Terms Used In New York Laws > Civil Practice Law and Rules > Article 16 - Limited Liability of Persons Jointly Liable

• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• non-economic loss: includes but is not limited to pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium or other damages for non-economic loss. See N.Y. Civil Practice Law and Rules 1600
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.