An unspecified claim is a tort claim "where the amount to be awarded is left to the Court to determine." [1] [2]
Examples of unspecified claims are unspecified damages for personal injuries, such as from a motor vehicle accident (MVA) or medical malpractice.
Unspecified claim was previously known in the common law, especially in Britain and Pakistan, as an unliquidated claim. [1] [3] [4]
In British tax law, an unspecified claim is also any unspecified tax liability. [5]
Under New York civil practice, "stating a specific sum in (a) personal injury complaint" is normally barred. [6] Technically, it is not strictly prohibited, but it prevents adding additional damages to jury instructions.[7] However, under a recent New York Court of Appeals case, stating a specific sum is mandatory in Court of claims practice, so an unspecified claim "can lead to the loss of the claimant's whole case.[8]