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MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LEGAL GLOSSARY |
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Glossary of Medical
Malpractice Law Terms
A
B C
D E
F G
H I
J K L
M N
O P
Q R
S T
U V
W X Y Z #
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the first letter of the word from the list above to go to
the appropriate section of the glossary.
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Cancer: A disease manifested by the
presence of a malignant tumor. This tumor must be characterized by the
uncontrolled growth and spread of malignant cells, the invasion of tissue, or
leukemia.
Cancer misdiagnosis: Caused by medical
negligence when a medical specialist fails to follow the acceptable standards of
care required of his/her professional capacity. Cancer misdiagnosis related to
medical negligence can occur when a medical professional fails to do any of the
following: pay attention or respond to a patient's complaints or symptoms, order
the proper tests that would lead to correct diagnosis, refer a patient to a
specialist in a timely manner, or treat a patient in the appropriate manner
given their medical condition.
Carcinogen: A substance or agent that
causes cancer.
Case law: Law based on previous decisions
of appellate courts.
Celebrex: A brand of medication used to
relieve the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in
adults. Celebrex use can result in stomach bleeding and liver damage.
Cerebral palsy: A medical condition caused
by a permanent brain injury that occurs before, during, or shortly after birth.
The effect of cerebral palsy is characterized by lack of muscle control and body
movement. The cerebral palsy diagnosis is usually made shortly after birth, but
may show up later in childhood.
Central Nervous System: The brain and the
spinal cord. Receives sensory impulses from the rest of the nervous system and
then controls the body's response to those impulses.
Civil: Generally pertains to disputes, not
involving crimes, including family matters, contracts, medical malpractice,
collection of debts, and compensation for personal injury or property loss.
Civil Lawsuit: A lawsuit in which one does
not need to prove criminal liability.
Cognitive Functions: The skills of the
brain including memory, attention, and concentration.
Collateral source rule: Under this rule,
compensation awarded to an injured party shall not be reduced by the amount of
compensation available to him from his insurance company or other independent
sources.
Common law: Law that derives its authority
solely from usages and customs of the past.
Comparative negligence: The doctrine of
comparing degrees of fault among the responsible parties.
Compensation: Monetary award transferred
from defendant to plaintiff to make up for some wrong, damage or injury caused
by the defendant's actions or inaction.
Complainant: Also known as the plaintiff.
Civil Complaint: The first pleading in a
civil case filed by the plaintiff. It alleges the material facts and legal
theories to support the plaintiff's claim against the defendant.
Contingency fee: A fee arrangement in
which the plaintiff and his or her attorney agree that the fees due to the
attorney will be determined by the amount of the judgment granted if in the
favor of the plaintiff.
Continuance: A delay of a scheduled
session of a court.
Cox-2 Inhibitor: A drug designed to treat
chronic pain without irritating the stomach and stomach lining.
Cross-examination: The questioning of a
witness of one party by the opposing party during a trial, hearing or
deposition.
CT Scan: A "computed tomography"
scan may be used to determine the cause of cerebral palsy in a child. This test
scans the brain, looking for abnormalities and areas that have not properly
developed.
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information contained within this personal injury site is of a general nature
and is not meant to be a restatement of any rules of law. Your
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Injury Law
Glossary.
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