Which term refers to the costs awarded to an aggrieved person due to negligence that exceeds the cost of general or special damages and is levied against the plaintiff as punishment for reckless behavior?

• A. Special Damages
• B. Punitive Damages
• C. Occurrence
• D. Slander

Answer: (B)

Punitive damages are the extra award intended to punish the defendant for especially reckless or malicious conduct and to deter others from similar behavior. They go beyond compensatory damages, which cover the plaintiff’s actual losses like medical bills and lost wages (special damages) and non-monetary harms like pain and suffering (general damages). The purpose of punitive damages is punishment and deterrence, not to compensate the plaintiff. Slander relates to defamation, which is a different tort with its own damages, and an occurrence is an insurance term describing an event that may trigger coverage.