Reliance
A measure of damages that returns the plaintiff to the position she occupied before the contract was made.
Reliance damages compensate for expenditures made in reliance on the promise. They are the natural measure under promissory estoppel and when lost profits cannot be proven with reasonable certainty. Expectation damages remain the default for an enforceable bargain, subject to the limits of foreseeability (Hadley v. Baxendale), certainty, and mitigation.
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