Nominal damages are associated with punishing the defendant for the degree of reprehensibility and typically involve what kind of ratio?

Nominal damages are associated with punishing the defendant for the degree of reprehensibility and typically involve what kind of ratio?

• A. PUNITIVE
• B. RESTITUTIONARY
• C. NOMINAL
• D. INCIDEN TAL

Answer: (C)

Nominal damages are a symbolic remedy used when a legal wrong occurred but there is little or no actual financial loss to compensate. The award is typically a token amount, such as a small sum, mainly to vindicate the plaintiff’s rights rather than to punish or to compensate. So the kind of ratio involved is nominal—a tiny, symbolic amount. This contrasts with punitive damages, which punish particularly egregious conduct and are tied to the degree of reprehensibility, and with restitutionary damages, which try to restore the plaintiff to their position before the harm, or incidental damages, which cover specific costs.

Nominal damages are a symbolic remedy used when a legal wrong occurred but there is little or no actual financial loss to compensate. The award is typically a token amount, such as a small sum, mainly to vindicate the plaintiff’s rights rather than to punish or to compensate. So the kind of ratio involved is nominal—a tiny, symbolic amount. This contrasts with punitive damages, which punish particularly egregious conduct and are tied to the degree of reprehensibility, and with restitutionary damages, which try to restore the plaintiff to their position before the harm, or incidental damages, which cover specific costs.