Indiana Injuries Dictionary

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

Defense lawyers and insurance companies often bring up this rule to dodge responsibility: they argue the worker who caused the harm was not really their employee at that...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-29

captain of the ship doctrine

You might see this phrase in a medical malpractice complaint, an insurer's denial letter, or a lawyer's explanation of who can be held responsible after something went wrong in...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-26

certificate of merit

You just got a letter that says your case needs a certificate of merit before it can move forward. Stripped down, that means a qualified expert has reviewed the facts and is...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

contributory negligence

A small share of blame can cost real money in an injury case. If your own actions helped cause the accident, your compensation may be reduced - or, in some states and...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-03

defensive driving course credit

Can taking a safe-driving class actually help after a ticket or crash? Often, yes. Defensive driving course credit is the benefit a driver gets for completing an approved...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

delayed diagnosis

What trips people up most is that a delayed diagnosis is not the same as a wrong diagnosis. The problem is timing: a condition is identified later than a reasonably careful...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-28

dram shop liability

People often mix this up with social host liability, but they are not the same. Dram shop liability is the legal responsibility of a business that sells or serves alcohol -...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-03

driver's license suspension

Missing a court notice or assuming a ticket is no big deal can leave someone legally unable to drive overnight, facing fines, towing, job trouble, and even arrest for getting...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-22

driving privilege card

It can affect fines, towing costs, insurance problems, and even how fault is argued after a crash. A driving privilege card is a state-issued document that lets someone legally...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-22

eggshell plaintiff rule

Think of a cracked windshield: a small impact that might barely mark one car can cause major damage in another that was already fragile. The eggshell plaintiff rule works in a...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-03

expert affidavit requirement

Think of it like needing a mechanic to sign off that a car problem is real before a warranty fight can seriously move forward. In legal cases, an expert affidavit requirement...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-25

hospital-acquired infection

Defense lawyers love this phrase because it can sound like bad luck instead of bad care. They use it to blur the real issue: whether an infection showed up during a hospital...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-29

informed consent

The worst-case version is waking up after a procedure and learning a serious risk, alternative treatment, or even the basic purpose of the procedure was never clearly...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-28

lack of informed consent

A patient faces a lack of informed consent when a medical provider performs or recommends treatment without giving enough information about the material risks, expected...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-01

loss of chance doctrine

Did the medical mistake take away a real chance of survival or recovery, even if a full recovery was never guaranteed? That is the basic idea behind the loss of chance...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-27

medical review panel

A medical review panel is not the same as a hospital peer review process. A peer review is an internal check by a hospital or medical group that looks at a provider's...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-30

medication error

A mistake with medicine can turn a manageable health problem into a much more expensive and serious one, adding hospital bills, lost income, and a fight over whether the harm...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-24

motor vehicle record

A motor vehicle record is the official history kept by a licensing agency showing a person's driving status, license details, traffic violations, suspensions, and often...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

pecuniary loss

Under Indiana Code 34-23-1-1, a family can lose a wrongful death case for major parts of their claim if they do not prove actual financial loss with real evidence. That is the...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-21

points system

People often confuse a points system with a fine or a license suspension, but they are not the same thing. A fine is the money you pay for a traffic offense. A suspension is...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

res ipsa loquitur

People often mix this up with negligence per se, but they are not the same. Negligence per se means someone violated a safety law or rule, and that violation can help prove...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-28

screening panel

People often confuse a screening panel with a medical review panel, but they are not always the same thing. A screening panel is generally a group of neutral reviewers brought...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-02

SMIDSY defense

What does the insurance company not want you to know about "SMIDSY"? They do not want you to know it is often less a real defense than a polished way of saying, "Sorry, I just...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-21

standard of care

Insurance companies and defense lawyers often use this phrase like a shield. They may argue that a doctor, nurse, hospital, or other professional did everything that a...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-25

strict liability

Do you have to prove someone was careless to hold them legally responsible? Not always. Strict liability is a rule that allows a person or business to be held responsible for...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-02

surgical error

What trips people up most is that a bad outcome after surgery is not automatically a surgical error. Some procedures carry real risks even when everyone does the job correctly....

DICTIONARY 2026-03-27