Personal Injury Terms and Definitions

Disfigurement A technical term in workers' compensation cases for a serious and permanent scar to the head, neck, or face. Traumatic Brain Injury A blow or jolt to the head can result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can disrupt the function of the brain. Concussions, also called “closed head injuries,” are a type of TBI. Traumatic Brain Injury Serious injury to the head often resulting in severe and permanent damage to the brain. A bone may break or fracture when the force applied against it is greater than the strength of the bone itself. Loss of Consortium When a person is injured, that person's spouse may also have a valid claim for Loss of Consortium. Loss of consortium represent many things, including the spouse's loss of the injured person's assistance in caring for the family home and children, as well as the additional stress and strain placed upon the marital relationship by the physical injuries that were suffered. Occupational Disease An illness resulting from long-term employment in a particular type of work, such as mesothelioma (a type of cancer) from workers exposed to asbestos. Medical Malpractice Medical malpractice is the failure of medical professionals to provide adequate treatment resulting in a personal injury or substantial loss of income. Soft Tissue Injury Injury to the ligaments, tendons and fibers of the body that connect the skeletal bones. 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. Quadriplegia Complete paralysis of the body from the neck down, usually caused by damage to the spinal cord. 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.

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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.