9.06 Special damages

If you're asking for special damages in a lawsuit, you need to spell them out clearly in your court papers. Special damages are specific, identifiable costs or losses tied to your case, like medical bills, lost wages, or repair costs, as opposed to general damages like pain and suffering.

This means you can't just make a vague claim for money and expect the court to guess what you mean. You have to list the specific amounts and types of losses you're claiming. This gives the other side fair notice of exactly what you're asking for, so they can respond to it properly and aren't caught off guard later in the case.