Legal Terms Glossary

This glossary explains common lawsuit and legal terms in plain English. It is meant to help readers better understand the language that often appears in legal guides, case explanations, and lawsuit-related articles.

For educational purposes only. This glossary provides general legal information and does not create an attorney-client relationship or serve as legal advice.

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Claim

A claim is a statement that a person has suffered harm and may have a legal right to seek compensation or another remedy. In many lawsuit contexts, a claim is the basis for asking whether a case may exist.

Class Action

A class action is a type of case in which one or more people try to represent a larger group with similar legal issues. Not every group lawsuit is a class action, and many injury-related matters are handled instead as individual claims or mass tort cases.

Complaint

A complaint is the document that usually starts a lawsuit in court. It generally explains who is suing, who is being sued, what happened, and what relief or damages are being sought.

Contingency Fee

A contingency fee is a payment arrangement in which a lawyer is paid a percentage of a recovery if money is obtained for the client. If there is no recovery, the lawyer may not receive a fee, although costs and expenses can be handled differently depending on the agreement.

Damages

Damages are money awarded or sought in a lawsuit for harm that a person claims to have suffered. Depending on the case, damages can relate to medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, or other losses.

Defendant

A defendant is the person, company, or other party that is being sued. In some cases, there can be more than one defendant.

Discovery

Discovery is the part of a lawsuit in which the sides exchange information, documents, and other evidence. This stage can include written questions, document requests, and sworn testimony.

Evidence

Evidence is the information used to support or challenge a legal claim. It can include records, documents, testimony, photographs, medical information, and other materials that help show what happened.

Filing

Filing usually means formally submitting a legal document to a court or other legal body. The timing of a filing can matter because deadlines often affect whether a claim can move forward.

Liability

Liability generally means legal responsibility for harm or loss. In a lawsuit, the question of liability often focuses on whether a person or company can be held legally responsible under the facts and law.

Mass Tort

A mass tort generally involves many people who claim they were harmed in similar ways by the same product, exposure, or conduct. Unlike a class action, individual claims in a mass tort are often still evaluated based on each person’s own facts and injuries.

MDL

MDL stands for multidistrict litigation. It is a process that can group similar federal cases before one court for coordinated pretrial proceedings, while still preserving the individual nature of many claims.

Negligence

Negligence usually means a person or company failed to use reasonable care, and that failure caused harm. Whether negligence applies depends on the facts, the legal standard involved, and the evidence available.

Plaintiff

A plaintiff is the person or party who brings a lawsuit. In some situations, there may be multiple plaintiffs in the same case.

Product Liability

Product liability refers to legal claims involving a product that is alleged to have caused injury or harm. These claims can involve issues such as design, manufacturing problems, or failure to warn about risks.

Settlement

A settlement is an agreement that resolves a legal dispute without a trial or before a final court decision. Settlements can happen at different stages of a case and may include payment or other terms.

Settlement Agreement

A settlement agreement is the document or formal agreement that sets out the terms of a settlement. It may explain the payment amount, release of claims, confidentiality terms, or other conditions of resolution.

Statute of Limitations

The statute of limitations is the legal deadline for filing a lawsuit. The deadline can vary depending on the state, the kind of claim, and when the injury or problem was discovered.

Toxic Exposure

Toxic exposure generally means contact with a substance that may be harmful to health, such as asbestos, chemicals, contaminated water, or other hazardous materials. Whether a legal claim exists often depends on the exposure history, diagnosis, timing, and available evidence.

Wrongful Death

Wrongful death is a legal claim that may arise when a person dies and the death is alleged to have been caused by another party’s wrongful act or failure to use reasonable care. The rules for who can bring the claim and what damages may be available can vary by state.

New to lawsuit basics?

Start with the Start Here guide for a broader introduction to how lawsuits, legal claims, and case evaluations may work.