- D -
DES: Diethylstilbestrol (DES) used to be
prescribed to pregnant women believed to need more
estrogen to maintain their pregnancies. Some of the
daughters of these women, who were exposed in the
womb to DES, developed a rare form of vaginal
cancer.
Damages: Monetary compensation claimed by
a person who has suffered a loss or injury to his
person, property or rights as a result of the
negligence or unlawful conduct of another.
Decedent: A dead person.
Decree: An order of the court. A final
decree is one that fully disposes of the litigation.
Default: Failure of either party to file
required documents or appear in a civil case within
a certain period of time.
Defendant: The person or party sued in a
civil case or accused in a criminal case.
Deposition: The testimony of a witness,
taken out of court and usually prior to trial.
Direct examination: Questioning of a
witness by the party who calls the witness.
Directed verdict: A judgment entered by
the judge without allowing the jury to participate.
Disciplinary Hearing: A hearing or
professional review conducted by any state or
federal administrative agency, licensing or
regulatory authority responsible for regulating
professional conduct.
Discovery: The pre-trial process in which
one party discovers the evidence that will be relied
upon at trial by the opposing party.
Dismemberment: Loss of sight means total
loss of sight which cannot be restored by surgical
or other means; loss of hand means that a hand is
permanently severed at or above the wrist; and loss
of foot means that a foot is permanently severed at
or above the ankle.
Dismissal with prejudice: An order to
dismiss a case in which the court bars the plaintiff
from suing again on the same cause of action.
Dismissal without prejudice: An order to
dismiss a case in which the court preserves the
plaintiff's right to sue again on the same cause of
action.
Duract: A brand of non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), Duract was recalled
after rare cases of sever hepatitis and liver
failure were reported in people who took the drug
longer than directed.
Dysarthria: A speech disorder that often
affects people with cerebral palsy, caused by a
weakness in the muscles that produce speech. In mild
cases, there may only be a slight slurring of
speech; in more severe cases, the person may depend
upon a voice output system to speak.
Dystonia: Involuntary slow, sustained
muscle contractions resulting in abnormal postures
and twisting motions of arms, legs, and trunk.
