Which damages are designed to make the injured party whole and include things such as lost wages and medical expenses?

The correct choice is compensatory damages, which are intended to make the injured party whole again after a loss. These damages directly compensate an individual for their actual financial losses resulting from an injury or harm. This includes quantifiable expenses such as lost wages due to time off work and medical expenses incurred due to treatment required as a result of the incident.

While punitive damages are designed to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar behavior in the future, they do not focus on compensating the injured party. Special damages, which often encompass quantifiable expenses in specific circumstances, fall under the broader category of compensatory damages. General damages typically address non-monetary aspects, such as pain and suffering or emotional distress, and do not cover the tangible financial losses that compensatory damages do.

Understanding these distinctions helps clarify why compensatory damages are pivotal in legal settings, as their primary function is to restore the victim's financial standing to what it was before the injury occurred.