What is the standard aim of damages in civil claims?

• A. To punish the wrongdoer beyond restitution.
• B. To award nominal damages only.
• C. To compensate the claimant for loss and put them in the position they would have been in had the wrong not occurred.
• D. To void the contract.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that damages in civil claims are meant to compensate the claimant for the loss caused by the breach or wrongdoing, putting them as closely as possible in the position they would have been in if the incident had not occurred. This is about restoring them to their pre-breach position, not about punishment. That’s why the standard award is compensatory rather than punitive. Nominal damages can arise when there’s a breach but no real loss, but that isn’t the usual aim—just a minimal acknowledgment of the breach. Voiding the contract is a separate remedy and not an aim of damages themselves.