A Civil Lawsuit is a court case that is non-criminal and commonly involves a private citizen or business that seeks compensation from another party due to violation of their rights.

A Civil Lawsuit is filed when one party seeks recovery of losses or damages caused by the wrongdoing of another party. In a civil suit, a crime may not have occurred, yet some type of wrong has been committed by the defendant.

The personal injury suit is one of the most common types of civil lawsuits. A civil lawsuit for personal injury is filed by an individual who has suffered bodily and/or emotional injury due to another party’s actions or negligence.

Auto accidents, slip/falls and premise injuries, occupational accidents, exposure to toxins, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, wrongful death, defective drugs and other manufactured products, and dog bites are some of the types of personal injury civil lawsuits commonly filed. A civil lawsuit may also involve contract disagreements, real estate matters and other non-criminal legal arguments.

However, a civil lawsuit may be filed even if the defendant was found not guilty in a criminal court for the same offense. A civil lawsuit is somewhat different from a criminal case.

A Criminal Case is where the defendent is being charged with committing a criminal act. If Found guilty, a criminal defendant can face fines, incarceration and a variety of other penalties.

A criminal case is filed by the prosecutor, a civil lawsuit if filed by an individual or business. Whereas the defendant in a criminal case is being charged with committing a criminal act, in a civil lawsuit the defendant may not have committed a crime. A criminal defendant can face fines, incarceration and a variety of other penalties if convicted, while in most civil lawsuits the plaintiff is seeking monetary recovery of damages.

A Civil lawsuit commonly involves the use of an experienced lawyer. These are licensed attorneys retained to facilitate the legal proceedings on behalf of the client.

Minor civil lawsuits may be filed without the use of a lawyer. An experienced lawyer can, however, have insight and success in trying civil lawsuits in a court of law, and many people use an attorney in their civil lawsuit complaints.

Civil lawsuits usually begin by filing of a complaint against another party in a court of law. The lawyer (or individual) files the complaint which outlines the case: the defendant's name, the alleged damages, why the damages were illegal or presented a wrongdoing, and details of the event leading to the damages. The complaint in a civil lawsuit is filed for the basic purpose of letting the court know why the civil lawsuit is being filed in the first place.

There is a statue of limitations in most cases regarding civil lawsuits, meaning that they must be filed within a certain period of time. Usually the statute of limitations in a civil lawsuit begins at the time of the incident, although in certain cases it may begin at the time of discovery. In order to be valid the civil lawsuit must be filed within the allotted time frame.

The statute of limitations may vary by civil lawsuit case and by circumstance. Many civil lawsuits, personal injury civil lawsuits in particular, are handled outside of a courtroom.

This type of civil lawsuit takes place via correspondence between the plaintiff and the defense. The attorneys representing the plaintiff notify the lawyers representing the defense lawyers of the case being and may offer some type of settlement instead of taking the civil case to trial. Because of the expenses involved in a court trial many defendants choose to settle out of court. In a civil lawsuit that does go through the court system, the defendant is usually served with a notice of the civil lawsuit by the court which allows them to obtain legal counsel to defend them if they have not already done so.

This is also the time that the defendant may challenge the civil lawsuit, issue a counter lawsuit and address any issues they may have about the civil lawsuit case. If a court becomes involved in a civil lawsuit, the judge must examine the complaint to determine if a trial or complaint is warranted. The defendant may also submit evidence that could dismiss the case during this examination period.

Once the civil lawsuit has been approved by the judge case then moves into what is called a “discovery” phase. During discovery the plaintiff and defendant share all of their evidence and witnesses or any other matter they may reveal during the trial. This ensures there are no surprises for either party once the civil lawsuit case is underway in the courtroom.

If there is a large amount of money involved in the case, a jury selection may occur after discovery. However, in a smaller proceeding, only the judge may be involved in the civil lawsuit trial. In a civil lawsuit the plaintiff must prove, through irrefutable evidence, that the defendant committed the wrongdoing of which he/she has been accused. The plaintiff also must prove that the damages suffered were due to the defendant’s negligence. The burden of proof in a civil lawsuit is the requirement that the plaintiff proves that their version of the events is “more than likely” to be accurate.

In a civil lawsuit, the injured or wronged party may seek economic and non-economic monetary compensation. Economic damages or losses may include medical expenses, out-of-pocket expenses, loss of wages, etc.

Non-economic damages provide compensation for pain and suffering, disability, loss of quality of life, and more. In certain civil lawsuit cases, when the wrongdoing was intentional or malevolent, the court may also order punitive damages.

Punitive damages in a civil lawsuit are awarded in order to punish the defendant and discourage them and others from committing similar acts of wrongdoing in the future. The verdict and damages awarded is either read by the jury or the judge and is enforceable by law.

Usually, civil lawsuits require a monetary award for damages or losses. The court monitors the transaction of the awarded money carefully, and further legal action may be taken to ensure the award is given out.