Legal Terms FAQs

• What is negligence?
  In its most simple definition, it means that someone was careless and as a result of being careless, someone else was injured. Negligence serves as the basis for a … more
• What does “duty” mean in a negligence lawsuit?
  When talking about negligence, duty is the legal obligation that the law imposes on us to protect and respect the safety of others around us. That means doing … more
• I have heard the term “reasonable person.” What does that mean?
  A person has acted negligently if he or she has departed from the conduct expected of a reasonably prudent person acting under the same or similar circumstances. The … more
• What is Contributory Negligence?
  The term “contributory negligence” is used to describe the actions of an injured person that may have also caused or contributed to his injury. For … more
• What is Comparative Negligence?
  Comparative negligence works on a percentage basis to assign a degree of fault for the injuries suffered. For example, in a case where a person slips and falls on a … more
• What is the “assumption of risk” defense?
  If you have knowingly and voluntarily assumed the risk inherent in a particular action that caused an accident, you cannot sue the other person for negligence if you … more
• I was told by my attorney that I may be “liable” for the accident, what does that mean?
  The term liable generally means that an individual, company or some other entity may be obligated to pay money for someone’s injury because they caused it. The … more
• What is strict or absolute liability?
  Some persons or companies may be held “strictly liable” for certain activities that harm others, even if they have not acted negligently or with wrongful … more
• I heard that I may be “deposed.” What does that mean?
  If you file a personal injury lawsuit, the attorney for the defendant will likely “depose” you or take your deposition.  A deposition is the process … more
• My attorney mentioned the term “premise liability” – what did she mean?
  The term "premises liability" generally refers to accidents that occur due to the negligent maintenance or unsafe or dangerous conditions upon property owned … more

Personal Injury Sub-categories