Terms Used In Alabama Code > Title 27 > Chapter 26 > Article 1 - General Provisions

• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• month: means a calendar month. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• writing: includes typewriting and printing on paper. See Alabama Code 1-1-1