---
title: O.C.G.A. § 51-12-4. Damages given as compensation for injury; measure of damages generally; nominal damages.
collection: code
id: 51-12-4
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 51-12-4 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-12-4
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-12-4.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-12-4/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=851
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.
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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. § 51-12-4. Damages given as compensation for injury; measure of damages generally; nominal damages.

Damages are given as compensation for injury; generally, such compensation is the measure of damages where an injury is of a character capable of being estimated in money. If an injury is small or the mitigating circumstances are strong, nominal damages only are given.

## History

Orig. Code 1863, § 2997; Code 1868, § 3010; Code 1873, § 3065; Code 1882, § 3065; Civil Code 1895, § 3905; Civil Code 1910, § 4502; Code 1933, § 105-2001.

## Law Reviews

For article, ‘‘The Torok Tort: Recovery for Abusive Litigation,’’ see 23 Ga. St. B. J. 84 (1987). For article, ‘‘Pre-Impact Pain and Suffering,’’ see 26 Ga. St. B. J. 60 (1989). For article, ‘‘The Discount Rate in Georgia Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Damage Calculations,’’ see 13 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 431 (1997). For annual survey of product liability law, see 58 Mercer L. Rev. 313 (2006). For article, ‘‘The Experiential Future of the Law,’’ see 60 Emory L.J. 585 (2011).

For comment on Burnett v. Western & A.R.R., 79 Ga. App. 530, 54 S.E.2d 357 (1949), see 12 Ga. B. J. 211 (1949). For comment on Padgett v. Williams, 82 Ga. App. 509, 61 S.E.2d 676 (1950), see 13 Ga. B. J. 339 (1951).