general damage

[/ˈdʒɛnərəl ˈdæmɪdʒ/]
nounpl: general damages
danos morais
1. In law, compensation awarded for non-pecuniary losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, or injury to reputation that cannot be easily quantified in monetary terms
The court awarded general damages to the plaintiff for the emotional trauma caused by the accident.
O tribunal concedeu danos morais ao autor pelos traumas emocionais causados pelo acidente.
2. Damages that are not specifically itemized or proven with receipts, as opposed to special damages which have documented financial loss
General damages differ from special damages because they cover intangible losses.
Os danos morais diferem dos danos materiais porque cobrem perdas intangíveis.
In Brazil, 'danos morais' is a well-established legal concept in the Civil Code and frequently appears in court cases involving emotional harm, defamation, or violation of personality rights. In the USA, general damages are a critical component of tort litigation and are often subject to jury determination. The concept is more formalized in Brazilian law compared to the common law approach in the United States.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
non-pecuniary damagesunliquidated damagespain and suffering damagesmoral damages
Antonyms / Antônimos
special damagespecuniary damageseconomic damages

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
danos morais
Standard legal term used in Brazilian civil law to refer to non-pecuniary damages
São Paulo
danos morais
Widely used in commercial and civil litigation
Rio de Janeiro
danos morais
Common in tort cases and consumer protection lawsuits
Portugal
danos não patrimoniais
Portuguese legal term often used instead of danos morais; refers to non-property damages

Related Words

special damagescompensatory damagespunitive damagestort lawliability

Related Idioms & Phrases

award general damages
claim general damages
recover general damages
assess general damages
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