In civil cases, damages are the remedy that a party requests the court award in order to try to make the injured party whole. Typically damage awards are in the form of monetary compensation to the harmed party. Damages are imposed if the...
accidents & injuries (tort law)
debtor and creditor
Debtor-creditor law governs situations where one party, known as the debtor, is unable to pay a monetary debt to another, known as the creditor. Debtor-creditor law typically plays out through bankruptcy proceedings.
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defamation
Defamation is a statement that injures a third party's reputation. The tort of defamation includes both libel (written statements) and slander (spoken statements). State common law and statutory law governs defamation actions, and each state...
defect
A defect is an imperfection or insufficiency, which may be present in a product, property, process, or legal document. In product liability law, there are three general types of defects—defects of design, manufacturing, or marketing. A design...
defective
The term defective is used in reference to something that is incapable of fulfilling its function, due to an error or flaw. Some common uses of the term “defective” in a legal sense include:
Cases such as this one from New Jersey,...defense of property
“Defense of property” refers to an affirmative defense to liability for an alleged crime that one used force in order to protect one's property. For example, When defendants are charged with criminal assault or battery, they may argue that...
dependents benefits
Dependents benefits are social security proceeds which may be received by those who rely on the primary recipient’s income. Dependents benefits often take the form of survivor benefits, although in some circumstances dependents may receive...
design defect
A design defect means that the product was manufactured correctly, but the defect is inherent in the design of the product itself, which makes the product dangerous to consumers. For example, mechanical defects, which are common in cars and...
detinue
Detinue is an action to recover the wrongful detention of goods or possessions.
[Last updated in August of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]
direct and proximate cause
Direct and Proximate Cause Definition:
See legal cause.