Punitive damages, also known as exemplary damages, are compensation to an injury party that is above and beyond the damages necessary to make him whole following the injury, or to provide restitution to him for his losses and/or injuries. Typically, a plaintiff receives an award of punitive damages where a defendant's action or inaction is so grievous, malicious, and/or fraudulent that mere compensatory damages are insufficient to cure the plaintiff's losses and/or injuries. As opposed to compensatory damages, which are based on a restitution theory, punitive damages are designed simply to punish defendants for bad or unacceptable behavior that results in injuries to others. Where state law allows, then, a plaintiff may be entitled to punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages.