Civil Laws and Lawsuits
In general, legal actions are divided into two categories: criminal and civil. Civil actions are lawsuits in which someone sues someone else for monetary damages (money) or something else to compensate for an injury or damaged property. Or a lawsuit could demand future protection of some type.
When you turn 18, you can sue - or be sued - in civil court.
What is a tort?
It is a legal term for certain kinds of injuries or damage that could lead to a lawsuit. If you commit a tort (injuring someone or damaging someone's property or reputation), you could be sued. It doesn't matter whether you injured the person on purpose or by accident. (Some torts are also crimes, so you could be tried in two courts for the same conduct.) And if you are found liable, you could be ordered to pay all resulting damages.
Examples of torts include:
- Negligent driving - causing injuries and/or damaging property.
- Assault - unlawfully attempting to touch or hurt another person.
- Batter - intentionally touching another person without his or her consent.
- False Imprisonment - keeping someone in a room or car or other place so he or she can't eave.
- Defamation - unlawful written or spoken attack on the reputation or good name of a person.
Is there any time limits for filing a lawsuit?
Yes. There are
statutes of limitations - laws that set time limits for filing various types of lawsuits. For example, the time limit is generally two years from the time of the injury for
personal injury lawsuits. And for lawsuits involving damage to real or personal property, it is three years from the date that the damage occurred.
If the injury or damage occurred when you were a child, however, the time clock usually does not start ticking until you turn 18. If you were injured in a traffic accident at age 11, for example, you could wait until two years after your birthday to file suit.