Which damages are awarded when a tort is proven but there is no actual loss?

• A. Compensatory damages
• B. Punitive damages
• C. Specific damages
• D. Nominal damages

Answer: (D)

Nominal damages are awarded when a tort has been proven but there is no actual loss. They serve as a formal acknowledgment that a legal wrong occurred and that the plaintiff’s rights were violated, even though no measurable harm or financial loss resulted. This token amount preserves the principle that rights matter and that a breach can be found without proving economic or non-economic injury.

Compensatory damages require actual loss to be payable, so they don’t apply if there’s no loss. Specific (special) damages cover particular, quantified losses, which again aren’t present without actual harm. Punitive damages aim to punish particularly wrongful conduct and typically depend on showing more than just a technical breach, often in addition to some harm or egregious behavior; nominal damages focus solely on recognizing the breach when harm isn’t proven.