Wyoming Accidents Definition

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

You may see this phrase in a civil rights complaint, a denial letter, or a lawyer's explanation that someone "acted under color of law." It means a person used power that came...

DEFINITION 2026-04-01

consent decree

A consent decree is a court-approved settlement that binds the parties like an order. Each part matters. "Consent" means the parties agreed to it, usually to end a lawsuit...

DEFINITION 2026-03-29

Daubert challenge

Not a claim that an expert is lying, and not some magic motion that automatically blows up the other side's case. A Daubert challenge is an attack on whether an expert's...

DEFINITION 2026-03-22

deliberate indifference standard

A legal fault standard requiring proof that a person or government official knew of a substantial risk of serious harm or a likely rights violation and consciously disregarded...

DEFINITION 2026-03-29

delta-v

Miss this term, and a crash can get described as a "minor impact" when the vehicle forces say otherwise. That can hurt a claim fast: an insurer may downplay injuries, a defense...

DEFINITION 2026-03-21

discretionary function

Government lawyers and insurance adjusters often raise this phrase as a shield: if a public agency's decision involved judgment or policy choice, they argue the claim is barred...

DEFINITION 2026-03-22

disparate impact analysis

You may see this phrase in an agency charge, a court brief, or a lawyer's letter explaining that a policy looks neutral on paper but may still be unlawful because of the way it...

DEFINITION 2026-04-01

disparate treatment claim

People often mix this up with a disparate impact claim. The difference is intent. A disparate treatment claim says a person or employer treated someone worse because of a...

DEFINITION 2026-04-02

Due Process Clause

The part that trips people up most is that due process is not a general guarantee of fairness from everyone; it mainly limits what the government can do. In the U.S....

DEFINITION 2026-03-30

duty to inspect

A duty to inspect is a legal obligation to make reasonable checks for dangerous conditions so hazards can be found and fixed, or at least warned about, before someone gets...

DEFINITION 2026-03-22

Equal Protection Clause

Why does the government seem allowed to treat one person differently from another? The Equal Protection Clause is the part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution...

DEFINITION 2026-03-23

excessive force claim

You just got a letter that says the officer's actions were "reasonable under the circumstances," even though you ended up on the pavement, in cuffs, with broken ribs and a...

DEFINITION 2026-03-29

failure to intervene

You just got a letter that says an officer or supervisor may be liable for "failure to intervene," even if that person never threw a punch, pulled a trigger, or made the...

DEFINITION 2026-03-25

false arrest

Being taken into custody without legal justification is generally called false arrest. It usually happens when a police officer, security guard, or private citizen restrains...

DEFINITION 2026-04-02

First Amendment retaliation

You may see this phrase in a complaint, demand letter, internal discipline notice, or a lawyer's explanation that a government employer, officer, school, or agency took action...

DEFINITION 2026-03-25

invitee

Miss this classification after a fall, animal encounter, or other property injury, and a valid claim can be undervalued or rejected because the owner's legal duty may be judged...

DEFINITION 2026-03-23

licensee

Miss this label after a fall, dog bite, or icy walkway injury, and a claim can get weaker fast because the property owner may have owed less protection than you assumed. A...

DEFINITION 2026-03-23

malicious prosecution

A claim like this can put real money back on the table when someone was dragged through a criminal or civil case without proper cause, but bad advice often makes people think...

DEFINITION 2026-03-27

manufacturing defect

The biggest mistake is assuming a product was "just dangerous" when the real problem was that your particular one came off the line wrong. That can cost money, because a...

DEFINITION 2026-03-21

Monell claim against a municipality

People often mix up a Monell claim with an ordinary claim based on respondeat superior. They are not the same. Under respondeat superior, an employer can be liable just because...

DEFINITION 2026-04-03

negligent maintenance

You may see this phrase in an insurance denial, a demand letter, an incident report, or a lawyer's explanation of why a property owner may be legally responsible for an injury....

DEFINITION 2026-03-23

pattern or practice investigation

A formal inquiry into repeated unlawful conduct by an agency or institution, not just one bad incident. "Pattern" means the conduct shows up again and again; "practice" means...

DEFINITION 2026-03-30

qualified immunity defense

You may see this in a motion to dismiss, an answer to a lawsuit, or a letter from a government lawyer saying an officer, deputy, school official, or other public employee is...

DEFINITION 2026-03-31

Section 1983 lawsuit

You just got a letter that says your case may belong in federal court as a "Section 1983 action" because a government official violated your constitutional rights. Strip away...

DEFINITION 2026-04-03

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act

The part that trips people up most: Title VI is not the employment-discrimination law. It bars discrimination based on race, color, or national origin by programs and agencies...

DEFINITION 2026-03-26