Legal Term: DAMAGES, SPECIAL

Definition: torts. Special damages are such as are in fact sustained, and are not implied by law, these are either superadded to general damages, arising from an act injurious in itself, as when some particular loss arises. from the uttering of slanderous words, actionable in themselves, or are such as arise from an act indifferent and not actionable in itself, but injurious only in its consequences, as when the words become actionable only by reason of special damage ensuing. To constitute special damage the legal and natural consequence must arise from the tort, and not be a mere wrongful act of a third person, or a remote consequence. 1 Camp. 58, Ham. N. P. 40, 1 Chit. Pl. 385, 6.

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