Query: Is there a Cap on Damages?
Context: New Jersey does not have a cap on compensatory damages, including those for pain and suffering. Economic damages cover costs such as medical bills and lost wages. In many cases, the non-economic damages for pain and suffering will exceed economic damages. Many states will place a cap on pain and suffering, but New Jersey does not.  There is, however, a cap on punitive damages in New Jersey. Punitive damages penalize defendants for particularly egregious conduct. In a personal injury claim, you can recover at most five times the compensatory damages, or $350,000. The law permits plaintiffs to recover the higher amount, so if the compensatory damages in your case amount to $100,000, you could collect $500,000 in punitive damages. If your claim is only worth $50,000, you can recover up to $350,000 in punitive damages.  However, courts rarely award punitive damages. Also, New Jersey courts will not consider punitive damages in wrongful death claims.