain and suffering, general damages are deemed appropriate and directly correlated to the emotional and psychological impact of the injury.