In legal terms, damages refers to monetary compensation awarded to a person who has suffered loss or injury due to another party's wrongful conduct. Courts can award several types of damages: compensatory damages reimburse actual losses (medical bills, lost wages, property repair); general damages compensate for non-monetary harm (pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life); punitive damages punish particularly egregious behaviour and deter future misconduct; and nominal damages acknowledge a wrong occurred even without significant loss. In civil lawsuits, the plaintiff must prove both that the defendant's actions caused harm and the extent of damages suffered. Municipalities can both sue for damages (when city property is destroyed) and be sued (for negligence causing injury to residents).