Difference between damage and damages


Both damage and damages and damages refer to the situation when an adverse event happens with legal implications. Let’s look at the difference between the two terms.

Damage is defined as a loss resulting from causing injury to a person, harm to property or hurting one’s reputation. This term does not go beyond the effect of the wrongful action.

The term “damages” refers to the legal consequence of the harm caused by the wrongful action, namely compensation provided to a person who has suffered a loss or harm due to such wrongful action or even omission.

However, lawyers tend to use damages in most of their conversation and correspondence. What is the reason for this? From a lawyer’s perspective, and this is not intended to hurt anyone, but it the observation of a person working frequently with lawyers, the monetary amount of the consequence of the wrongful action matters from a professional point of view.

Therefore “damages” can be used for situations when the consequence of the wrong is expressed in money.