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Glossary of Car
Accidents Law Terms
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D
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Click on
the first letter of the word from the list above to go to
the appropriate section of the glossary. Contact us if you would like
more information about personal injury law terms.
- D -
Damages: Compensation
recovered in the courts by a person who has suffered loss,
detriment or injury to his/her person, property or rights,
through the unlawful act or negligence of another.
De novo:
"Anew." A trial de novo is a completely new trial
held in a higher or appellate court as if the original trial
had never taken place.
Declamatory judgment:
A judgment that declares the rights of the parties on a
question of law.
Decree: Decision or
order of the court. A final decree completes the suit; an
interlocutory decree is a provisional or preliminary decree
which is not final.
Deductible: The amount
an insured person must pay before the insurance company pays
the remainder of each covered loss, up to the policy limits.
Default: A failure of
a party to respond in a timely manner to a pleading; a failure
to appear for trial.
Defendant: In a civil
case, such as an car accident lawsuit, the defendant is the
person against whom a civil action is brought.
Defense attorney: The
attorney who represents the defendant.
Deposition: Sworn
testimony taken and recorded in an authorized place outside of
the courtroom, according to the rules of the court.
Direct examination:
The questioning of a witness by the party who produced the
witness.
Discovery: A pretrial
proceeding where a party to an action may be informed about
(or "discover") the facts known by other parties or
witnesses.
Dismissal with prejudice:
Dismissal of a case by a judge which bars the losing party
from raising the issue again in another lawsuit.
Dismissal without
prejudice: The losing party is permitted to sue again with
the same cause of action.
Disposition:
Determination of a charge; termination of any legal action.
Dissent: The
disagreement of one or more judges of a court with the
decision of the majority.
Docket: Book
containing entries of all proceedings in a court.
Due process:
Constitutional guarantee that an accused person receive a fair
and impartial trial.
DISCLAIMER: The
information contained within this personal injury site is of a general nature
and is not meant to be a restatement of any rules of law. Your
use of this site does not create an attorney-client
relationship. You should hire an attorney to obtain legal
advice for your specific case.
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