What is an essential characteristic of general damages?

General damages are primarily designed to address non-economic losses that individuals may suffer as a result of an injury or breach of contract. These damages are not easily quantifiable and often relate to intangible aspects such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and other subjective experiences. Because they encompass feelings and experiences rather than direct financial losses, they stand out from other types of damages like special or economic damages, which can be calculated through receipts, bills, or other forms of documented proof.

This characteristic differentiates general damages from the need for documented proof—an aspect primarily associated with special damages. General damages also differ from being solely focused on economic restoration; that focus relates more to special damages. While there are policy limits applicable to certain types of damages in insurance claims, general damages themselves are not inherently capped by those policy limits in the same way they might be for specific economic losses, which can sometimes lead to third-party claims. Thus, the coverage of intangible aspects of suffering is a defining feature of general damages.