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Glossary of Medical Malpractice Law Terms
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DES: Diethylstilbestrol (DES) used to be
prescribed to pregnant women believed to need more estrogen
to maintain their pregnancies. Some of the daughters of
these women, who were exposed in the womb to DES, developed
a rare form of vaginal cancer.
Damages: Monetary compensation claimed by a person
who has suffered a loss or injury to his person, property or
rights as a result of the negligence or unlawful conduct of
another.
Decedent: A dead person.
Decree: An order of the court. A final decree is
one that fully disposes of the litigation.
Default: Failure of either party to file required
documents or appear in a civil case within a certain period
of time.
Defendant: The person or party sued in a civil
case or accused in a criminal case.
Deposition: The testimony of a witness, taken out
of court and usually prior to trial.
Direct examination: Questioning of a witness by
the party who calls the witness.
Directed verdict: A judgment entered by the judge
without allowing the jury to participate.
Disciplinary Hearing: A hearing or professional
review conducted by any state or federal administrative
agency, licensing or regulatory authority responsible for
regulating professional conduct.
Discovery: The pre-trial process in which one
party discovers the evidence that will be relied upon at
trial by the opposing party.
Dismemberment: Loss of sight means total loss of
sight which cannot be restored by surgical or other means;
loss of hand means that a hand is permanently severed at or
above the wrist; and loss of foot means that a foot is
permanently severed at or above the ankle.
Dismissal with prejudice: An order to dismiss a
case in which the court bars the plaintiff from suing again
on the same cause of action.
Dismissal without prejudice: An order to dismiss a
case in which the court preserves the plaintiff's right to
sue again on the same cause of action.
Duract: A brand of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAID), Duract was recalled after rare cases of sever
hepatitis and liver failure were reported in people who took
the drug longer than directed.
Dysarthria: A speech disorder that often affects
people with cerebral palsy, caused by a weakness in the
muscles that produce speech. In mild cases, there may only
be a slight slurring of speech; in more severe cases, the
person may depend upon a voice output system to speak.
Dystonia: Involuntary slow, sustained muscle
contractions resulting in abnormal postures and twisting
motions of arms, legs, and trunk. |
