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Personal Injury
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Vehicle Accidents
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Medical Malpractice
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Wrongful Death
Glossary of Glossary of Legal Terms |
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z # |
| Click on the first letter of the word from the list above to go to the appropriate section of the glossary. Contact us if you would like a personal injury law glossary or one of other legal glossaries for your website. |
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| Case Evaluation: The act of
assessing your claim. Factors to be considered by experienced legal
counsel are: the likelihood that your claim will prevail on the
liability or fault aspect of your case, the extent to which you or a
loved one has been injured, and the costs which will likely be incurred
in pursuing your claim. Claimant: The claimant in a serious injury case is the person(s) that has been injured as a result of the negligence of one or more other parties. If a formal lawsuit is filed, the claimant becomes the plaintiff in the lawsuit and the allegedly negligent party becomes the defendant. Comparative Negligence: The degree to which the plaintiff is at fault (if at all) when compared to the fault of the defendant. Complaint: A complaint will outline the circumstances of the incident that forms the basis of the lawsuit. It will also describe, in broad terms, the nature of the damages suffered by the plaintiff. The complaint will specify who the parties to the case are - the plaintiff(s) and defendant(s). Once the complaint is filed with the court, the attorney will have the complaint served upon the defendant(s) by a process server or certified mail. Contingent Fee Agreement: An agreement whereby an attorney is being hired on the basis that he or she will only receive a fee from you (the client) contingent upon you receiving compensation from the defendant(s). The contingent fee agreement may lay out such details as who is responsible for the costs of the case and how any money collected for the client is to be distributed. Some law firms will advance the case costs to the client and will be reimbursed for these costs out of the proceeds of the case. Case costs include such things as court fees, charges for acquiring copies of the client's relevant medical records, witness fees and expert witness fees, deposition fees, travel, etc. |
