This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
If you're asking a court to award you specific dollar amounts for certain losses, you need to spell out exactly what those losses are in your court papers. You can't just say the other side owes you money and leave it vague. You have to list the actual costs or losses you're claiming.
This matters because special damages are losses that don't automatically follow from the type of case you're bringing. They're the kind of costs that could be different for every person, like lost wages, medical bills, or money you had to spend because of what the other side did. Since these amounts are specific to your situation, the court wants you to state them clearly so the other side knows exactly what you're claiming and can prepare a response.
In practice, this means if you're claiming special damages, don't be general about it. Write down the specific amounts and what they're for. If you leave this out or stay too vague, you risk not being able to collect on those damages later, even if you win your case.
