A worn law dictionary open on a library table with a brass lamp

The class action glossary.

255 legal, medical, and consumer terms explained in plain English, each tied to the lawsuits and settlements where it matters.

3

3M Combat Arms Earplugs: Dual-ended earplugs made by Aearo Technologies and later 3M, issued to U.S. service members for years. Veterans claimed a design defect caused hearing loss and tinnitus, and 3M agreed in 2023 to pay $6 billion to settle the claims.

A

Actos (Pioglitazone): A type 2 diabetes pill made by Takeda whose label warns it may increase the risk of bladder cancer. Takeda agreed in 2015 to a settlement of about $2.4 billion to resolve thousands of bladder cancer lawsuits.
Actual Cash Value (ACV): An insurance payout method that pays what damaged or stolen property was worth at the time of loss, which is generally replacement cost minus depreciation. It is how most total loss car claims are valued.
AFFF (Aqueous Film-Forming Foam): A firefighting foam used on fuel fires at airports, military bases, and refineries. Many AFFF formulas contain PFAS chemicals, and thousands of lawsuits allege it contaminated water and caused cancer.
Alopecia (Hair Loss): The medical term for hair loss from the scalp or body. It has many causes, including autoimmune disease, genetics, hormones, chemotherapy, and damage from hair products.
Amiodarone: A powerful heart rhythm drug, sold as Pacerone and formerly Cordarone, approved for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. It carries a boxed warning about lung, liver, and heart toxicity.
Angina: Chest pain or pressure caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, often a sign of coronary heart disease. It can feel like squeezing and may spread to the arms, neck, jaw, or back.
Anticoagulant (Blood Thinner): A medicine that slows blood clotting to prevent strokes, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism, such as warfarin, Eliquis, and Xarelto. The main risk is serious bleeding.
Antitrust Laws: Federal and state laws that ban agreements and conduct that unfairly limit competition, such as price fixing and monopolization. People overcharged because of a violation can sue for three times their damages.
Arbitration Clause: A contract term requiring disputes to be decided by a private arbitrator instead of a court. Many consumer and employment contracts include one, often with a ban on class actions.
Asbestos: A group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals once widely used in insulation, building materials, brakes, and other products. Breathing asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.
Asbestosis: A chronic, progressive lung disease caused by breathing asbestos fibers, which scar lung tissue and make breathing increasingly difficult. It is not cancer, but it raises the risk of lung cancer.
Ataxia: A loss of control over muscle movement and coordination, causing unsteady walking, clumsiness, and sometimes slurred speech. It can be inherited or caused by other conditions, toxins, or some medicines.
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib): A common irregular heart rhythm in which the upper chambers of the heart quiver instead of beating in a steady pattern. It raises the risk of blood clots and stroke.
Atypical Antipsychotic: A newer, second-generation antipsychotic medication used to treat conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Examples include risperidone (Risperdal) and aripiprazole (Abilify).
Auto-Renewal Subscription: A subscription that renews and charges you automatically at the end of each term unless you cancel. Federal and state laws require clear disclosure, consent, and a way to cancel.
Autodialer (ATDS, Automatic Telephone Dialing System): Under the TCPA, equipment that can store or produce phone numbers using a random or sequential number generator and dial them. The Supreme Court narrowed this definition in 2021.

B

Balance Billing (Surprise Billing): When an out-of-network doctor or hospital bills you for the difference between its full charge and what your insurance paid. The federal No Surprises Act bans it in many emergency and in-network hospital situations.
Bedsores (Pressure Ulcers): Injuries to skin and underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure, usually over bony areas like the hips, tailbone, and heels, in people who cannot move well on their own. Also called pressure ulcers or pressure injuries.
Bellwether Trial: A test trial of a representative case in a mass tort or MDL. The results help both sides predict how juries will value similar cases and often shape settlement talks.
Benzene: A chemical found in crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke that is a known cause of cancer in humans, especially leukemia. It has been found as a contaminant in some consumer products.
BIA-ALCL (Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma): A rare type of T-cell lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system, that can develop in the scar tissue and fluid around breast implants, most often textured implants.
Biologic (Biological Product): A medicine made from living sources such as cells, proteins, or tissues rather than chemically synthesized. Examples include vaccines, insulin analogs, and antibody drugs like Dupixent.
Biometrics (Biometric Data): Measurements of unique physical traits, such as fingerprints, face geometry, voiceprints, and retina or iris scans, used to identify a person. Some states strictly regulate how companies collect them.
Birth Injury: Physical harm to a baby, and sometimes the mother, that happens during labor and delivery. Examples include brachial plexus injuries such as Erb's palsy, fractures, and brain injury from lack of oxygen.
Black Box Warning (Boxed Warning): The FDA's most serious label warning, printed inside a black border at the top of a drug's prescribing information to flag risks of serious injury or death.
Black Lung Disease (Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis): A lung disease caused by breathing coal mine dust over time, which scars the lungs and can become disabling or fatal. Federal law provides benefits to disabled miners and survivors.
Blood Clots: Clumps of blood that form inside a vein or artery and can block blood flow. Clots in the legs can travel to the lungs, and clots in arteries can cause heart attacks and strokes.
BOGO Deal (Buy One, Get One): A promotion offering a free or discounted second item when you buy the first. Under FTC guidance, the first item must be sold at its regular price for the second to be truly free.
Brachial Plexus Injury: Damage to the network of nerves that runs from the neck to the shoulder, arm, and hand. In newborns it usually happens when the nerves are stretched during a difficult delivery.
Breast Implant Illness (BII): A term patients and doctors use for a range of whole-body symptoms, such as fatigue, joint pain, and brain fog, reported by some people with breast implants. It is not a formal diagnosis, and its cause is still being studied.
Business Interruption Insurance: Commercial insurance that replaces lost income and pays certain ongoing expenses when a business has to close or slow down because of a covered loss, such as a fire.

C

California Expense Reimbursement Law (Labor Code 2802): California Labor Code section 2802, which requires employers to repay employees for necessary expenses they incur doing their jobs, such as mileage, work use of a personal phone, and required tools.
Cardiac Arrhythmia: Any problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat, including beating too fast, too slow, or irregularly. Some arrhythmias are harmless and others can be life-threatening.
Cardiac Ischemia (Myocardial Ischemia): Reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, usually from narrowed coronary arteries, which deprives the heart of oxygen and can cause chest pain or a heart attack.
Catheter: A flexible tube inserted into the body to deliver fluids or medicine, drain fluids, or give doctors access to a blood vessel or organ. Some implanted catheters are the subject of injury lawsuits.
Caustic Soda: The common industrial name for sodium hydroxide, a strongly alkaline chemical used in drain cleaners, soap, paper, and food processing. It can cause severe chemical burns to skin, eyes, and the digestive tract.
CBD Oil (Cannabidiol): An oil containing cannabidiol, a compound from the cannabis plant that does not cause a high. Aside from one prescription drug, the FDA has not approved CBD for sale as a dietary supplement.
Cerebral Palsy (CP): A group of disorders that affect movement, balance, and posture, caused by abnormal development of or damage to the brain before, during, or shortly after birth. It is the most common motor disability in childhood.
CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau): The federal agency that regulates consumer financial products like mortgages, credit cards, bank accounts, credit reports, and debt collection, and takes consumer complaints.
Chemotherapy: Cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill fast-growing cancer cells. Because it also affects healthy fast-growing cells, it can cause side effects such as hair loss, nausea, and fatigue.
CIPA (California Invasion of Privacy Act): A California law that bans wiretapping and recording confidential communications without consent. It lets people sue for $5,000 per violation, and it is widely used in website tracking lawsuits.
Cirrhosis: Severe, permanent scarring of the liver in which scar tissue replaces healthy tissue and keeps the liver from working normally. It can lead to liver failure.
Claim Form: The form a class member submits, usually online on the official settlement website, to receive a payment from a class action settlement. Many settlements pay nothing to people who do not file one.
Class Action Lawsuit: A lawsuit in which one or a few people sue on behalf of a large group with similar claims, so the court can resolve everyone's claims in one case.
Class Action Waiver: A contract term in which you agree to bring claims only individually, not as part of a class or collective action. It usually appears inside an arbitration clause.
Class Certification: A court's decision that a lawsuit can proceed as a class action on behalf of a defined group. Without it, the case can only go forward for the named plaintiffs.
Class Counsel: The lawyers a court appoints to represent the entire class in a class action. They owe duties to the whole class, not just the named plaintiffs, and are paid only with court approval.
Class Period: The span of dates that defines who is in a class action, for example everyone who bought a product or held an account between two specific dates.
COBRA Health Insurance: A federal law that lets workers and their families keep their employer's group health plan for a limited time after losing coverage, usually by paying the full premium plus a small fee.
Common Fund (Common Fund Doctrine): A pool of money created by a class action settlement or judgment for the benefit of the class. Under the common fund doctrine, class lawyers' fees can be paid out of that pool.
COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act): A 1998 federal law, enforced by the FTC, that requires websites, apps, and online services aimed at children under 13 to get verifiable parental consent before collecting a child's personal information.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019): A contagious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The pandemic that began in 2020 led to lawsuits over refunds, insurance, workplace safety, and relief programs.
Credit Card Fraud: Using someone's credit card or card number to make purchases or withdraw money without permission. Federal law caps a cardholder's liability for unauthorized charges at $50.
Credit Card Grace Period: The time between the end of a billing cycle and the payment due date when you can pay your balance in full without being charged interest on new purchases.
Credit Report: A record of your credit history, including loans, credit cards, payment history, and some public records, compiled by credit bureaus such as Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Credit Union: A nonprofit financial cooperative owned by its members, who share a common bond such as an employer, community, or organization. Federally insured credit unions are backed by the NCUA up to $250,000 per depositor.
Creosote: A mixture of chemicals made from coal tar or wood, used mainly as a wood preservative for railroad ties, utility poles, and pilings. Long-term exposure is linked to cancer.
CROA (Credit Repair Organizations Act): A 1996 federal law, 15 U.S.C. 1679 to 1679j, that bars charging for credit improvement services before they are fully performed. Debt relief class actions rely on it when a debt settlement company promised its program would improve customers' credit.
Cy Pres: A way of distributing class action settlement money to a charity or nonprofit, usually one connected to the lawsuit's subject, when paying class members directly is impossible or money is left over.

D

Damage Caps: Laws that set a maximum amount a person can recover for certain kinds of damages, most often noneconomic damages like pain and suffering or punitive damages. Caps vary widely by state and type of case.
Data Breach: An incident in which personal information such as names, Social Security numbers, card numbers, or medical records is accessed or stolen by someone without authorization.
Debt Settlement: A program in which a company negotiates with your creditors to accept less than the full balance, usually while you stop paying creditors and save money in a dedicated account. Fees cannot be collected before a debt is settled.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): A blood clot that forms in a deep vein, usually in the leg. It can break loose and travel to the lungs, causing a life-threatening pulmonary embolism.
Defense Contractor: A company that supplies goods or services to the military under government contracts. Defense contractors can be sued over defective products, but they may raise a special government contractor defense.
Definition of an Employee: The legal test that decides whether a worker is an employee, who gets minimum wage, overtime, and other protections, or an independent contractor, who generally does not. Federal law and many states use different tests.
Diabetes: A long-term disease in which blood sugar (glucose) is too high because the body does not make enough insulin or cannot use it well. The main types are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.
Diabetic Amputation: Surgical removal of a toe, foot, or part of a leg because of damage caused by diabetes, usually from poor circulation, nerve damage, and infections that do not heal.
Dietary Supplement: A product taken by mouth, such as a vitamin, mineral, herb, amino acid, or probiotic, that is meant to add to the diet. In the U.S. the FDA does not approve supplements before they are sold.
Dilantin (Phenytoin): A brand name for phenytoin, an anti-seizure medication used for decades to treat epilepsy. Its label warns of serious skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome and a multi-organ reaction called DRESS.
Disability: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having one.
DRESS Syndrome (Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms): A rare but serious allergic-type reaction to a medication that causes rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and inflammation of internal organs such as the liver. It can be fatal.

E

E-Cigarettes (Vapes): Battery-powered devices that heat a liquid, usually containing nicotine and flavorings, into an aerosol that users inhale. The FDA regulates them as tobacco products called ENDS.
Elemental Formula (Amino Acid-Based Infant Formula): A specialized infant formula made from individual amino acids instead of whole milk or soy proteins, used for babies with severe allergies or digestive disorders.
Elmiron (Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium): A prescription drug used to treat bladder pain from interstitial cystitis. Its label was updated in 2020 to warn that long-term use can cause pigmentary maculopathy, a type of eye damage.
Emotional Distress: Mental suffering such as anxiety, fear, humiliation, or depression caused by someone else's conduct. It can be part of damages in many lawsuits and, in some cases, its own legal claim.
Employee Background Check: A report on a job applicant or employee, such as criminal, credit, or employment history, often prepared by a screening company. When a third party prepares it, the Fair Credit Reporting Act applies.
Employee Misclassification: Treating a worker as an independent contractor, or as exempt from overtime, when the law says they should be a regular employee entitled to minimum wage, overtime, and other protections.
Equal Pay Act: A 1963 federal law that prohibits employers from paying men and women differently for substantially equal work in the same workplace.
Erb's Palsy: Weakness or paralysis of the arm caused by injury to the upper nerves of the brachial plexus, most often when a baby's shoulder gets stuck during delivery. Many babies recover, but some injuries are permanent.
ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act): A 1974 federal law that sets minimum standards for most private employer retirement and health plans, including disclosure, fiduciary duties, and the right to sue for benefits.

F

FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act): A 2003 amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act that, among other things, bars merchants from printing more than the last five digits of a card number, or the expiration date, on a customer receipt.
Fairness Hearing (Final Approval Hearing): The court hearing where a judge decides whether to give final approval to a class action settlement, and where class members who objected may be heard.
Fake Sale (Fictitious Former Price): A discount advertised against an inflated "original" or "regular" price that the product was rarely or never actually sold at, making the deal look better than it is.
False Claims Act (FCA): The main federal law used to fight fraud against the government. It imposes triple damages and per-claim penalties and lets whistleblowers sue on the government's behalf and share in the recovery.
Fault: Legal responsibility for causing harm, usually because someone acted carelessly (negligence) or intentionally. How fault is divided between the parties can reduce or bar what an injured person recovers.
FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act): The federal law that governs credit reports and background checks, requiring accuracy, privacy, and fair dispute procedures, and letting consumers sue when those rules are broken.
FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act): A federal law that bans abusive, deceptive, and unfair practices by third-party debt collectors, and lets consumers sue for damages, including up to $1,000 in statutory damages.
FDUTPA (Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act): Florida's main consumer protection law, which bans unfair or deceptive business practices and lets people who lose money sue for actual damages plus attorney fees.
FELA (Federal Employers' Liability Act): A federal law that lets railroad workers injured on the job sue their railroad employer for negligence, instead of using the state workers' compensation system.
FHA Loan: A home mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration, part of HUD, that allows lower down payments and more flexible credit standards than many conventional loans in exchange for mortgage insurance premiums.
Fibromyalgia: A chronic disorder that causes widespread pain and tenderness, fatigue, and trouble sleeping. It has no cure, and it is a frequent subject of disability insurance disputes.
Final Approval: The judge's order, entered after a fairness hearing, that approves a class settlement as fair, reasonable, and adequate and makes it binding on all class members who did not opt out.
Flood Insurance: Insurance that covers damage from flooding, which standard homeowners policies generally exclude. Most U.S. flood policies are issued through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program.
FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act): The federal law that sets the minimum wage, requires overtime pay of one and a half times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, and sets recordkeeping and child labor rules.
FOIA (Freedom of Information Act): A federal law that gives anyone the right to request records from federal agencies, which must release them unless one of nine exemptions applies.
Folic Acid: The man-made form of folate, a B vitamin (B9) the body needs to make new cells. Getting enough before and early in pregnancy greatly lowers the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida.
Forced Labor: Work obtained through force, threats, serious harm, abuse of legal process, or similar coercion. It is a federal crime, and victims can sue the people and companies that benefited from it.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW): A vehicle safety system that uses cameras or radar to detect a possible crash with the vehicle or pedestrian ahead and alerts the driver. It often works with automatic emergency braking.
Fournier's Gangrene: A rare, life-threatening bacterial infection that destroys tissue in and around the genitals and perineum. The FDA added warnings about it to the labels of SGLT2 inhibitor diabetes drugs.

G

Gadolinium (Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents): A metal used in contrast dyes injected before some MRI scans to make images clearer. The FDA has warned that small amounts can stay in the body, including the brain, for months to years.
GAP Insurance (Guaranteed Asset Protection): An optional add-on for car loans and leases that covers the difference between what you owe and what your auto insurer pays if the car is totaled or stolen. Unused premiums may be refundable if the loan ends early.
GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease): A long-lasting condition in which stomach contents repeatedly flow back into the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms or complications. It is commonly treated with acid-reducing drugs.
Glyphosate: The active ingredient in Roundup and many other weed killers. Regulators disagree about its cancer risk, and it is at the center of thousands of lawsuits alleging it causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Gout: A form of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid that forms sharp crystals in a joint, triggering sudden attacks of severe pain and swelling, often in the big toe.
Gynecomastia: Enlargement of breast gland tissue in boys or men, often caused by a hormone imbalance. Some medications, including the antipsychotic Risperdal, list it as a possible side effect.

H

Hairy Cell Leukemia: A rare, slow-growing blood cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many abnormal B lymphocytes that look "hairy" under a microscope. It is a presumptive condition for veterans exposed to Agent Orange.
Heart Failure: A long-term condition in which the heart cannot pump or fill with enough blood to meet the body's needs. It does not mean the heart has stopped.
Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, most often caused by a virus (hepatitis A, B, C, D, or E), but also by alcohol, drugs, toxins, or autoimmune disease.
Herbicide: A chemical used to kill or control unwanted plants and weeds. Some widely used herbicides, including glyphosate (Roundup) and paraquat, are at the center of major injury lawsuits.
Hernia: A condition in which an organ or fatty tissue pushes through a weak spot in the surrounding muscle or tissue wall, most often in the groin or abdomen. Hernias are commonly repaired with surgery, frequently using surgical mesh.
Hernia Mesh: A surgical implant, usually woven from plastic such as polypropylene, used to reinforce weak tissue when a surgeon repairs a hernia. Thousands of lawsuits allege some mesh products were defective.
Hidden Fees (Junk Fees): Mandatory charges that are left out of the advertised price and revealed only late in checkout or on the bill. Regulators and class actions often call them junk fees or drip pricing.
Homeowners Insurance: Insurance that pays to repair or rebuild a home and replace belongings after covered losses like fire, wind, or theft, and covers the owner's liability for injuries on the property.
Hyperthyroidism (Overactive Thyroid): A condition in which the thyroid gland makes more thyroid hormone than the body needs, speeding up many body functions.
Hypophosphatemia (Low Blood Phosphate): An abnormally low level of phosphate in the blood. Severe or long-lasting cases can cause muscle weakness, bone pain, and fractures, and it is a known risk of the IV iron drug Injectafer.
Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid): A condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone, slowing down many body functions. It is usually treated with daily thyroid hormone pills.

I

ICE Detention Centers: Facilities where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds people in civil immigration detention, including government-run sites, county jails under contract, and privately operated centers.
Identity Theft: When someone uses your personal or financial information, such as your name, Social Security number, or account numbers, without permission to open accounts, make purchases, or commit fraud.
Illinois BIPA (Biometric Information Privacy Act): An Illinois law that requires private companies to get written consent before collecting fingerprints, face scans, and other biometric identifiers, and lets people sue for $1,000 to $5,000 per violation.
Incentive Award (Service Award): A payment from a class settlement to the named plaintiffs for their time and effort representing the class, on top of their regular share. It requires court approval.
Independent Contractor: A self-employed worker who runs their own business and is paid by the job rather than as an employee. Independent contractors are generally not covered by minimum wage, overtime, or workers' compensation laws.
Indexed Annuity (Fixed Indexed Annuity): An insurance contract whose credited interest is tied to a market index like the S&P 500, with limits on gains such as caps and participation rates and usually some protection against losses.
Indexed Universal Life Insurance (IUL): Permanent life insurance with a cash value account whose interest is tied to a stock market index, usually with a cap on gains and a floor that limits losses from index performance.
Infant Brain Damage: Injury to a baby's brain before, during, or shortly after birth, often from a lack of oxygen or blood flow, bleeding, infection, or trauma. It can lead to lifelong conditions such as cerebral palsy.
Injectafer (Ferric Carboxymaltose): An intravenous iron drug used to treat iron deficiency anemia. In September 2026 the FDA added a boxed warning about the risk of severe low phosphate levels.
Interstitial Cystitis (Bladder Pain Syndrome): A chronic condition that causes bladder pressure and pain along with frequent, urgent urination, without a bacterial infection to explain it.
IUD (Intrauterine Device): A small, T-shaped birth control device a clinician places inside the uterus. IUDs are either hormonal or copper, and the copper Paragard IUD is the subject of breakage lawsuits.
IVC Filter (Inferior Vena Cava Filter): A small, cage-like device placed in the body's largest vein to catch blood clots before they reach the lungs. Many are designed to be removed once the clot risk has passed.

J

JAK Inhibitor (Janus Kinase Inhibitor): A class of oral drugs, including Xeljanz, Olumiant, and Rinvoq, that calm the immune system to treat conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis. They carry an FDA boxed warning about heart events, cancer, blood clots, and death.
Jaundice: Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes caused by a buildup of bilirubin in the blood. In adults it is often a sign of liver disease, and it is common and usually mild in newborns.
Jones Act (Seamen's Injury Law): A federal law that lets a seaman injured on the job, or the family of a seaman who dies, sue the employer for negligence in front of a jury.
JUUL Pods: Prefilled nicotine cartridges used in JUUL e-cigarettes. Claims that JUUL misled buyers about the pods' nicotine content and targeted teens led to a consumer class settlement of just over $300 million.

K

Kidney Disease (Chronic Kidney Disease, CKD): Damage to the kidneys that reduces their ability to filter waste and extra fluid from the blood. Chronic kidney disease gets worse slowly and can lead to kidney failure.

L

Lead Plaintiff (Named Plaintiff, Class Representative): The person or people who file a class action in their own names and represent everyone else in the class. In securities cases, the court appoints a lead plaintiff under a special federal law.
Lemon Law: A state law that requires a manufacturer to replace or buy back a new vehicle, or sometimes another product, that has a serious defect it cannot fix after a reasonable number of repair attempts.
Liver Failure: A life-threatening loss of liver function. Acute liver failure develops within days or weeks, often from a drug overdose or reaction, while chronic liver failure develops over years from ongoing damage.
Liver Toxicity (Hepatotoxicity, Drug-Induced Liver Injury): Damage to the liver caused by a drug, supplement, herbal product, or chemical. It ranges from mild changes in blood tests to liver failure.
Long-Term Disability Insurance (LTD): Insurance that replaces part of your income if an illness or injury keeps you from working for an extended period. Most employer-provided LTD plans are governed by the federal ERISA law.
Lost Wages: Income you did not earn because an injury, illness, or unlawful act kept you from working. Lost wages are a type of economic damages you can recover with proof.
Lung Cancer: Cancer that starts in the lungs, usually classified as non-small cell or small cell lung cancer. Smoking causes most cases, but radon, asbestos, and other workplace exposures also raise the risk.
Lye (Sodium Hydroxide): A strong, corrosive chemical, also called caustic soda, used in drain cleaners, soap making, and some hair relaxers. It can cause severe burns to skin, eyes, and the digestive tract.

M

Macular Degeneration (Age-Related Macular Degeneration, AMD): An eye disease that damages the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp central vision. It is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act: A federal law that governs written warranties on consumer products and lets buyers sue when a company breaks a written or implied warranty.
Mass Tort: Many individual lawsuits against the same company over the same product or event, where each injured person keeps their own case and their own damages. Mass torts are often grouped in an MDL.
Medicaid: A joint federal and state health insurance program for people with low income, and for some people with disabilities and older adults who need long-term care. Each state runs its own program within federal rules.
Medicaid Fraud: Cheating the Medicaid program, most often by providers who bill for services not given, not needed, or at inflated rates. Whistleblowers can sue on the government's behalf and share in the recovery.
Medical Device: Any instrument, implant, machine, or similar product used to diagnose, treat, or prevent disease that does not work mainly through chemical action like a drug. The FDA sorts devices into Class I, II, or III by risk.
Medicare: The federal health insurance program for people 65 or older and for some younger people with disabilities, end-stage renal disease, or ALS.
Medicare Fraud: Knowingly billing Medicare for services that were not provided, not needed, or billed at a higher level than delivered, or paying kickbacks for patient referrals. It is pursued through criminal charges and the False Claims Act.
Melanoma: A cancer that forms in melanocytes, the cells that give skin its color. It is less common than other skin cancers but more likely to spread.
Mesothelioma: A rare, aggressive cancer of the thin lining around the lungs, abdomen, or heart. Most cases are caused by asbestos exposure, often decades earlier.
Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant: An artificial hip in which both the ball and the socket are made of metal. Wear can release metal particles and ions such as cobalt and chromium into the body, which has led to failures, revision surgeries, and lawsuits.
Metallosis: A buildup of metal debris in the soft tissue around an implant, usually a metal hip, that can cause inflammation, tissue death, pain, and implant failure.
Mislabeling (Misbranding): When a product's label is false or misleading, or leaves out required information, such as wrong ingredients, amounts, health claims, or origin. Federal law calls mislabeled food and drugs misbranded.
Multidistrict Litigation (MDL): A federal procedure that transfers many similar lawsuits from courts around the country to one judge for coordinated pretrial proceedings, while each case remains an individual lawsuit.

N

National Do Not Call Registry: A free federal list, run by the FTC, where you can register your home or cell number to tell legitimate telemarketers not to call you. Repeated sales calls to a registered number can support a TCPA claim.
Necrotizing Fasciitis: A rare but fast-spreading bacterial infection that destroys skin, fat, and the tissue covering muscles. Often called flesh-eating disease, it is a medical emergency that requires surgery and antibiotics.
Negligence: Failing to use the care a reasonable person or company would use in the same situation, causing harm to someone else. It is the most common legal theory in injury and data breach lawsuits.
Neighbor Spoofing: A robocall tactic in which the caller fakes the caller ID to show a number with your area code and exchange, so the call looks like it is from someone local.
Neonatal Hypothyroidism (Congenital Hypothyroidism): An underactive thyroid in a newborn or young infant. Untreated, it can impair growth and brain development, which is why newborns are screened for it.
Nicotine Poisoning: Illness caused by swallowing, inhaling, or absorbing through the skin too much nicotine, most often when young children get into liquid nicotine for e-cigarettes. Severe cases can be fatal.
No-Fault State: A state whose auto insurance law requires drivers to carry personal injury protection and to file injury claims with their own insurer first, regardless of who caused the crash. Lawsuits against the other driver are limited unless injuries meet a threshold.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL): A group of cancers that start in the lymph system, in white blood cells called lymphocytes. NHL is the cancer at the center of the Roundup weed killer lawsuits.
Nontuberculous Mycobacterial (NTM) Infection: An infection caused by mycobacteria other than those that cause tuberculosis. These germs live in soil and water and can infect the lungs, skin, and surgical sites, sometimes through contaminated medical equipment.
NSF Fee (Non-Sufficient Funds Fee): A fee a bank or credit union charges when it declines or returns a payment because the account does not have enough money to cover it. Unlike an overdraft fee, the payment does not go through.
Nursing Home Neglect: A failure by a nursing home or its staff to provide the care a resident needs, such as food, water, hygiene, medication, supervision, or help moving, that leads to harm.

O

Objector: A class member who formally tells the court they believe a proposed class settlement, or the lawyers' fee request, is unfair. Objectors stay in the class and remain bound if the settlement is approved.
Off-Label Use: Prescribing an approved drug for a condition, age group, dose, or form that the FDA has not approved it for. Doctors may legally do this, but drug companies generally may not promote those uses.
Opt Out (Request for Exclusion): Formally asking to be excluded from a class action or settlement. If you opt out, you get no settlement money but keep your right to sue the company on your own.
Optic Neuritis: Inflammation of the optic nerve, which carries signals from the eye to the brain. It usually causes sudden blurred vision and eye pain, often in one eye.
Osteoporosis: A bone disease in which bone density and strength decrease, making bones fragile and more likely to break. It often causes no symptoms until a fracture happens.
Overdraft Fee: A fee a bank or credit union charges when it lets a transaction go through even though your account does not have enough money to cover it. For ATM and one-time debit card transactions, federal rules require you to opt in first.
Owner-Operator Truck Driver: A truck driver who owns or leases their own tractor and hauls freight under contract with a motor carrier, usually as an independent contractor rather than an employee.

P

Pain and Suffering: Money awarded for the physical pain and emotional distress an injury causes, as opposed to measurable losses like medical bills and lost wages. It is a type of non-economic damages.
Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas, the organ that makes digestive enzymes and insulin. It causes severe upper abdominal pain and can be acute (sudden) or chronic (long-lasting).
Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP): A condition in which weakened pelvic muscles and tissues can no longer hold the bladder, uterus, or rectum in place, so they drop into or out of the vagina. Mesh used to repair it vaginally was pulled from the U.S. market in 2019.
Peripheral Neuropathy: Damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, often causing numbness, tingling, burning pain, or weakness, usually starting in the hands and feet.
PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, "Forever Chemicals"): A large family of man-made chemicals used for nonstick, stain-resistant, and waterproof products and in firefighting foam. They break down extremely slowly and have been linked to health problems.
Phishing: A scam in which criminals send emails, texts, or messages that pretend to come from a trusted company or person to trick you into sharing passwords, account numbers, or other personal information.
Pigmentary Maculopathy: Damage to the macula, the center of the retina, marked by abnormal pigment changes that can blur central vision and make reading or seeing in dim light harder. It has been linked to long-term use of the bladder drug Elmiron.
PIP (Personal Injury Protection): Auto insurance coverage that pays your own medical bills and some lost income after a car accident, regardless of who caused it. It is required in no-fault states such as Florida, Michigan, and New York.
Pneumoconiosis: A group of lung diseases caused by breathing in mineral dust at work, such as coal dust (black lung), silica (silicosis), or asbestos (asbestosis). The dust scars the lungs over time.
Popcorn Lung (Bronchiolitis Obliterans): A rare, permanent lung disease that scars and narrows the smallest airways. It got its nickname after workers at a microwave popcorn plant developed it from inhaling the butter flavoring chemical diacetyl.
Preliminary Approval: A judge's early decision that a proposed class settlement looks fair enough to send notice to class members. It starts the claim, opt-out, and objection deadlines, but is not final.
Price Fixing: An agreement between competitors to raise, lower, or hold prices steady instead of letting the market set them. It is illegal under federal antitrust law, and overcharged buyers can sue for three times their losses.
Proposition 65 (California): A California law passed by voters in 1986 that requires businesses to warn people before exposing them to chemicals the state lists as causing cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI): A class of drugs that reduce stomach acid, including Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, and Protonix, used for heartburn, acid reflux, and ulcers. Lawsuits claim long-term use caused serious kidney disease.
Pulmonary Embolism (PE): A blockage in an artery of the lungs, usually caused by a blood clot that traveled from a deep vein in the leg. It can be life-threatening and needs emergency treatment.
Pulmonary Fibrosis: Scarring and stiffening of lung tissue that makes it harder to breathe and to get oxygen into the blood. It can be caused by dust, chemicals, some medicines, or have no known cause.

Q

Qui Tam Lawsuit: A lawsuit filed by a private person, called a relator, on behalf of the government against someone who defrauded it. Under the False Claims Act, the relator can receive a share of what the government recovers.

R

Radon Gas: A colorless, odorless radioactive gas that forms naturally from uranium in soil and rock and can build up inside homes. The EPA says it is the second leading cause of lung cancer and the leading cause among non-smokers.
Ransomware: Malicious software that locks or encrypts a victim's files and systems so the attackers can demand payment to restore access. Attackers often also steal data and threaten to publish it.
Recall: An action to remove a product from the market or fix it because it is defective, contaminated, or unsafe. Recalls are run by the company, often with oversight from the FDA, CPSC, or NHTSA.
Relator: The whistleblower who files a qui tam lawsuit under the False Claims Act on the government's behalf. A successful relator can receive a share of the money recovered.
Retaliation (Workplace): When an employer punishes a worker for asserting legal rights, such as complaining about discrimination, harassment, unpaid wages, or safety, or for taking part in an investigation. Retaliation is illegal even if the underlying complaint is not proven.
Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP): An eye disease in premature or very low birth weight babies in which abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina. Severe cases can cause retinal detachment and blindness if not caught and treated in time.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): A chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the lining of the joints, causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and joint damage, often on both sides of the body.
Rickets: A condition in children in which bones become weak and soft, usually from not getting enough vitamin D or calcium. In adults the same problem is called osteomalacia.
RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act): A federal law aimed at organized fraud and corruption that also lets private people injured in their business or property sue for three times their damages.
Ringless Voicemail: A prerecorded message delivered directly into a phone's voicemail box without making the phone ring. The FCC ruled in 2022 that these messages count as calls under the TCPA and need the recipient's consent.
Risperdal (Risperidone): An antipsychotic drug made by Janssen, a Johnson & Johnson company, used for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and irritability with autism. It was the subject of thousands of lawsuits alleging it caused breast growth in boys and young men.
Robocall: A phone call that plays a prerecorded or artificial voice message instead of a live person. Robocalls selling something are almost always illegal unless you gave the caller written permission.
Roundup (Glyphosate Weed Killer): Roundup is a brand of weed killer made by Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, whose main active ingredient has long been glyphosate. It is the product at the center of thousands of lawsuits claiming it caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

S

SBA Loan: A small business loan made by a bank or other lender and partly guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, such as a 7(a), 504, or microloan.
SCRA (Servicemembers Civil Relief Act): A federal law that gives active-duty military members financial and legal protections, including a 6 percent interest rate cap on debts taken on before service, protection from default judgments, and the right to end some leases.
Seizures: Sudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can cause convulsions, staring spells, loss of awareness, or unusual sensations. Having a seizure does not by itself mean a person has epilepsy.
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF): A federal program run by the Department of Justice that pays people who were injured or became ill, and families of those who died, because of the 9/11 attacks and the cleanup. Claims can be filed until October 1, 2090.
Settlement Administrator (Claims Administrator): The independent company a court approves to run a class action settlement: sending notices, operating the settlement website, processing claims and opt-outs, and mailing payments.
Sex Trafficking: Recruiting, harboring, transporting, or obtaining a person for a commercial sex act through force, fraud, or coercion, or involving anyone under 18. Federal law lets survivors sue traffickers and those who knowingly benefit.
Sexual Assault: Any nonconsensual sexual act prohibited by federal, tribal, or state law, including when the victim lacks the capacity to consent. Survivors may bring civil lawsuits against the abuser and sometimes against institutions that enabled the abuse.
SGLT2 Inhibitor: A class of diabetes drugs, including Invokana, Farxiga, Jardiance, and Steglatro, that lower blood sugar by making the kidneys flush sugar out through urine. Their labels warn about genital infections, including a rare flesh-eating infection called Fournier's gangrene.
Shingles (Herpes Zoster): A painful, blistering rash caused when the chickenpox virus reactivates in the body years after a person had chickenpox. About 1 in 3 Americans will get it in their lifetime.
Shoulder Dystocia: A delivery emergency in which the baby's head has been born but one shoulder gets stuck behind the mother's pelvic bone. It can cause nerve injuries such as Erb's palsy and, rarely, oxygen deprivation.
Social Security Disability (SSDI): Monthly federal benefits for people who worked and paid Social Security taxes but can no longer work because of a severe medical condition expected to last at least a year or result in death.
Sodium Hydroxide (Lye): A strongly alkaline chemical, also called lye or caustic soda, used in drain cleaners, soap making, food processing, and lye-based hair relaxers. It can cause severe burns to the skin, eyes, and airways.
Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act: California's consumer warranty law, which includes the state's lemon law. It requires makers to honor warranties and to replace or refund defective products, including cars, they cannot fix after a reasonable number of attempts.
Spam Text: An unwanted text message, usually marketing or a scam, sent to your phone without your consent. Unwanted marketing texts can violate the TCPA, which allows lawsuits for $500 to $1,500 per message.
Spam Voicemail: An unwanted prerecorded or robocall message left in your voicemail, including ringless voicemails dropped in without the phone ringing. Unconsented prerecorded marketing voicemails can violate the TCPA.
Statute of Limitations: The legal deadline for filing a lawsuit. Once it passes, a claim is usually barred for good, no matter how strong it was.
Statutory Damages: A fixed dollar amount, or range, that a law sets as the recovery for each violation, so a person does not have to prove exactly how much they lost. Many consumer class actions are built on statutory damages.
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS): A rare but serious reaction, usually to a medication, that causes painful blistering and peeling of the skin and mucous membranes. Its most severe form is toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).
Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI): Leaking urine when pressure is put on the bladder, such as when coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting, or exercising. It is common in women and was the main use for mesh sling implants.
Strict Liability: A rule that makes a company legally responsible for harm caused by its product or activity even if it was not careless. The injured person must show the product was defective and caused the injury, not that the company was negligent.

T

T-Cell Lymphoma: A group of cancers that start in T cells, a type of white blood cell in the immune system. Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) mainly affects the skin and is the focus of claims involving the drug Dupixent.
Talc (Talcum Powder): A soft mineral ground into powder and used in baby powder, cosmetics, and many other products. Talc can be mined near asbestos, and lawsuits claim asbestos-contaminated talc caused ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.
Taxotere (Docetaxel): A chemotherapy drug, sold by Sanofi as Taxotere and as generic docetaxel, used for breast, prostate, lung, and other cancers. Lawsuits claim it caused permanent hair loss and, separately, eye injuries.
TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act): A 1991 federal law that restricts robocalls, autodialed calls and texts, prerecorded messages, and telemarketing to numbers on the Do Not Call Registry. It lets consumers sue for $500 per violation, or up to $1,500 if willful.
Technical Service Bulletin (TSB): A notice a vehicle manufacturer sends to dealers explaining how to diagnose and repair a known problem in certain models. Unlike a recall, a TSB does not require the manufacturer to fix every affected vehicle for free.
Tenofovir (TDF and TAF): An HIV medicine made by Gilead that comes in two forms, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF). TDF drugs were the subject of lawsuits alleging kidney and bone harm.
Textured Breast Implants: Breast implants with a rough outer shell designed to help them stay in place. Textured implants have been linked to a rare immune system cancer called BIA-ALCL.
Thrombosis: The formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel that can block normal blood flow. Clots in veins can travel to the lungs, and clots in arteries can cause heart attacks or strokes.
TILA (Truth in Lending Act): A federal law requiring lenders to clearly disclose the cost and terms of credit, such as the APR and finance charge, so consumers can compare offers. Borrowers can sue for violations.
Tofacitinib (Xeljanz): A prescription pill sold as Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR that treats rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. It is a JAK inhibitor and carries an FDA boxed warning about heart events, cancer, blood clots, and death.
Total Hip Arthroplasty (Total Hip Replacement): Surgery that replaces both the ball and the socket of a damaged hip joint with artificial parts made of metal, ceramic, or plastic. It is most often done for severe arthritis or a broken hip.
Total Knee Arthroplasty (Total Knee Replacement): Surgery that replaces the damaged surfaces of the knee joint with metal and plastic implant parts. Failures of certain knee implants have led to recalls and product liability lawsuits.
Transvaginal Mesh: Synthetic surgical mesh implanted through the vagina to treat pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence. Complications led to large injury litigation and a 2019 FDA order ending U.S. sales of mesh for transvaginal prolapse repair.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Damage to the brain caused by a blow, jolt, or object piercing the skull. It ranges from a mild concussion to a severe injury with lasting disability.
TSGLI (Traumatic Injury Protection under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance): A VA-administered insurance benefit that pays service members a one-time amount of $25,000 to $100,000 after certain severe traumatic injuries. It comes automatically with full-time SGLI coverage.

U

Ulcerative Colitis: A chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which the immune system causes inflammation and sores (ulcers) in the lining of the large intestine, leading to diarrhea, bleeding, and abdominal pain.

V

Vaginal Rejuvenation: A marketing term for cosmetic or functional procedures on the vagina, often using laser or radiofrequency devices. The FDA warned in 2018 that no energy-based device had been cleared or approved for these uses.
Vaginal Sling (Mid-Urethral Sling): A strip of surgical mesh or tissue implanted under the urethra to treat stress urinary incontinence in women. Mesh slings were the subject of widespread product liability lawsuits.
Vaping (E-Cigarette Use): Inhaling an aerosol produced by an electronic cigarette or vape pen, which heats a liquid that usually contains nicotine and flavorings. Vaping products are at the center of youth addiction and injury lawsuits.
Ventricular Fibrillation (V-Fib): A life-threatening heart rhythm in which the lower chambers of the heart quiver instead of pumping blood. It causes cardiac arrest and death within minutes without CPR and a shock from a defibrillator.
Ventricular Tachycardia: A fast, regular heart rhythm that starts in the heart's lower chambers, the ventricles. Short runs may cause no problems, but longer episodes can become life threatening.
Vitamin D Toxicity: Illness caused by taking far too much vitamin D, almost always from supplements, which raises blood calcium to dangerous levels. It can damage the kidneys and heart.
Voicemail Drop: A marketing tool that leaves a prerecorded message in a person's voicemail, often without ringing the phone. The FCC treats ringless voicemail drops as calls under the TCPA, so they need prior consent.
VPPA (Video Privacy Protection Act): A 1988 federal law that bars companies providing video content from disclosing which videos a person watched, along with information identifying them, without the person's consent. It allows $2,500 in damages per person.

W

Wage and Hour Claim: A legal claim that an employer failed to pay wages the law requires, such as minimum wage, overtime, pay for all hours worked, or required breaks. These claims are often brought as class or collective actions.
Whiplash: A neck injury caused by a sudden back and forth movement of the head, most often in a rear-end car crash. It usually improves within weeks to a few months, but some people have longer-lasting symptoms.
Whistleblower: A person, often an employee, who reports fraud, safety violations, or other illegal conduct by a company or government agency. Federal and state laws protect many whistleblowers from retaliation, and some programs pay awards.
Work-Related Injury: An injury or illness that happens because of your job, whether from an accident, repeated strain, or exposure to something harmful at work. Most are handled through workers' compensation.
Wrongful Death Claim: A civil lawsuit brought by a person's family or estate when someone dies because of another party's negligence or wrongful act. It seeks money for the survivors' financial and personal losses.

Z

Zadroga Act (James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act): The 2010 federal law that created the World Trade Center Health Program and reopened the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund for people sickened by 9/11 toxic exposure.
Zostavax (Zoster Vaccine Live): Merck's live-virus shingles vaccine, approved in 2006 and no longer available in the U.S. since November 18, 2020. Lawsuits claim it caused shingles and other injuries in some people.