The vocabulary your adjuster uses.
Plain-English definitions of the terminology that comes up in any personal injury negotiation. Each term names the jurisdictions where it applies and links to a dedicated page with the authority document, the practical context, and how it interacts with the rest of the framework.
Comparative fault
A doctrine that reduces a claimant’s damages by the percentage of fault attributed to them.
Contributory negligence
A rule that bars a claimant from any recovery if they bore any responsibility for their own injury.
AL · MD · NC · VA · DCCTP
Compulsory Third Party motor insurance — the mandatory bodily-injury cover attached to a vehicle’s registration in every Australian state and territory.
AustraliaCollateral source rule
A rule that prevents a defendant from reducing damages by amounts the claimant has already received from independent sources (insurance, employer benefits, etc.).
United States
Modified comparative negligence
A rule that allows recovery only if the claimant’s share of fault is below a threshold (50% or 51%, depending on the state).
Multiplier method
A common shorthand used by US adjusters in which non-economic damages are estimated as a multiple (typically 1.5x to 5x) of the special damages.
United StatesMICRA
The California Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act, a statutory cap on non-economic damages in medical-malpractice cases.
California
Non-economic damages
A US term for compensation covering pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress — losses without a fixed dollar value.
United StatesNo-fault insurance
A scheme under which an injured person’s own insurer pays defined benefits regardless of who caused the accident, with the right to sue restricted to cases that meet a serious-injury threshold.
Pure comparative negligence
A rule that allows a claimant to recover damages even if they were 99% at fault, with the award reduced by their percentage of fault.
Per-diem method
A method that values pain and suffering at a daily rate multiplied by the number of days the claimant is expected to suffer.
United StatesPersonal Injuries Guidelines
The Irish Judicial Council’s published quantum framework that replaced the prior Book of Quantum.
Republic of IrelandPIAB
The Personal Injuries Assessment Board, a statutory body in Ireland that assesses most personal injury claims before they can proceed to court.
Republic of IrelandPunitive damages
Damages awarded over and above compensatory damages to punish particularly egregious conduct and deter similar conduct in future.
Special damages
Compensation for quantifiable financial losses tied to an injury — medical expenses, lost income, property damage, and ongoing care costs.
Statute of limitations
The legal deadline by which a personal injury claim must be filed in court.
Statute of repose
An absolute deadline tied to the underlying event (often product manufacture or service rendered) that runs even when the injured person has not yet discovered the harm.
United StatesSABS
The Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule, the Ontario regulation governing first-party accident benefits paid by an injured driver’s own insurer.
Ontario, Canada
A glossary is a starting point, not a substitute for advice.
Definitions on this site are written for readers who are trying to make sense of a specific case. They name the authority document the term comes from and the jurisdictions in which it applies. They don't replace a conversation with a solicitor or attorney qualified in your jurisdiction. See /disclaimer for the full scope of what this site does and doesn't promise.
Spot a term we should add or a definition that needs sharpening? Email hello@myclaimworth.com.