As per Lawkidunya, Difference Between Special and Compensatory Damages, there are two separate types of compensatory damages: “general damages” and “special damages.” General damages are the non-economic damages, commonly referred to as pain and suffering. Special Damages are economic damages, the medical bills, the lost earnings, all out-of-pocket expenses incurred because of the injury.

General and Special Damages are compensatory damages, which serve to compensate the plaintiff for economic loss and pain and suffering, attempting to make them whole. Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant for his or her negligence or recklessness.

Compensatory Damages are that, if the person who brought the lawsuit (known as the “plaintiff”) was physically injured, compensatory damages could include his medical bills, the pay he missed from taking too many sick days, and pay he will lose in the future from a reduced capacity to work.

Special Damages in tort law, special damages are damages like car dents or medical expenses that can actually be ascertained, and they are contrasted with general damages, which refer to damages for things like intentional infliction of emotional distress which do not have a set monetary cost.