Which type of damages does not require a dollar value to be proved but does require the loss to be demonstrated?

General compensatory damages are designed to compensate a plaintiff for the non-economic harms they have suffered as a result of another's wrongful conduct. This can include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. Unlike special compensatory damages, which must be backed by specific financial evidence for things like medical bills or lost wages, general compensatory damages focus on the subjective nature of injuries. This means that while they don't require a precise dollar value to be established, there still must be evidence or demonstration of the loss experienced by the plaintiff.

General compensatory damages rely heavily on the context of the injury and the demonstrable effects it has had on the individual's life, rather than clear-cut financial figures. This is why they are distinctly different from special compensatory damages, which are tangible and typically require more concrete proof. Punitive damages, on the other hand, aim to punish the wrongdoer for particularly egregious behavior and deter similar conduct in the future, rather than to compensate the plaintiff directly. Consequential damages deal with indirect damages that occur as a consequence of an action, which also requires specific monetary proof.