Which kind of damages may include recovery for emotional distress in a tort case?

In the context of tort law, recovery for emotional distress typically falls under general damages. General damages are designed to compensate a plaintiff for non-economic harm that they cannot easily quantify. This includes pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress.

When a plaintiff experiences significant psychological impact due to the defendant's actions, they are entitled to seek damages for those emotional injuries as part of general damages. These damages acknowledge the suffering experienced by the plaintiff as a direct consequence of the wrong that has occurred.

While compensatory damages may cover both economic and non-economic losses, emotional distress specifically aligns with the broader category of general damages, which serves the purpose of addressing the more intangible injuries a person may endure. Other types like punitive damages focus primarily on deterring wrongful conduct rather than compensating specific harm.