Noneconomic Damages Definition
Why Trust Us?
Fact-Checked
Nolo was born in 1971 as a publisher of self-help legal books. Guided by the motto “law for all,” our attorney authors and editors have been explaining the law to everyday people ever since. Learn more about our history and our editorial standards.
Each article that we publish has been written or reviewed by one of our editors, who together have over 100 years of experience practicing law. We strive to keep our information current as laws change. Learn more about our editorial standards.
A type of compensatory damages commonly awarded in personal injury cases, noneconomic damages (sometimes also called "general" damages) include non-monetary losses that don't result in out-of-pocket payouts by the injured person or their insurer. Examples include:
- pain and suffering
- emotional or mental distress and anguish
- disability
- disfigurement
- loss of enjoyment of life
- loss of care, comfort, and companionship, and
- loss of consortium.
(See also economic damages.)