---
title: O.C.G.A. § 51-12-2. General and special damages distinguished; when recovered.
collection: code
id: 51-12-2
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 51-12-2 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-12-2
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-12-2.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-12-2/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=6b891965_0#page=843
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-12.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-12-1.1.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-12-3.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: TORTS / DAMAGES / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 51-12-2. General and special damages distinguished; when recovered.

(a) General damages are those which the law presumes to flow from any tortious act; they may be recovered without proof of any amount.

(b) Special damages are those which actually flow from a tortious act; they must be proved in order to be recovered.

## History

Orig. Code 1863, § 3002; Code 1868, § 3015; Code 1873, § 3070; Code 1882, § 3070; Civil Code 1895, § 3910; Civil Code 1910, § 4507; Code 1933, § 105-2006.

## Law Reviews

For note criticizing Georgia’s adherence to the special damages requirement for actions of malicious use of legal process absent plaintiff’s arrest or the attachment of property, see 13 Mercer L. Rev. 396 (1962).