What is a civil lawsuit? Is it different from a criminal proceeding?
Civil lawsuits differ from criminal proceedings in several ways. In criminal proceedings, the government tries to prove the defendant has committed a crime and should be punished for the action. Punishment can include jail time and fines. A lawsuit is a civil action in which one party sues another for compensatory damages. The plaintiff hopes to recover damages caused by the responsible party as a result of injuries from an accident. While in most lawsuits the plaintiff receives monetary damages, some try to stop, or enjoin, an individual from doing a specific action. There are several types of lawsuits. Negligence and contract actions are two of the most common. Negligence lawsuits strive to collect damages caused by another person. Typically these involve automobile accidents, fall down accidents, construction site accidents, product liability claims and malpractice. In contract actions, individuals try to collect damages for breach of contract obligations.
Civil lawsuits differ from criminal proceedings in several ways. In criminal proceedings, the government tries to prove the defendant has committed a crime and should be punished for the action. Punishment can include jail time and fines. A lawsuit is a civil action in which one party sues another for compensatory damages. The plaintiff hopes to recover damages caused by the responsible party as a result of injuries from an accident. While in most lawsuits the plaintiff receives monetary damages, some try to stop, or enjoin, an individual from doing a specific action. There are several types of civil lawsuits. Negligence and contract actions are two of the most common. Negligence lawsuits strive to collect damages caused by another person. Typically these involve automobile accidents, fall down accidents, construction site accidents, product liability claims and malpractice. In contract actions, individuals try to collect damages for breach of contract obligations.
