Legal Definitions - Treble damages

Treble damages

When a court awards three times the amount of actual damages to a plaintiff, as required by certain statutes.

In a case where a company is found to have violated antitrust laws, the court may award treble damages to the plaintiff, which would be three times the amount of actual damages suffered by the plaintiff as a result of the violation.

Another example is in a case where a landlord is found to have violated a tenant's rights, the court may award treble damages to the tenant, which would be three times the amount of actual damages suffered by the tenant as a result of the violation.

Treble damages are a way for the court to punish the defendant for their wrongdoing and to deter others from engaging in similar behavior. The examples illustrate how treble damages can be awarded in different types of cases, but the common thread is that the plaintiff must have suffered actual damages as a result of the defendant's actions. The court then multiplies that amount by three to arrive at the treble damages award.