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Punitive damages
Also called exemplary damages, which are designed to punish a defendant whose behavior in causing the plaintiff's injuries was especially egregious.
Soft Tissue Injury
Injury to the ligaments, tendons and fibers of the body that connect the skeletal bones.
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.
Quadriplegia
Complete paralysis of the body from the neck down, usually caused by damage to the spinal cord.
Joint Pain
Joint pain can be caused by injury affecting any of the ligaments, bursae, or tendons surrounding the joint. Injury can also affect the ligaments, cartilage, and bones within the joint.
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.
Compensatory damages
Which measure actual dollar-value losses for such things as medical expenses, lost income, loss of future earning capacity, etc.
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.
Bodily Injury
A cut, abrasion, bruise, burn, or disfigurement; physical pain, illness, impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty; or any other injury to the body, no matter how temporary.
Years of Potential Life Lost
Years of potential life lost (YPLL) is a measure of premature mortality. YPLL is presented for persons under 75 years of age because the average life expectancy in the United States is over 75 years.
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