In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 12-581

  • Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Bodily injury: means bodily harm, sickness, disease or emotional or mental distress, including death resulting from any of these conditions at any time, sustained by a person. See Arizona Laws 12-581
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Economic loss: means pecuniary harm for which damages are recoverable. See Arizona Laws 12-581
  • including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Noneconomic loss: means nonpecuniary harm for which damages are recoverable but does not include punitive or exemplary damages. See Arizona Laws 12-581
  • Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

1. "Bodily injury" means bodily harm, sickness, disease or emotional or mental distress, including death resulting from any of these conditions at any time, sustained by a person.

2. "Claimant" means a person suffering bodily injury, a person claiming on behalf of or as a result of bodily injury to another person, the representative of the estate of a deceased person or a beneficiary of a wrongful death action.

3. "Costs of health care" means medical, custodial, rehabilitative and related expenses.

4. "Economic loss" means pecuniary harm for which damages are recoverable.

5. "Future damages" means economic loss and noneconomic loss arising from bodily injury that accrues after trial of a claim under this article.

6. "Noneconomic loss" means nonpecuniary harm for which damages are recoverable but does not include punitive or exemplary damages.

7. "Past damages" means economic loss and noneconomic loss arising from bodily injury that have accrued before a claim is tried under this article, including punitive or exemplary damages.

8. "Qualified insurer" means an insurer, self-insurer, plan or arrangement approved by the director of the department of insurance and financial institutions.