What are special damages meant to cover?

Special damages, also known as economic damages, are specifically meant to cover quantifiable financial losses resulting from an injury or an incident. This includes direct costs such as medical expenses and lost wages, which can easily be calculated and documented. For instance, if an individual is injured in an accident, the medical bills incurred for treatment and the wages lost during their recovery period are considered special damages because they represent actual out-of-pocket costs resulting from the injury.

The other concepts mentioned in the options, while they relate to damages in general, do not define special damages. Future losses pertain to potential income or expenses that may arise after the incident, which is often considered under a separate category of damages. Non-economic damages refer to intangible losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life, which are not quantifiable in the same manner as special damages. Lastly, punitive damages serve to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct, rather than compensate the injured party for specific losses experienced.