Latest News About Hedonic Damages

Updated 2026-04-27 07:01

I can’t reliably provide the latest (newest) news items about hedonic damages right now because I don’t have access to the live web/news sources needed to verify what’s been published most recently.

What I can do immediately is give you a grounded “where things stand” snapshot, and if you tell me your jurisdiction (e.g., US state) and whether you mean personal injury vs wrongful death, I can narrow it to the most relevant developments to watch.

What “hedonic damages” generally means

“Hedonic damages” are awards that compensate for the loss of enjoyment of life (a type of non-economic damages), and whether they’re available varies by state and by how the claim is legally framed.[2][5]

Where courts and legislatures often differ

Examples of notable legal-treatment themes (not “latest news”)

If you want, I can zero in fast

Reply with: 1) Your country/state (or “US federal” / “EU/UK/Italy” if that’s your focus)
2) Personal injury or wrongful death
3) What you mean by “latest” (e.g., past week, past month, 2026 only)

…and I’ll produce a tightly scoped digest of the most relevant recent updates you care about.

Sources

Decisions Developed or Changed in 2021 - UMSL

Having held that hedonic damages are not recoverable as a separate form of damages, the court nevertheless declines to limit the testimony of [Stan V.] Smith, Moore's proposed expert on such damages, until the substance of his testimony can be more fully explored at trial. In the past, the undersigned has rejected speculative figures that attempt to quantify an injured person's emotions when a jury of lay persons is equally equipped to make the determination. . . .

www.umsl.edu

Legal Decisions Involving Hedonic Damages - UMSL

This web page includes descriptions of reported legal decisions that are directly relevant to the admissibility of hedonic damages. The descriptions in this list are also provided in the more general list of legal cases of interest to forensic economists available by clicking on "useful decisions." The same organizational structure is used for this page that is used in the more general list.

www.umsl.edu

Hedonic Damages in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation

Measurements now show that, while life may be sacred, it is neither “priceless” nor “invaluable.” Life can be valued. Obtaining a reliable estimate as to the value of life is the main goal of economists to ensure consistent, accurate awards are regularly achieved in personal injury and wrongful death litigation.

www.smitheconomics.com