What type of damages include past and future physical pain, disability, medical expenses, and loss of earnings?

Compensatory damages are intended to make the injured party whole again by providing financial compensation for their losses resulting from the injury. This category of damages includes various elements that reflect the real and quantifiable impacts of the injury on a person's life.

Past physical pain and future physical pain reflect the suffering endured and expected to continue as a result of the injury. Disability refers to any physical limitations that affect the individual’s ability to perform daily activities or work. Medical expenses encompass the costs incurred for treatment related to the injury, while loss of earnings accounts for any income that the individual has lost or is projected to lose due to their incapacitation or reduced ability to work.

In contrast, punitive damages are awarded to punish the wrongdoer for particularly egregious behavior and to deter similar future actions, rather than to compensate the injured party for their losses. Actual damages is not a commonly used term in legal contexts; instead, the term 'compensatory damages' is more precise and widely recognized. Nominal damages are symbolic amounts awarded when a legal wrong has occurred but did not result in significant loss or injury, which does not apply to the extensive impacts outlined in the question. Thus, compensatory damages are the correct answer as they appropriately cover the spectrum