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Cancer: A disease manifested by the
presence of a malignant tumor. This tumor must be
characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread
of malignant cells, the invasion of tissue, or
leukemia.
Cancer misdiagnosis: Caused by medical
negligence when a medical specialist fails to follow
the acceptable standards of care required of his/her
professional capacity. Cancer misdiagnosis related
to medical negligence can occur when a medical
professional fails to do any of the following: pay
attention or respond to a patient's complaints or
symptoms, order the proper tests that would lead to
correct diagnosis, refer a patient to a specialist
in a timely manner, or treat a patient in the
appropriate manner given their medical condition.
Carcinogen: A substance or agent that
causes cancer.
Case law: Law based on previous decisions
of appellate courts.
Celebrex: A brand of medication used to
relieve the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis in adults. Celebrex use can
result in stomach bleeding and liver damage.
Cerebral palsy: A medical condition caused
by a permanent brain injury that occurs before,
during, or shortly after birth. The effect of
cerebral palsy is characterized by lack of muscle
control and body movement. The cerebral palsy
diagnosis is usually made shortly after birth, but
may show up later in childhood.
Central Nervous System: The brain and the
spinal cord. Receives sensory impulses from the rest
of the nervous system and then controls the body's
response to those impulses.
Civil: Generally pertains to disputes, not
involving crimes, including family matters,
contracts, medical malpractice, collection of debts,
and compensation for personal injury or property
loss.
Civil Lawsuit: A lawsuit in which one does
not need to prove criminal liability.
Cognitive Functions: The skills of the
brain including memory, attention, and
concentration.
Collateral source rule: Under this rule,
compensation awarded to an injured party shall not
be reduced by the amount of compensation available
to him from his insurance company or other
independent sources.
Common law: Law that derives its authority
solely from usages and customs of the past.
Comparative negligence: The doctrine of
comparing degrees of fault among the responsible
parties.
Compensation: Monetary award transferred
from defendant to plaintiff to make up for some
wrong, damage or injury caused by the defendant's
actions or inaction.
Complainant: Also known as the plaintiff.
Civil Complaint: The first pleading in a
civil case filed by the plaintiff. It alleges the
material facts and legal theories to support the
plaintiff's claim against the defendant.
Contingency fee: A fee arrangement in
which the plaintiff and his or her attorney agree
that the fees due to the attorney will be determined
by the amount of the judgment granted if in the
favor of the plaintiff.
Continuance: A delay of a scheduled
session of a court.
Cox-2 Inhibitor: A drug designed to treat
chronic pain without irritating the stomach and
stomach lining.
Cross-examination: The questioning of a
witness of one party by the opposing party during a
trial, hearing or deposition.
CT Scan: A "computed tomography"
scan may be used to determine the cause of cerebral
palsy in a child. This test scans the brain, looking
for abnormalities and areas that have not properly
developed.
