Category: Personal Injury

If an injured party is harmed or has property that is damaged by the intentional or negligent conduct of a defendant, he may bring an action to recover damages. Sometimes the injured party recovers a verdict but only nominal, or minimal, damages. When nominal damages are awarded Nominal damages may be awarded if: 1) a… Read more »

Invasion of Privacy — Disclosure The law provides everyone with some basic rights to privacy. Privacy is the general right to be left alone and free from unwanted publicity. Unreasonable invasion of one’s privacy causes harm. There are four well-established types of lawsuits for invasion of privacy: appropriation; false light; intrusion; and disclosure. In most… Read more »

Under a “dram shop law,” a business that sells alcohol to an intoxicated customer may be liable when the customer injures a third party. Most dram shop cases involve drunk driving. For example, a customer becomes intoxicated at a bar and then attempts to drive home. On his way home, the customer hits a pedestrian… Read more »

The “collateral source rule” is a legal rule that prevents a defendant from introducing evidence that a plaintiff has received payment from a third party. For example, a plaintiff is injured in an automobile accident with a defendant. The plaintiff is hospitalized for his injuries. The plaintiff’s health insurance provider pays all of the plaintiff’s… Read more »