Personal Injury Terms and Definitions

Acute condition Type of illness or injury that ordinarily lasts less than 3 months, was first noticed less than 3 months before the reference data of the interview, and was serious enough to have had an impact on behavior. 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. Eggshell skull A hypothetical medical condition used to illustrate the idea that if you are at fault when you injure someone, you are responsible for all the consequences, whether you could have foreseen them or not. Liable Legally responsible. For example, a person may be liable for a debt, liable for an accident due to careless behavior, liable for failing do something required by a contract or liable for the commission of a crime. Cerebral edema Accumulation of excessive fluid in the substance of the brain. The brain is especially susceptible to injury from edema, because it is located within a confined space and cannot expand. 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. Compensatory damages Which measure actual dollar-value losses for such things as medical expenses, lost income, loss of future earning capacity, etc. Traumatic Brain Injury A blow or jolt to the head can result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can disrupt the function of the brain. Concussions, also called “closed head injuries,” are a type of TBI. Soft Tissue Injury Injury to the ligaments, tendons and fibers of the body that connect the skeletal bones. Low back pain Common causes of low back pain include lumbar strain, nerve irritation, lumbar radiculopathy, bony encroachment, and conditions of the bone and joints.

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	Did You Know?
	Falls at a construction site may not be your fault The most common accident at construction sites is falls, either on the same level or from height. More fatalities occur from falls than any other construction activity.