What does the term puntive damages mean?
Punitive damages are a type of damages permitted in certain civil cases that have the sole purpose of punishing the wrongdoer. When you sue someone there are two things you must prove: 1) liability, and 2) damages. In most cases your only damages are those that compensate you for your loss. For example, if someone dents your car, your measure of damages is the cost to fix the dent. Punitive damages are permitted when conduct is so malicious or egregious that the wrongdoer should be punished. They are not permitted in simple accident cases, because an accident is an accident, and therefore there is no malicious intent. But if someone were to purposely damage your car, for example, then the court will award you compensatory damages (i.e. the amount to fix the car). In addition, he may award you punitive damages simply to punish the person who purposely damaged your car. The logic is to persuade the person from acting similar in the future.
