| A | B |
|---|
| plaintiff | harmed individual in a civil suit |
| judgment | a court's decision in a civil suit |
| defendant | accused wrongdoer in a civil suit |
| damages | money asked for or paid by court order to a plaintiff for injuries or losses suffered |
| liable | describing when a person is responsible for harm through their activities |
| liability | legal responsibility for harm |
| settlement | agreement two parties reach to compensate injured party |
| common law | law made by judges through court decisions, generally in state appellate courts, becoming precedents |
| statutes | written laws |
| intentional wrong | an action done with the intent of injuring a person, his or her property, or both |
| negligence | occurs when a person's failure to use reasonable care cause harm |
| strict liability | applies when the defendant is engaged in an activity so dangerous that there is a serious risk of harm even if he or she acts with utmost care |
| civil law | another name for tort law, dealing with disputes between individuals or groups of individuals |
| standard of proof | amount of evidence the prosecutor must present in order to win the case |
| preponderance of the evidence | requires that to win, more than 50% of the weight of the evidence must be in the plaintiff's favor |
| deep pockets | when a plaintiff typically tries to sue a defendant who has enough money to pay for the damages |
| minor | person whose parents will be sued instead when he or she is believed to have acted unreasonably for a person of that age and experience |
| immune | protection for certain defendants from some kinds of tort suits |
| waive | to give up certain rights such as immunity |
| class action | when injured parties bring their lawsuit together |
| contingency fee | when the lawyer does not charge the client an hourly fee, but will receive a portion of the recovery if the plaintiff wins |
| liability insurance | agreement that the insurance will pay for damages caused by the insured persons for the length of the contract |
| premiums | payments an insured person agrees to make to the insurance company to maintain liability insurance |
| malpractice | lawsuits brought by clients or patients who claim that a professional person provided services in a negligent manner |
| medical coverage | pay for person's medical expenses resulting from accidents involving that person's car or the car they are driving and any passengers |
| collision coverage | pays for damage to person's own car, even if the accident was person's fault |
| comprehensive coverage | protects person against damage or loss to their car from cause other than collisions |
| uninsured motorist coverage | protects person from other drivers who do not have insurance or do not have enough insurance |
| no-fault insurance | in only a few states, it's where an insurance company will pay up to a certain amount for injuries, regardless s of who is at fault |
| exclusive remedy | where workers' compensation is the only compensation for on-the-job injuries |
