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Glossary of Car Accidents Law Terms
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Legal Glossaries Main Page
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Damages: Compensation recovered in the courts
by a person who has suffered loss, detriment or injury
to his/her person, property or rights, through the
unlawful act or negligence of another.
De novo: "Anew." A trial de novo is
a completely new trial held in a higher or appellate
court as if the original trial had never taken place.
Declamatory judgment: A judgment that declares
the rights of the parties on a question of law.
Decree: Decision or order of the court. A
final decree completes the suit; an interlocutory decree
is a provisional or preliminary decree which is not
final.
Deductible: The amount an insured person must
pay before the insurance company pays the remainder of
each covered loss, up to the policy limits.
Default: A failure of a party to respond in a
timely manner to a pleading; a failure to appear for
trial.
Defendant: In a civil case, such as an car
accident lawsuit, the defendant is the person against
whom a civil action is brought.
Defense attorney: The attorney who represents
the defendant.
Deposition: Sworn testimony taken and recorded
in an authorized place outside of the courtroom,
according to the rules of the court.
Direct examination: The questioning of a
witness by the party who produced the witness.
Discovery: A pretrial proceeding where a party
to an action may be informed about (or
"discover") the facts known by other parties
or witnesses.
Dismissal with prejudice: Dismissal of a case
by a judge which bars the losing party from raising the
issue again in another lawsuit.
Dismissal without prejudice: The losing party
is permitted to sue again with the same cause of action.
Disposition: Determination of a charge;
termination of any legal action.
Dissent: The disagreement of one or more
judges of a court with the decision of the majority.
Docket: Book containing entries of all
proceedings in a court.
Due process: Constitutional guarantee that an
accused person receive a fair and impartial trial. |
