| Medical
Malpractice Legal 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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