Procedures of Civil Cases
LeAnn Husted
Plaintiff and Defendant
A plaintiff can sue over many different things including property disputes, contract issues, divorce, negligence, and personal injury.
Step One
A complaint is a formal statement naming the plaintiff and the defendant as well describing the lawsuit.
Step Two
Pleadings
Step Three
The judge can have both parties in a meeting and help clarify differences and prepare for a trial. If the suit is weak, they can decide to drop the suit. The two parties could also decide to resolve the dispute through mediation or arbitration.
Step Four
If the parties can't reach an agreement, then the case goes to trial. A trial has a jury of 6-12 people or may have just a judge to hear the case. In a trial the plaintiff will present it's side first, then the defendant. The plaintiff must prove case with a "preponderance of evidence" -enough to persuade the judge or jury that the defendant is responsible for the damages. Both sides will then summarize their cases, and the judge or jury will then decide the case.
Step Five
The judge will then reach a verdict, or a decision on the case. The judge will make a decision in favor of one of the parties.
If the defendant wins, the plaintiff receives nothing and must pay court costs. If the plaintiff wins, a remedy is set- pay compensation, replace lost earnings, etc.
Step 6
If you don't like the verdict, you have the right to appeal the decision with a higher court, meaning you are not satisfied with the decision.
Types of Lawsuits
Two other examples are Compensatory damages and Punitive damages. Compensatory are damages that are awarded to a plaintiff for injuries incurred as a result of the actions of the defendant. Punitive are only to be awarded by the judge presiding over a case if he decides it is important to make an example out of the defendant.