damages

N. (plural, uncountable) Money that the losing side in a lawsuit must pay to the winning side to make up for losses or injuries. We say that the losing party in a civil action (the defendant) is liable.

There are several kinds of damages:

(1) compensatory - US (or compensatory - UK) - meaning money to pay for the actual cost of an injury or loss; and

(2) punitive (usually US) or exemplary (usually UK) - meaning an amount of money that's more than the actual (or compensatory) damages - punishment for willful or malicious acts.

Punitive damages, also commonly called in British English exemplary damages, are designed to punish, not to compensate. In general, punitive damages are awarded for socially deplorable conduct, such as fraud or malicious, reckless, or abusive action. They are given to the winning side in the civil lawsuit, not to the state.

I don't see how a judge could assess damages without hearing all the evidence.

As he often does, Bush suggested that limiting non-economic damages would sharply reduce health care costs for most Americans. Analysis by the Congressional Budget Office found that legislation capping damage awards to $250,000 would lower physician malpractice premiums by 25 percent to 30 percent.

N.b. (US) damage (NOT damages) award