What damages are available in civil rights cases under §1983?

• A. Nominal damages only
• B. Compensatory, punitive, and nominal
• C. Compensatory only
• D. Punitive and nominal only

Answer: (B)

Damages under §1983 can include compensatory, nominal, and punitive. Compensatory damages pay back the plaintiff for actual losses caused by the violation—economic costs like medical bills and wages, as well as non-economic harms such as pain and suffering. Nominal damages are possible when a constitutional right was violated but the plaintiff didn’t suffer provable actual injury; they acknowledge the violation and deter future misconduct. Punitive damages may be awarded when the defendant’s conduct was malicious or showed a reckless disregard for the plaintiff’s rights, serving to punish the wrongful behavior and deter similar actions in the future. Since §1983 allows all three types in appropriate cases, the best answer includes compensatory, punitive, and nominal.