Legal Definitions - lay damages

LAY DAMAGES

Lay damages is a legal term that means to claim or allege damages, especially in a complaint. It is often used in reference to the ad damnum clause, which specifies the amount of money being sought in a lawsuit.

Example 1: In a personal injury case, the plaintiff may lay damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Example 2: The plaintiff's lawyer laid damages of $500,000 in the complaint, but the final settlement was only $250,000.

The examples illustrate how lay damages is used in legal proceedings to specify the amount of damages being sought by the plaintiff. In example 1, the plaintiff is seeking compensation for various losses resulting from the injury. In example 2, the initial amount laid in the complaint was not the final settlement amount, which is common in legal cases.