Legal Dictionary - D

Damages: Monetary awards ordered to be paid as compensation for injury or loss.

Default judgment: A ruling issued in the plaintiff’s favor when the defendant fails to respond to a complaint in a timely manner.

Defendant: The person alleged to have caused the injury.

Deposition: A discovery procedure in which the lawyers representing the parties in a lawsuit question the opposing parties and witnesses.

Discovery: Formal procedures that allow the parties in a lawsuit to obtain information and evidence from one another and from witnesses. Deposing witnesses, drafting interrogatories, making requests for production of documents, and demanding independent medical examinations are common discovery procedures.

Drunk driving: Referred to as driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving under the influence (DUI), operating under the influence (OUI). DWI, DUI, and OUI laws are aimed to prevent motorists from operating vehicles while they are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. A motorist is considered unlawfully “intoxicated” when they exhibit a blood alcohol concentration above a limit set in statute.