In our last article, we discussed some of the most important legal terms for anyone to know. Most of those terms were comprehensive legal terms that are used in every practice area of law. In this article, we will be getting into personal injury terms that are also important to know. Legal jargon can be hard to keep up with at times, which is why we have compiled a list of words and phrases that will help you understand better. Continue reading to learn about some specific personal injury terms that will likely be helpful for you to know.

Important Personal Injury Terms To Know

Arbitration

The term refers to the process of resolving a case outside of court. The arbitration process usually includes parties negotiating using an impartial arbitrator. Arbitration is used in many different kinds of cases but is an extremely common option in personal injury cases. Arbitration is similar to mediation, settling, and negotiation.

Assumption of Risk

Assumption of risk is when a person voluntarily puts themselves in a situation where they could be in danger of injury. When someone signs a waiver before doing an activity, they are assuming risk and are responsible for any injuries that are sustained while doing the activity.

Damages

Damages include compensation that is paid to cover an injury, medical expenses, property expenses, or an injured person’s lost wages that were caused by another person’s negligence. Damages are usually paid in cash settlements. There are two types of damages: compensatory and punitive damages.

Expert Witness

An expert witness is a type of witness that has expertise in a field that is relevant to the case. An expert witness’s testimony is used in a trial to support a certain party’s case.

Loss of Consortium

Loss of consortium is a personal injury term that refers to the damages that are paid to a person whose spouse was lost in a car accident or other type of accident. The damages are indended to make restitution for the individual’s loss of companionship.

Medical Malpractice

This term refers to negligent actions performed by a medical professional (including a doctor, surgeon, nurse, etc.)  that did not meet the established standard of care, that led to a patient’s injury or death.

Testimony

A testimony is spoken or written evidence that is given by a witness under oath during a trial or deposition. This is a personal injury term, but is also used in many other fields of law.

Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ compensation is provided by a person’s employer after the person has been injured on the job. Workers’ compensation can be awarded for injuries or for illness that happen due to a person’s work conditions.

Do You Need Personal Injury Services?

If you are in need of expert legal services, we at Lebaron & Jensen offer premium options that can be of great help to you. One of the most important duties of a professional attorney is to ensure that their client understands the jargon that is being used during a case. Along with these online lists of terms, we at Lebaron & Jensen will be at your side throughout your personal injury case to help you communicate using legal language. We have extensive experience helping people with a variety of different types of situations solve their legal problems. Reach out to us today for legal advice, representation, a case review, or more information. 

Personal Injury Terms You May Not Know

The legal arena has one of the most complicated languages in the professional world. The jargon that you hear when you are moving through the legal process can be extremely difficult to understand if you haven’t lived constantly surrounded by it or have had some prior assembling of legal knowledge. That is why we at Lebaron & Jensen have compiled a list of important personal injury terms for people, including our clients, to learn.

Civil Rights

The rights that every U.S. citizen possesses are referred to as civil rights. The United States Constitution grants these rights and allows private individuals and businesses to sue other people, businesses, and even government agencies to obtain compensation if it is proven that they have been harmed by the other entity.

Defendant

The defendant is the person against who the lawsuit is filed.

Evidence

Another personal injury term is evidence. Evidence is the body of information that is used to prove whether or not a case is true.

Lawsuit

There are many words used to describe the same thing, which is a lawsuit. Other names that a lawsuit can go by include case, suit, action, or proceeding. To sue somebody is to take out a lawsuit against them. A lawsuit is simply a court action that is taken out by one person against another with the goal of obtaining recompense for an injury or punishing wrongdoing.

Liability

The obligation of a person to complete an action. Usually, liability refers to paying damages to another person (or their family) after being convicted of negligent behavior.

Litigation

The name for the process of starting and completing a lawsuit.

Negligence

Negligence is a personal injury term that is used frequently in all sorts of different types of cases. Negligence is basically the legal term for carelessness. Negligence is the failure to act as a reasonable person would in a situation. Specifically, negligence is defined as an action that does not meet the legal standard of care for protecting other people from harm.

Personal Injury

A personal injury is any sort of injury that affects a person’s mind, body, emotions, or reputation. The term “personal injury” can also be used to describe the field of law which covers the injuries caused to a person due to another person’s negligence. Most personal injury cases are handled within the civil court.

Plaintiff

The plaintiff is the person who pursues a lawsuit against another person. The person that files a lawsuit.

Power Of Attorney

A power of attorney is a legal document that allows a person to transfer their personal right to manage their property, medical care, and finances to another person. A power of attorney is commonly used by individuals who can no longer care for themselves.

Wrongful Death

A wrongful death claim is typically filed by a person’s family or beneficiaries after the individual has passed away due to another person’s negligence.

Reach Out For Professional Legal Services

If you are in need of professional legal advice or representation for a personal injury case, we at Lebaron & Jensen would be more than happy to be of service. One of the most important services that an attorney can provide is to help their clients understand the jargon and the flow of legal proceedings. 

Even with the list of personal injury terms explained above, it can be difficult to understand in context. We at Lebaron & Jensen will be with you every step of the way as you navigate the legal process. We can answer any questions you may have and help you understand the steps that we will take to reach the optimal outcome for your case. Reach out to us today for more information.

December is here, meaning that winter is in full force. Here in Utah, winter means freezing cold temperatures and lots of snow and ice. This can be dangerous for drivers and other people out on the road. Car accidents happen frequently in the winter, due to treacherous weather conditions. It is important to understand why car accidents happen often in the winter, how you can avoid them, and what to do if you do end up in a car accident.

Do More Car Accidents Happen In The Winter?

The question of whether more car accidents happen in the winter is a bit of a complicated question to answer. The summer has the greatest number of accidents occur, but the holidays in the winter are also extremely car accident-prone. 25% of all weather-related car accidents happen in snowy, icy, and slushy weather conditions. In fact, over 1000 people die every year in car accidents caused by snowy weather. So while the majority of car accidents happen in the summertime, it is extremely important to be careful in the wintertime and especially in snowy, icy weather.

Holidays

The other important piece of information to understand about the wintertime is that there are several major holidays one after another. These holidays are a time for either celebrating or reminiscing and oftentimes these two types of feelings lead to drinking. That unfortunately means that the number of drunk drivers on the roads during these winter holidays is increased. That can lead to more car accidents than on average.

How To Drive Safely During The Winter

There are several things that you can do to protect yourself and your family when you are driving in the winter. Firstly, make sure to always have as clear a view as possible. Scrape your windows thoroughly before driving and make sure that your lights and window wipers work properly. Secondly, it is important for your car to have good traction. You can achieve this by getting snow tires or at least getting your tires rotated/changed out before winter’s first snowfall. 

The third tip for driving in the winter is to make sure to be extra alert. It is important to be vigilant during snowstorms, but it is just as important to be on the lookout for patches of black ice on a clear day. It is also important to be aware when you are driving on a holiday; as previously mentioned, holidays tend to have more drunk drivers and more accidents than on average.

What To Do If You Are Involved In A Car Accident

Sometimes a car accident simply cannot be avoided. In these situations, it can be hard to know what to do. The first thing to do is get to a safe area and exchange information with the other driver while calling the police. Then get medical attention as soon as possible. If you have recently been involved in a winter car accident and were injured, you may want to contact a knowledgeable personal injury attorney. 

We at Lebaron & Jensen provide all-inclusive legal services including representing our clients in court, advising our clients about what to do in their situation, and working to reach the most favorable outcome to a client’s case. For more information or to get in contact with our firm, feel free to reach out to us at Lebaron and Jensen today.