Personal Injury Terms and Definitions

Spinal Cord Injury Injury of the nerves contained within the spinal canal often associated with trauma to the spinal column (spine),Complete: Nerve damage obstructing all signals between the brain and body.Incomplete: Nerve damage obstructing some of the signals between the brain and body. Amicus curiae (Latin: "friend of the court.") Person or organization that files a legal brief with the court expressing its views on a case involving other parties because it has a strong interest in the subject matter of the action. Medical Malpractice Medical malpractice is the failure of medical professionals to provide adequate treatment resulting in a personal injury or substantial loss of income. 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. Trauma Any injury, whether physically or emotionally inflicted. "Trauma" has both a medical and a psychiatric definition. Medically, "trauma" refers to a serious or critical bodily injury, wound, or shock. Wrongful Death Wrongful Death is defined as the death of an individual as a direct result of the negligence of another individual, company, or entity. Falls and Hip Fractures Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths (Murphy 2000) and the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma 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. Vicarious Liability When a person who did not actually cause an injury is held for the injury. Sometimes called imputed liability. Nursing home abuse There are many ways physical elder abuse can present itself, such as: Bed Sores, Malnutrition,Dehydration Bruises, Broken Bones, Poor Hygiene.

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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.