Which type of damages is awarded to punish the defendant in a lawsuit?

Punitive damages are specifically designed to punish a defendant for particularly egregious or reckless behavior and to deter similar conduct in the future. This type of damages goes beyond simply compensating the plaintiff for their losses; rather, it serves a broader societal purpose by holding the defendant accountable for actions that are considered unacceptable or malicious.

In tort law, punitive damages are often awarded in cases involving intentional wrongdoing, gross negligence, or severe misconduct. For instance, if a defendant's actions have significantly harmed the plaintiff and exhibited a disregard for the safety or rights of others, a court may impose punitive damages to express societal disapproval and to discourage such behavior in the future.

Other types of damages, such as compensatory, actual, and consequential damages, focus primarily on reimbursing the victim for their direct losses, without an emphasis on punishment or deterrence. These categories do not serve the purpose of penalizing defendants but rather aim to restore the plaintiff to the position they would have been in had the wrongful act not occurred.