|
Acceleration-deceleration injury: Injury syndrome associated with hyperextension-hyperflexion of the neck; most often caused by a rear-end collision.
Activities of daily living (ADL): The normal daily activities and functions a person must perform or fulfill to maintain cleanliness, self-grooming, home maintenance, eating, working and recreation.
Acute: A recent onset of an injury.
Adjustment: A chiropractic term which describes the application of force to a joint or motion segment to improve intersegmental motion, decrease localized muscle tension, and restore normal motion and position.
Affidavit: A written statement made under oath.
Ambulate: Walk.
Annular Bulge: A bulging out of the annulus fibrosis, the tough fibrosis outer ring that provides support to the disc, which is diffuse and, usually due to degenerative changes or trauma, leading to degenerative changes. This condition may include partial tears in the annulus fibrosis.
Answer: A formal pleading which states the defendant’s response to plaintiff’s complaint. The defendant, in the State of Ohio, has 28 days to answer, admit, or deny the allegations in plaintiff’s complaint.
Arbitration: A trial alternative where parties agree to appoint a panel to make a binding or non-binding award based on the evidence presented.
Atrophy: A decrease in size or wasting; usually in reference to muscle tissue.
Bad Faith: Actions by an insurer to mislead an insured; refusal to fulfill a contractual duty.
Brief: A written legal document that is presented to a court arguing why the party to the case or position should prevail.
*Bursitis: Inflammation of one or more bursae (small sacs) of synovial fluid in the body. The bursae rest at the points where internal functionaries, such as muscles and tendons, slide across bone.
*Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A medical condition in which the medial nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to paresthesias, numbness and muscle weakness in the hand.
Cervical: Pertaining to the neck.
Chronic: Persistant or lasting medical condition.
Comparative Fault: A rule of law that requires a party to pay a share of the total damages in proportion to its percentage of fault. Ohio’s comparative negligence law specifies that if a party is more than 50% at fault, recovery is not allowed.
*Complaint: Formal legal document which initiates a lawsuit. A Complaint sets forth the basic facts and legal reasons that the filing party believes are sufficient to support a claim against another person, persons, entity or entities that entitles the plaintiff(s) to a remedy.
CT Scan: Also called CAT scan, Computer Tomography, Computer Assisted Tomography, or Computer Axial Tomography. The use of x-ray energy passing through the body at different angles and processed through a computer to produce a cross-sectional (axial) image of an area of the body.
Damages: Money paid to compensate for a loss.
Degenerative Disc Disease: An intervertebral disc, which has suffered the effects of the aging process or the effects of trauma. A disc becomes degenerated over time, often spanning years. Often there are small circumferential tears in the annulus fibrosis, the tough outer covering of the disc. A degenerated disc is also characterized by a loss of its height due to a drying-out of the nucleus pulposus, the gelatinous material inside the disc. It is often caused by a loss of motion between the vertebrae above and below, thus decreasing the mechanical flow of nutrients to the disc.
Default Judgment: A judgment in favor of the plaintiff when the defendant has not responded to a Complaint or has failed to appear before a court of law.
Demand Letter: A letter sent to an insurance company or defendant setting out the basis for a plaintiff’s claims and setting forth a dollar amount that would compensate the plaintiff for her damages.
Deposition: A witness's out of court testimony that is reduced to writing for later use in court or for discovery purposes.
Dessication: Dehydration of an intervertebral disc.
Directed Verdict: At the close of a plaintiff’s case, a defendant asks the court to rule that the plaintiff has failed to put forth sufficient evidence, even when viewed in a light most favorable to the plaintiff, to support his claim. If the court so rules, the defendant is entitled to a dismissal without the defendant ever having to put on her case. Also, at the close of defendant’s case, plaintiff can ask the court to rule in its favor with a directed verdict on liability or special damages.
Disc Bulge: When an intervertebral disc is slightly moved out of position, but the disc material remains contained within the disc.
Disc Herniation: When an intervertebral disc ruptures or is pushed outside of its normal position, which can cause the disc to touch the nerve root and cause pain, tingling, and numbness.
Discography: Procedure to determine whether a particular disc is causing pain. Dye is injected into the disc, making it visible on an x-ray.
Double Crush Syndrome: Compression of the median nerve in the wrist, as well as compression of a nerve in the neck, upper back, or forearm.
EMG: (Electromyography)Testing of the electrical activity of muscles and function of nerves, using small needles and electrodes.
Epidural Steroid Injection: An injection of cortisone in the area which surrounds the spinal cord and the nerves coming out of it.
Facet Joints: Small stabilizing joints located between and behind adjacent vertebrae.
Fibromyalgia: A common condition characterized by long-term, body-wide pain and tender points in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Fibromyalgia has also been linked to fatigue, morning stiffness, sleep problems, headaches, numbness in hands and feet, depression, and anxiety. (Google Health)
Fusion: Surgical procedure to stabilize the spine by fusing together two vertebrae, using bone grafts, metal rods, and screws.
*General Damages: Sometimes styled hedonic damages, compensate the claimant for the non-monetary aspects of the specific harm suffered. This is usually termed 'pain, suffering and loss of amenity'. Examples of this include physical or emotional pain and suffering, loss of companionship, loss of consortium, disfigurement, loss of reputation, loss or impairment of mental or physical capacity, loss of enjoyment of life, etc.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA): protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information; the HIPAA Security Rule, which sets national standards for the security of electronic protected health information; and the confidentiality provisions of the Patient Safety Rule, which protect identifiable information being used to analyze patient safety events and improve patient safety. See http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/
Hematoma: collection of blood outside of the blood vessels, also known as a bruise or internal bleeding.
IME (“Independent Medical Examination”): (Also known as a defense medical examination) An examination by a doctor hired by a party in the case to give an opinion.
Impingement Syndrome: Pressure on the rotator cuff when part of the shoulder (scapula) is lifted, causing discomfort in the shoulder.
|
|
*Indemnify: To compensate another party to a contract for any loss that such other party may suffer during the performance of the contract.
Interrogatories: Formal set of written questions sent from one party to another to clarify matters of evidence.
Intervertebral Disc: A soft tissue structure in between each vertebrae of the spine. It contains a fibrosis outer ring call the annulus fibrosis and a gelatinous center called the nucleus pulposus.
IME (“Independent Medical Examination”): (Also known as a defense medical examination) An examination by a doctor hired by a party in the case to give an opinion.
Impingement Syndrome: Pressure on the rotator cuff when part of the shoulder (scapula) is lifted, causing discomfort in the shoulder.
*Indemnify: To compensate another party to a contract for any loss that such other party may suffer during the performance of the contract.
Interrogatories: Formal set of written questions sent from one party to another to clarify matters of evidence.
Intervertebral Disc: A soft tissue structure in between each vertebrae of the spine. It contains a fibrosis outer ring call the annulus fibrosis and a gelatinous center called the nucleus pulposus.
Kyphosis: Curving of the spine that causes a bowing of the back.
Laminectomy: Spine surgery where portions of the lamina, broad plates which fuse the roof of the vertebral arch, are removed.
Liability: Legal bound obligation to reimburse for damages.
Lien: Legal claim to money.
Lordosis: Inward curve of a portion of the vertebrae.
Lumbar: Relating to the low back.
Medial Nerve: One of the five main nerves originating from the brachial plexus in the upper limbs.
*Mediation: A form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), aims to determine the conditions of any settlements reached — rather than accepting something imposed by a third party. Mediators use appropriate techniques and/or skills to open and/or improve dialogue between disputants, aiming to help the parties reach an agreement (with concrete effects) on the disputed matter.
More Probable Than Not: A legal term used to imply a likelihood of greater than 50%.
*Motion in Limine: A motion made before the start of a trial requesting that the judge rule that certain evidence may, or may not, be introduced to the jury in a trial.
MRI: (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) MRI is primarily a medical imaging technique most commonly used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structure and limited function of the body.
Myalgia: Pain of the muscles.
Myofascial Pain Syndrome: Chronic muscle pain.
Negligence: Failure to exercise ordinary care or caution.
Nerve Block: Injections of medicine onto or near the nerves.
Nerve Root: Initial segment of nerve leaving the nervous system.
Neuropathy: Numbness, tingling, or pain caused by nerve damage.
Osteophyte: Bony projections that form along joints. Also known as bone spurs.
Patella: Kneecap.
Plaintiff: Claimant; person who initiates a lawsuit.
Pleadings: Formal written statement where parties state claims and defenses.
Pro Se: When a person represents himself in a legal proceeding without an attorney.
Protruded Disc: See Disc Bulge or Disc Herniation.
*Proximate Cause: An event sufficiently related to a legally recognizable injury to be held the cause of that injury.
Range of Motion: The distance and direction that a joint can move to its full potential.
Reasonable Medical Certainty: A doctor must testify that an event or collision was more likely than not, or with “reasonable medical certainty or probability,” the cause of a plaintiff’s injuries.
*Sacroiliac Joint: The joint in the bony pelvis between the sacrum and the ilium of the pelvis, which are joined together by strong ligaments.
Scapula: Shoulder blade.
Sciatica: Symptoms of pain or irritation caused by compression or irritation of one of the nerve roots of the sciatic nerve.
Spasm: Sudden, involuntary muscle contraction, which is usually accompanied by pain.
Spondylolisthesis: Forward or backward displacement of one vertebra in the relation to the adjacent vertebra below. Depending on the amount of the displacement, spondylolisthesis may require surgical intervention to fuse the spine.
*Sprain: An injury to ligaments that is caused by being stretched beyond their normal capacity and possibly torn. A muscular tear caused in the same manner is referred to as a strain. In cases where either ligament or muscle tissue is torn, immobilization and surgical repair may be necessary.
Stenosis: Abnormal narrowing.
*Strain: An injury to a muscle in which the muscle fibers tear as a result of over stretching.
Subluxation: In chiropractic terms, subluxation refers to an abnormal joint movement beyond normal range of motion, producing neurological effects. In medical terms, an incomplete or partial dislocation of a joint.
Subrogation: The substitution of one person in the place of another with reference to a lawful claim, demand, or right, so that he or she who is substituted succeeds to the rights of the other in relation to the debt or claim, and its rights, remedies, or Securities. (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Subrogation)
Summary Judgment: A determination made by a court without a full trial.
Tendonitis: Inflammation of the tendon.
TENS unit: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. A form of electrical treatment used to block pain perception.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: TOS. Compression of the neurovascular bundle in the shoulder, collarbone and neck (usually irritation of nerves within the bundle). The compression may cause decreased or abnormal blood flow into the arms, often associated with certain overhead positions of the arms. Symptoms include paresthesia, numbness, pain in the arm and hand, and weakness in the hand.
Thoracic: The middle segment of the vertebral column, composed of 12 vertebrae, between the cervical and lumbar spine.
*Tort: A body of law that addresses, and provides remedies for, civil wrongs not arising out of contractual obligations.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): An injury caused by a blow or jolt to the head, penetrating head injury, or by being violently shaken, that disrupts the function of the brain. A TBI can change how a person acts, moves, communicates, and thinks.
Trigger Point: Irritable, knotty band of muscle.
Ulnar Nerve: A unprotected nerve that runs near the ulnar bone, directly connected to the little finger, and the adjacent half of the ring finger, supplying the palmar side of these fingers, including both front and back of the tips.
Unilateral: One-sided.
Vertebra: One of the twenty-four (24) bones that make up the spine. There are three types: cervical (7), thoracic (12), and lumbar (5), with each section possessing unique characteristics.
*Voir Dire: The process by which prospective jurors are questioned about their backgrounds and potential biases before being chosen to sit on a jury.
*Source: Wikipedia
|
