| Tort Law--Criminal Law Versus Civil Law |
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| Apart from legislation granting a right to sue for a specific harm, personal injury law generally consists of tort law and the civil procedure for enforcing it. Law is sometimes divided into civil law and criminal law. This article discusses the distinction between civil law and criminal law as it relates to tort law and personal injury.More... |
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| Structured Settlements |
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| When a plaintiff brings a personal injury action against a defendant for damages and the parties decide to settle the case, they may enter into a structured settlement to compensate the plaintiff for his injury. Structured settlements are monetary awards for damages that are paid in installments over a period of time. They are frequently used to settle tort cases involving severe injuries in which large damages are sought (e.g., products liability, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases) because of the defendant's inability to pay the amount in one lump sum.More... |
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| Punitive Damage Recovery |
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| If an injured party is harmed by a defendant, he may bring an action to recover damages as compensation. He may also seek to recover punitive damages, which are beyond the amount necessary to compensate the injured party for his actual loss.More... |
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| Professional Rescuers |
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| A rescuer who comes to the aid of a victim of a peril may be either an amateur or a professional, such as a firefighter or a police officer. With respect to amateur rescuers, the "rescue doctrine" may apply to allow the rescuer to recover against the creator of the victim's peril for injuries that he sustains during the rescue. However, professional rescuers are generally unable to rely on the rescue doctrine to recover for their injuries. Instead, the "fireman's rule" ordinarily prevents professionals from recovery without regard to the negligence of the creator of the peril.More... |
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| The Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act - Claim Procedure |
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| According to the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), an employee who may be covered by the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act should take the following actions if he is injured:More... |
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