New York Injuries Dictionary

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

Why would a judge increase the amount a jury awarded? That is what additur is: a court-ordered increase in a jury's damages award when the judge decides the amount was...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-24

affidavit

A sworn written statement. "Written" matters because this is testimony put on paper, not casual talk, not a text thread, and not something a lawyer can clean up into evidence...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-26

appeal

You may see this in a court notice, a lawyer's letter, or a conversation right after a judge rules: "We need to file an appeal," or "The other side has appealed." That means a...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-25

burden of proof

The duty to prove a claim. "Duty" means the obligation falls on one side, not both sides equally. In most civil injury cases, that side is the plaintiff - the person bringing...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-03

clear and convincing evidence

How much proof is enough to strongly persuade a judge or jury? Clear and convincing evidence is a level of proof that is higher than a preponderance of the evidence but lower...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-02

closing argument

What happens right before the jury starts deliberating? The closing argument is each side's final chance to explain the evidence, connect it to the law, and argue for the...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-25

cross-examination

A witness can sound confident, give an answer that seems damaging, and shape the direction of a case before you realize what is happening. Cross-examination is the part of...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-24

discovery rule

You may see this phrase in a lawyer's letter, a court filing, or a conversation about whether a case was filed "on time." It usually comes up when the harm was not obvious...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-25

expert witness

A qualified specialist who gives opinion testimony to help a judge or jury understand disputed facts. "Qualified" means the person has education, training, experience, or skill...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-29

fact witness

People often mix up a fact witness with an expert witness, but they serve very different roles. A fact witness talks about what they personally saw, heard, did, or experienced....

DICTIONARY 2026-03-30

judgment

Money can change hands, property can be frozen, and appeal deadlines can start running the moment a court makes its final decision. A judgment is the official, enforceable...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-28

jury deliberation

Like a group project where everyone has to agree on what the facts actually show before turning anything in, jury deliberation is the private discussion jurors have after the...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-04

quiet title action

A bad surprise is learning too late that the property you thought was clearly yours has a competing deed, an old lien, a boundary dispute, or another claim that clouds...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

remittitur

People often mix this up with additur, because both deal with a jury award that the court thinks is off the mark. Remittitur is a judge's reduction of an excessive damages...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-01

spoliation

Lose the video, throw out the broken ladder, delete the texts, or let the bus camera footage get recorded over, and that can hit your case hard. Spoliation means evidence was...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-31

statute of limitations

A statute of limitations is the legal deadline for starting a lawsuit, and once that window closes, a court will usually dismiss the case no matter how strong the facts may be....

DICTIONARY 2026-04-03

statute of repose

Not the same as a statute of limitations. A statute of repose does not usually start when someone gets hurt or discovers a problem. Instead, it sets an outside cutoff date that...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-24

subpoena

Why is someone demanding records or telling a witness they have to show up? A subpoena is a formal legal order requiring a person, business, or agency to do something connected...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-26

tolling

Like hitting pause on a kitchen timer while you deal with something urgent, tolling stops a legal deadline from running for a period of time. In law and insurance, it usually...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-30

verdict

You just got a letter that says the jury reached a decision, and the court will announce the verdict that afternoon. A verdict is the formal decision made at the end of a...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-25

zoning variance

Miss this issue when buying, building, or renovating property, and a project can be stopped, fined, or forced to be torn out after serious money is already spent. A zoning...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23