An inmate seeks $2 million in damages for being forced to sleep on the floor without a mattress for two days when the facility was drastically overcrowded. The court rules in favor of the inmate, and issues a "cease and desist" order to the agency to prevent it from allowing this practice in the future. However, the court holds the agency liable for only $20, ($10 for each day that the inmate had to sleep on the floor) This describes:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Nominal damages are awarded when a legal wrong has occurred, but the plaintiff did not suffer a quantifiable financial loss, or if the loss was minimal. In this case, the court recognized the inmate's rights were violated but assessed the actual harm as minimal, thus awarding a symbolic sum.

An Inmate Seeks $2 Million in Damages for Being Forced