Personal Injury Terms and Definitions

Cervical Pain Neck pain can come from disorders and diseases of any structure in the neck. There are seven vertebrae that are the bony building blocks of the spine in the neck (the cervical vertebrae) that surround the spinal cord and canal. Auto Car Accident A simple fender bender car accidents an individual involved can suffer back and neck injuries that have a lasting adverse effect. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Carbon monoxide is often referred to as CO, which is its chemical symbol. This blocks oxygen from getting into your body, which can damage tissues in your body and can kill you. Mental Anguish Mental suffering. It is different from a physical injury, but may be considered in awarding damages. In some cases damages for mental anguish can be awarded even if no physical injury occured. Disfigurement A technical term in workers' compensation cases for a serious and permanent scar to the head, neck, or face. Alternative Dispute Resolution An arbitration is a legal hearing, less formal than a trial, in which each side in a lawsuit or dispute offers evidence and testimony to a neutral hearing officer (the arbitrator). The arbitrator is typically an experienced attorney or a retired judge. Burden of proof A party's job of convincing the decisionmaker in a trial that the party's version of the facts is true. In a civil trial, it means that the plaintiff must convince the judge or jury "by a preponderance of the evidence" that the plaintiff's version is true -- that is, over 50% of the believable evidence is in the plaintiff's favor. Gross Negligence Negligence for the safety or lives of others which is so great it appears to be intentional. Defective product injury When a product malfunctions due to a defect and causes serious personal injury, the law requires the manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer of the product to bear the losses caused by the defect in the product. Occupational Disease An illness resulting from long-term employment in a particular type of work, such as mesothelioma (a type of cancer) from workers exposed to asbestos.

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	Did You Know?
	Nursing home abuse can occur in many different ways. Many people associate nursing home abuse to just physical, however nursing home abuse can also be emotional, psychological, sexual, verbal, and neglect. Watching for signs of nursing home abuse can help prevent further damage from occurring because in many instances residents are afraid to disclose that nursing home abuse is happening.