Legal Terminology
Barrister – A member of the bar often referred to as Counsel. This is the person who will represent you in court to put forward your personal injury claim, accident compensation claim or other compensation claim.
Claimant – the person making the personal injury claim, accident compensation claim or other compensation claim.
Clinical Negligence – an action for damages arising from the alleged medical negligence of a member of the medical profession
Conditional Fee Agreement – the document setting out the terms of the contract between Solicitor and Client often referred to as a “No Win – No Fee” Agreement.
Contributory Negligence – partial responsibility of a claimant for the personal injury for which he/she may have made an accident compensation claim.
Counsel – a barrister.
Counterclaim – a claim made by a defendant against somebody trying to make a personal injury claim.
County Court – the Court of first instance in a personal injury claim, accident compensation claim or other compensation claim.
Court of Appeal – divided into Civil and Criminal Divisions that hear appeals from decisions in the High and County Courts.
Court of Protection – the branch of the High Court with jurisdiction over people mentally incapable of handling their own affairs.
Defendant – the person being sued in a personal injury claim, accident compensation or other compensation claim case.
Employers Liability – a personal injury claim arising from injuries sustained whilst completing employment responsibilities
Expert Witness – person employed to give evidence on a subject in which they are qualified or have expertise.
Fast Track – the path that personal injury, accident compensation claims or other compensation claims worth up to £15,000 in value are allocated to in the Court system.
General Damages – payment for the injuries suffered by the person making the personal injury claim.
Infant – also known as a “Minor”. A person under 18 years of age who must be represented by a Litigation Friend as they are unable to act on their own behalf in a personal injury, accident compensation claim or other compensation claim case.
Litigation Friend – see “Infant”. Usually a parent or close relative but can be a person allocated by the Court.
Legal Expense Insurance – pre-Existing legal expense insurance often purchased or supplied in conjunction with motor or household insurance.
Limitation – the period of time available to a Claimant to bring an action against a Defendant. In the majority of personal injury cases this will be 3 years. The time period will vary for accident compensation claims, medical negligence claims, clinical negligence claims and other compensation claims. Anyone considering a claim should check with their personal injury lawyer.
Motor Insurers Bureau – the bureau responsible for accident compensation claims against uninsured or untraced drivers.
Order – a direction by a Court in a personal injury claim, accident compensation claim or other compensation claim case.
Party – any of the participants in a Court action or proceeding in a personal injury claim, accident compensation claim or other compensation claim case.
Special Damages – fixed and quantifiable losses which are being sought in a personal injury claim case such as loss of earnings, vehicle damage and prescription/medical treatment costs.
Third Party – the term used to refer to the Defendant(s) prior to the commencement of court proceedings.
Third Party Insurers – the term used to refer to the Defendant(s) insurance company prior to the commencement of court proceedings in a personal injury claim, accident compensation claim or other compensation claim case.
Trial – the final hearing of a personal injury claim, accident compensation claim or other compensation claim case before the Court.
Medical Terms
Acupuncture – traditional Chinese Medicine believes that Chi, or energy, flows through a network of channels in the body known as meridians.
Acute pain – pain that comes on suddenly, that can be severe in nature, but does not last long-term. Our personal injury lawyers will be able to advise you if your experience fits this description, and whether this affects your accident compensation claim or other compensation claim.
Analgesic – a drug that relieves pain caused in some compensation claim cases which may be pursued through our expert personal injury lawyers.
Anticoagulants drugs – used to stop abnormal blood clotting, such as to prevent stroke.
Antiemetics drugs – used to treat nausea and vomiting.
Antihistamine – a drug that relieves an allergic reaction by stopping the effects of histamine, the substance responsible for the negative symptoms associated with the reaction.
Antihypertensive drug – used to relieve the symptoms and prevent the damage that can occur from high blood pressure.
Antipsychotic drug – used to treat severe mental disorders.
Arthritis – a disease of the joints characterised by inflammation, pain, stiffness, and redness.
Arthroscope – a fibre-optic instrument for the visual examination of the interior of a joint (e.g. the knee or shoulder)
Arthroscopy – examination of the interior of a joint with an arthroscope.
Asymptomatic – means ‘without symptoms’.
Audiogram – a graph showing a person’s hearing ability, determined from a set of tests examining hearing acuity of different sound frequencies
Biopsy – examination under a microscope of a very small piece of tissue that has been surgically removed from an area of the body.
Cartilage – a connective tissue (softer than bone) that is part of the skeletal system, including the joints.
CAT Scan – computerised axial tomography. A scan that takes a series of images of areas inside the body, taken from different angles. The images are created by a computer. The result of a CAT scan may affect your personal injury claim, accident compensation claim or other compensation claim and it may be used in court by our No Win No Fee Barristers to prove medical negligence or other forms of negligence.
Cervical spine – relating to the neck area.
Coccyx – four fused bones that form a triangular shape at the base of the spine (also known as the tailbone).
Comminuted fracture – a crushed or shattered bone.
Concussion – a disturbance of electrical activity in the brain due to a blow to the head or neck, causing temporary loss of consciousness. This is common in car accident compensation claim cases, bike accident claims and other accident compensation cases.
Consultant – a doctor who has completed specialist training and who leads a team of doctors in their speciality.
Contusion – damage to the skin and underlying tissue as a result of a blunt injury; a bruise. This may occur in car accident compensation claim cases, bus accident claims and other accident compensation cases.
Cruciate ligaments – two ligaments in the knee that cross each other and help stabilise the knee joint.
Dermatology – the medical speciality concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders and diseases affecting the skin.
Diagnosis – identification of a disease from someone’s symptoms, medical history and the results of any tests. You might have to be diagnosed by a doctor with whiplash before making a personal injury claim in an accidence compensation claim case.
Endoscope – an instrument for examining visually the interior of a bodily canal or a hollow organ such as the colon, bladder, or stomach.
ENT - Ear, Nose and Throat
Femur – a bone of the leg situated between the pelvis and knee. It is the largest and strongest bone in the body.
Flexion – the bending of a joint so that the bones are brought towards each other.
Gastroenterologist – a doctor of medicine who specialises in diseases of the digestive system (mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and rectum).
General anaesthetic – this type of anaesthetic involves being put to sleep. The patient has no awareness of the procedure under general anaesthetic. On occasion anaesthetics can be administrated poorly and may lead to a potential clinical negligence case for which our No Win No Fee lawyers may be able to advise you.
General Practitioner (GP) – a family doctor. GPs diagnose, prescribe treatment and work towards the prevention of illness by health promotion and screening. When appropriate, GPs will make a referral to a consultant. It is important to consult with your GP before talking to our No Win no Fee lawyers if you believe you may be suffering from an injury or ailment for which you might be due compensation.
Haematologist – a doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating blood disorders.
Haemarthrosis – bleeding into and swelling of a joint
Keloid scar – is produced when the body produces an excessive scarring response to the surgery that has been performed. These scars are larger than usual and may be unsightly.
Ligament – a sheet or band of tough, fibrous tissue connecting bones or cartilages at a joint or supporting an organ.
Local anaesthetic – this numbs the area and once the injection take effect, the area can be operated on without any pain being felt. On occasion anaesthetics can be administrated poorly and may lead to a potential clinical negligence case for which our No Win No Fee lawyers may be able to advise you.
Lumbar spine – relating to the loin area.
Maxillo -facial – refers to the face, facial bones and jaw.
MRI scan – Magnetic Resonance Imaging. A type of scan that uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to create images of the body’s organs that can then be viewed on a computer
Neurological – relating to the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and nerves).
Neurology – the branch of medicine that deals with the structure and function of the nervous system and the treatment of the diseases and disorders – such as brain injury – which affect it.
Osteoarthritis – arthritis of middle age characterised by degenerative and sometimes changes in the bone and cartilage of one or more joints.
Physiotherapist – a professional who can help with pain control and breathing and moving exercises. Pursuing a compensation claim through our expert No Win No Fee solicitors can help you secure the funds you may need to pay for such treatment if you have suffered a personal injury for which somebody else is at fault.
Prognosis – the likely outcome or course of a disease or how a disease, whether industrial or other, will respond to treatment.
Psychology – the study of behaviour and mental processes.
Radiology – the use of x-rays and other scans such as MRI, CT and ultrasound scans in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, whether industrial or other.
Referred pain – pain felt in a region of the body that is some distance away from the actual cause of the pain. This may be experienced after suffering a personal injury for which somebody else is liable and for which you may be able to pursue an accident compensation claim or other compensation claim through our No Win No Fee lawyers.
Rheumatoid Arthritis – a chronic disease marked by stiffness and inflammation of the joints, weakness, loss of mobility, and deformity.
Simple analgesic – pain killers such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen.
Ultrasound – a type of scan that uses high frequency sound waves to create an image of internal organs. An ultrasound may be used to diagnose personal injury for which you may be able to pursue an accident compensation claim or other compensation claim through our No Win No Fee solicitors.
Tendon– a tough cord of dense connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone.
Thoracic– refers to the chest.
Tibia– the inner and larger of the two bones of the lower human leg, extending from the knee to the ankle.
Tissue– name for the materials that make up the human body. The body is composed of many types and kinds of tissues.
X-ray – a high-energy radiation used in low doses to create images of the body and in high doses to treat cancer (radiotherapy). An X-ray may be used to diagnose personal injury for which you may be able to pursue an accident compensation claim or other compensation claim through our No Win No Fee so.