Accident claim glossary
Accident claim terms, explained
Adjusters, insurers and lawyers use words most people never need until they're hurt. Look up the one in your letter, email or medical report, and see what it means for your claim.
Browse by topic
Legal
Fault, deadlines, lawsuits and the court words lawyers and insurers use, explained in plain English.
30 terms
Insurance
Adjusters, deductibles, policy limits, exclusions and the coverage words in your policy and claim letters.
25 terms
Medical
Concussion, MRI, MMI, prognosis and the medical language that ends up deciding what your claim is worth.
18 terms
Evidence
Police reports, dashcam footage, preservation letters and the records that prove what happened.
10 terms
Compensation
Pain and suffering, lost income, future care and the other losses you can be paid for.
17 terms
Most looked-up terms
Soft-Tissue InjuryA soft tissue injury is damage to muscles, tendons, ligaments or other tissue rather than bone.No-Fault BenefitsNo-fault benefits are payments from your own car insurance for things like medical bills and lost wages after a crash, paid no matter who caused it.Comparative NegligenceComparative negligence is a rule that reduces your compensation by the percentage of the accident that was your fault.Preservation LetterA preservation letter (sometimes called a spoliation or litigation-hold letter) is a written request telling someone to keep specific evidence, like CCTV, dashcam video, vehicle data or maintenance records, because it matters to a claim.Surveillance EvidenceSurveillance evidence is video, photos or notes an insurer or defence lawyer collects by watching you, usually through a private investigator, to check whether your injuries match what you've told them.Pain and SufferingPain and suffering is compensation for the physical pain and emotional strain an injury causes you, from the day of the accident through recovery and, if it lasts, beyond.Limitation PeriodA limitation period is the legal deadline for starting a court claim.Maximum Medical ImprovementMaximum medical improvement, or MMI, is the point where your doctors expect no further significant recovery with treatment.
All terms, A to Z
A
Accident ReconstructionAccident reconstruction is the scientific work of figuring out how a crash happened: speeds, positions, braking, timing and sight lines.Activities of Daily LivingActivities of daily living, or ADLs, are the basic tasks of looking after yourself: washing, dressing, eating, using the toilet, and moving from bed to chair.Actual Cash ValueActual cash value, or ACV, is what your car or property was worth immediately before it was damaged or stolen.AdjusterAn adjuster is the person an insurance company assigns to investigate a claim, decide whether it's covered, and work out how much to pay.AffidavitAn affidavit is a written statement of facts that you sign under oath or affirmation, in front of someone authorised to witness it, such as a notary public, commissioner for oaths or solicitor.AppealAn appeal asks a higher court to review a decision made by a lower court or tribunal.ArbitrationArbitration is a private way of resolving a dispute.Assumption of RiskAssumption of risk is a defence that says you knew about a particular danger and chose to accept it, so the other side shouldn't have to pay when that danger caused your injury.Attorney-Client PrivilegeAttorney-client privilege protects confidential communications between you and your lawyer made to get legal advice.
B
Bad FaithBad faith is when an insurer handles a claim unfairly or dishonestly, for example by denying a valid claim without a proper reason, dragging it out, or refusing to settle within policy limits when it should.Bodily Injury Liability CoverageBodily injury liability coverage is the part of a car insurance policy that pays for injuries the policyholder causes to other people.Burden of ProofThe burden of proof decides who has to prove something and how convincingly.
C
CausationCausation is the link between what the other person did and the harm you suffered.Chain of CustodyChain of custody is the record showing who collected a piece of evidence, where it was kept, and everyone who handled it, so a court can trust it hasn't been changed.Chronic PainChronic pain is pain that lasts beyond the normal healing time, usually defined by doctors as more than three months.ClaimA claim is a formal request for payment.Claim NumberA claim number is the reference an insurance company gives your claim when it's opened.Class ActionA class action is a lawsuit where one or a few people sue on behalf of a much larger group who were harmed in the same way.Collision CoverageCollision coverage is the part of a car insurance policy that pays to repair or replace your own vehicle after it hits another vehicle or an object, or rolls over, whoever caused the crash.Comparative NegligenceComparative negligence is a rule that reduces your compensation by the percentage of the accident that was your fault.ComplaintA complaint is the formal document that starts a lawsuit in US courts.Comprehensive CoverageIn the US and Canada, comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your own car caused by something other than a collision with another vehicle or object, such as theft, fire, a falling tree, hail, flood or hitting an animal.ConcussionA concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a blow or jolt that makes the brain move inside the skull.Conflict of InterestA conflict of interest is when a lawyer's duty to you could be compromised by a duty to someone else, or by their own interests.Consent JudgmentA consent judgment is a court judgment that both sides have agreed to.Contingency FeeA contingency fee means your lawyer is paid a percentage of what you recover.Contributory NegligenceContributory negligence means you were partly responsible for your own injury.Coverage LimitA coverage limit is the maximum amount an insurance policy will pay for a particular type of loss.CT ScanA CT (computed tomography) scan uses a series of X-rays and a computer to build cross-section images of your body.
D
DamagesDamages are the money a court or insurer pays to compensate you for harm caused by someone else.Dashcam FootageDashcam footage is video recorded by a camera mounted in a vehicle.Declarations PageThe declarations page, often called the "dec page", is the summary sheet at the front of an insurance policy.DeductibleA deductible is the amount you pay toward a claim on your own insurance before the insurer pays the rest.DefendantThe defendant is the person, company or public body you bring a claim or lawsuit against.Demand LetterA demand letter is a written request to the at-fault party's insurer asking them to pay a specific amount to settle your claim.DepositionA deposition is an interview under oath, held outside court, where the other side's lawyer asks you questions about the accident and your injuries.Diminished ValueDiminished value is the drop in your car's resale price because it now has an accident history, even after it has been properly repaired.DisabilityIn an injury claim, disability means what you can no longer do because of the accident: work, drive, lift your child, sleep through the night.DiscoveryDiscovery is the stage of a lawsuit where each side has to hand over relevant information, documents and testimony, so both know the evidence before trial.Duty of CareA duty of care is a legal obligation to take reasonable care to avoid injuring other people.
E
Economic DamagesEconomic damages are the losses from an accident that come with a price tag.Event Data RecorderAn event data recorder, or EDR, is a device in most modern cars that saves a few seconds of driving data around a crash, such as speed, braking and whether seatbelts were buckled.ExclusionAn exclusion is a clause in an insurance policy that removes certain people, vehicles, activities or losses from cover, even though they might otherwise seem to fall within it.Expert WitnessAn expert witness is someone with specialist knowledge, such as a surgeon, engineer or economist, who gives an opinion on a question a judge or jury couldn't answer alone.
F
FaultFault is legal responsibility for causing an accident.First-Party ClaimA first-party claim is one you make under your own insurance policy, such as collision, medical payments, no-fault or uninsured motorist cover.Future Care CostsFuture care costs are the treatment, support and equipment you'll need after your claim ends because of your injuries.Future Earning CapacityLoss of future earning capacity is compensation for the money you'll probably lose in the years ahead because your injury limits the work you can do.
G
Gap InsuranceGap insurance pays some or all of the difference between what your car insurer pays for a written-off car and what you still owe on the loan or lease, or in some versions, what you originally paid.General DamagesGeneral damages are compensation for harm that has no receipt attached: the pain of the injury, the distress, and the ways your everyday life has been changed or limited.Good FaithGood faith is the legal duty to deal honestly and fairly.
H
I
ImpairmentImpairment is a doctor's measure of how much function a part of your body, or your body as a whole, has lost because of an injury.Incident ReportAn incident report is a written record a business, employer, landlord or venue makes when someone is hurt on their premises.Independent Medical ExaminationAn independent medical examination, or IME, is an assessment by a doctor chosen and paid by the insurer or the defence, not by you.Independent Medical OpinionAn independent medical opinion is an assessment of your injury from a doctor who isn't treating you.Insurance PolicyAn insurance policy is the contract between you and your insurer.
J
L
LiabilityLiability means legal responsibility.Liability CoverageLiability coverage is the part of an insurance policy that pays other people when the policyholder is legally responsible for hurting them or damaging their property.Limitation PeriodA limitation period is the legal deadline for starting a court claim.LitigationLitigation is the process of resolving a dispute through the courts.Loss of ConsortiumLoss of consortium is a claim by the husband, wife or partner of an injured person for what they've lost in the relationship: companionship, affection, help around the home and intimacy.Lost IncomeLost income is the money you didn't earn because your injury kept you from working, or forced you onto fewer hours or lighter duties.
M
Maximum Medical ImprovementMaximum medical improvement, or MMI, is the point where your doctors expect no further significant recovery with treatment.MediationMediation is a meeting where a neutral third person, the mediator, helps you and the other side try to agree a settlement.Medical Payments CoverageMedical payments coverage, often called MedPay, is an optional US car insurance coverage that pays reasonable medical costs for you and your passengers after an accident, regardless of who was at fault, up to a fairly small limit.Medical RecordsMedical records are every note, test result, scan report, prescription and letter your doctors, hospitals and therapists have made about you.Mitigation of DamagesMitigation of damages means you're expected to act reasonably to keep your losses from growing after an accident.MRIAn MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan uses a strong magnet and radio waves to build detailed pictures of soft tissue: discs, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, nerves and the brain.
N
NegligenceNegligence is failing to take the care a reasonable person would take in the same situation, and causing harm as a result.No-Fault BenefitsNo-fault benefits are payments from your own car insurance for things like medical bills and lost wages after a crash, paid no matter who caused it.Non-Economic DamagesNon-economic damages are compensation for the human cost of an injury, the parts that don't come with a bill.
O
P
Pain and SufferingPain and suffering is compensation for the physical pain and emotional strain an injury causes you, from the day of the accident through recovery and, if it lasts, beyond.Permanent ImpairmentA permanent impairment is a loss of body or brain function that doctors don't expect to get better.Photographic EvidencePhotographic evidence means the photos that show what happened and what it did to you: the scene, the vehicles or hazard, and your injuries.PhysiotherapyPhysiotherapy, called physical therapy in the US, uses exercise, manual therapy and education to restore movement and strength after an injury.Police ReportA police report (also called a collision report, accident report or crash report) is the officer's written record of a crash: who was involved, where and when it happened, vehicle damage, injuries, witness details and sometimes the officer's view of what caused it.Policy LimitsA policy limit is the most an insurer will pay under a particular coverage for a single accident or claim.Post-Concussion SyndromePost-concussion syndrome is when concussion symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, poor concentration, fatigue or irritability, last much longer than the usual recovery period of a few weeks.PremiumA premium is the price you pay an insurer for your policy, usually monthly or yearly.Present ValuePresent value is what a stream of future money is worth today.Preservation LetterA preservation letter (sometimes called a spoliation or litigation-hold letter) is a written request telling someone to keep specific evidence, like CCTV, dashcam video, vehicle data or maintenance records, because it matters to a claim.PrognosisA prognosis is a doctor's professional prediction of how your injury will develop: how long recovery should take, whether you'll recover fully, and what problems might remain or appear later.Property DamageProperty damage is the harm an accident does to your things rather than your body.Punitive DamagesPunitive damages are extra money a court orders someone to pay to punish outrageous conduct and discourage it in future.
R
Range of MotionRange of motion is how far a joint or part of your spine can move, usually measured in degrees.Recorded StatementA recorded statement is an audio-recorded interview where an insurance adjuster asks you about the accident, your injuries and your medical history.RehabilitationRehabilitation is the treatment and support that helps you recover as much as possible after an injury.Rental Reimbursement CoverageRental reimbursement is an optional add-on to your own car policy that pays for a rental car, up to a daily and total limit, while your car is being repaired or replaced after a covered claim.Reservation of RightsA reservation of rights is a letter from an insurer saying it will investigate or defend a claim for now, but it may later decide the policy doesn't cover it and refuse to pay.
S
Soft-Tissue InjuryA soft tissue injury is damage to muscles, tendons, ligaments or other tissue rather than bone.Special DamagesSpecial damages (often shortened to "specials") are the specific, measurable financial losses caused by your accident: things like medical bills, lost earnings, travel costs and repairs.Structured SettlementA structured settlement pays some or all of your injury compensation as a series of regular payments, often monthly or yearly, sometimes for life, rather than as one lump sum.Surveillance EvidenceSurveillance evidence is video, photos or notes an insurer or defence lawyer collects by watching you, usually through a private investigator, to check whether your injuries match what you've told them.
T
W
General information, not legal or medical advice. Rules differ between US states, the UK and Canadian provinces. How we write and check