punitive damages
noun/ˌpjuːnətɪv ˈdæmɪdʒɪz/
/ˌpjuːnətɪv ˈdæmɪdʒɪz/
[plural] (law)- an amount of money that a court decides a person or an organization has to pay to somebody as punishment for having harmed them
- The victim is seeking compensatory and punitive damages against the defendant on claims of assault and battery.
- To award punitive damages, the jury had to find that the defendant intentionally violated the plaintiff's civil rights.
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punitive damages