Are you thinking about filing a personal injury, auto accident, or wrongful death lawsuit in Northern California?
If so, your first step should be to research the best legal services in your area. You might be a little overwhelmed by what you read — legal terms and phrases can make your lawsuit sound so complicated!
You don’t need to be a lawyer to understand what’s happening with your case. It’s actually a lot simpler than you might think. To clear things up, here are a few common legal terms that you might hear:
Types of Lawsuits
If you’re trying to figure out what kind of legal case your situation falls under, consider these definitions:
Personal injury: A personal injury case involves a serious injury caused by any accident that wasn’t your fault, including accidents on someone else’s property, or caused by another person’s irresponsible actions.
Injury to children: An injury to children lawsuit in the state of California involves a minor (under the age of 18), who is represented by a legal guardian.
Product liability: Product liability occurs when a faulty, broken, or mislabeled product leads to an injury. In this case, the manufacturer or seller may be held responsible.
During your Case
Before you consult with your Northern California accident attorney, you should have a basic understanding of these terms:
Claim: A claim, as opposed to a charge, is not an accusation of a crime, but a statement of how much relief (compensation) you deserve for a wrongdoing.
Negligence: In a lot of personal injury cases, negligence has to be proved. That means that the individual or company responsible blatantly disregarded a law or guideline, leading to your injury.
Parties: Not the fun kind! In a legal case, a party refers to the plaintiff or defendant — in other words, you (or the minor you are representing), and the negligent person or company who caused your injury.
Want to learn more about common legal terms and what they mean for your case? Contact a Lincoln injury lawyer for a free consultation to get started.