Economic damages: the documented, countable losses
Economic damages are the straightforward, receipt-backed part of a claim. In a New Hampshire personal injury case, this generally includes medical expenses already incurred, lost wages from time away from work, property damage, and reasonably anticipated future medical care or lost earning capacity tied directly to the injury.
Non-economic damages: the subjective losses
Non-economic damages cover the losses that don't come with a receipt: pain, suffering, and similar nonpecuniary harm. These are inherently harder to quantify, which is exactly why the multiplier method exists — to translate a documented economic figure into a reasoned estimate of the non-economic side.
Why this split matters less in New Hampshire than almost anywhere else
In a state with a noneconomic damages cap, this split is often the single most consequential fact about a claim — it determines which dollars are limited and which aren't. New Hampshire has no such cap for any type of personal injury claim; its Supreme Court has struck down three separate attempts at one since 1980. Both economic and noneconomic damages pass through in full, whatever their size, which genuinely changes what this split means for a New Hampshire claim compared to most other states.
It still matters — just for a different reason
The split hasn't disappeared as a practical matter. Economic damages are proven with bills, pay stubs, and expert projections of future costs; noneconomic damages are argued through a valuation method like the multiplier approach. The distinction still shapes how a claim is built and presented — it just doesn't determine a ceiling the way it would in a capped state.
Fault treats both categories the same way
New Hampshire's 51% bar doesn't distinguish between economic and non-economic damages. Both categories are reduced by the same fault percentage, and neither is ever barred entirely unless the claimant's own fault crosses the 51% threshold.