Street Law Torts Vocab Quiz

Common Law

A court system in which court decisions establish legal principles and rules of law

Contingency fee

The fee paid to an attorney based on a percentage of the sum the client is awarded or settles for in a lawsuit

Class action

a lawsuit brought by one or more persons on behalf of a larger group

percedent

appellate court decision on a legal decision that guides future cases representing similar questions

Waive

to give up some right, privilege, or benefit voluntarily

Immune

exempt from penalties, payments, or legal requirements; free from prosecution

Civil Law

All law that is not criminal, including the law of torts (personal wrongs) and contract, property, maritime, and commercial law.

Strict Liability

The legal responsibility for damage or injury even if you are not negligent

Negligence

the failure to excuse a reasonable amount of care in either doing or not doing something, resulting in harm or injury to another person

Liability

the obligations to do or not do something the defendant in a tort case incurs liability for failing to use reasonable care, resulting in the harm to the plaintiff

Damages

money asked for or paid by court order to a plaintiff for injuries or losses suffered

Judgement

a court's decision in a civil case

Deep pockets

a description of the person or organization, among many possible defendants, best able to pay damages and therefore most likely to be sued in a tort case

Intentional wrong

also called an intentional tort; an action taken deliberately to harm another person and/or his or her property

Statues

written laws enacted by legislatures

Settlement

a mutual agreement between two sides in a civil lawsuit, made either before the case goes to trial or before a final judgment is entered, that settles or ends the dispute

Remedy

what is done to compensate for an injury or to enforce some right

Tort

a bleach of some obligation, causing harm or injury to someone a civil wrong, such as negligence or libel