Accident Terms and Definitions

Omnibus hearing
A pretrial hearing normally scheduled at the same time the trial date is established. Purpose of the hearing is to ensure each party receives (or "discovers") vital information concerning the case held by the other.

Collision
Pays for damage to your car caused by physical contact with another vehicle or with another object, such as a tree, boulder, guardrail, structure, or person.

Subpoena
Document issued by the authority of the court to compel a witness to appear and give testimony or produce documentary evidence in a proceeding. Failure to appear or produce is punishable by contempt of court.

Aggressive Drivers (road rage)
Can be describes as: aggressive tailgating,Lights flashed at them because the other motorist was annoyed, aggressive or rude gestures,deliberate obstruction -- preventing them from moving their vehicle,verbal abuse,physical assault and other actions.

Momentum
The mass of an object multiplied by its velocity. It is a vectored quantity with both magnitude and direction.

Collision Scrub
Occurs during a traffic collision when the downward and rotating forces cause a smearing of tire material on the road surface.

Comparative negligence
Negligence of a plaintiff in a civil suit which decreases his recovery by his percentage of negligence compared to a defendant's negligence.

Tort
An injury or wrong committed, with or without force, to the person or property of another, which gives rise to a claim for damages.

Reference Point
In angular momentum, the point in space around which the motion of an object is described. The angular momentum of an object is defined in relation to some point, the reference point. The velocity and radius of an object are measured from the reference point.

Actual Cash Value (ACV)
The value of your property, based on the current cost to replace it minus depreciation.