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Dignity Takings, Dignity Restoration: A Tort Law Perspective, Valerie P. Hans

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Money damages can operate to restore the dignity of a person who has been injured in tort or deprived of property. A financial award or settlement conveys an acknowledgment of the wrong and signals the reestablishment of equity between defendant and plaintiff. Whether the award is seen as adequate to fully restore dignity is influenced by context, especially comparison cases. And financial compensation directly provided by the defendant holds greater promise for dignity restoration.