Treble Damages Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Treble Damages.

Treble Damages (noun)

Treble Damages refer to a legal ruling where the amount of money awarded for actual damages is multiplied by three. This usually happens when a law specifically allows it and is often used in cases of serious wrongdoing, like refusing to pay rent on purpose or writing a bad check. The goal of Treble Damages is to strongly penalize the person at fault and discourage similar misconduct by others.