Nominal damages are small token awards given when the judge or jury finds the defendant has technically committed a tort, but the plaintiff did not suffer any harm as a result. Usually, nominal damages consist, as the name suggests, of a mere nominal amount of money such as $1 or $10.
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Nominal damages are awarded only in intentional tort and strict liability cases. They cannot be awarded in negligence cases because an element of every negligence claim is damage to the plaintiff. Personal injury attorneys seldom take on cases in which nominal damages are likely, unless the client pays by the hour. Plaintiffs in such cases are usually motivated to vindicate a perceived injustice rather than to seek compensation for injury.