Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes > Title 24 > Chapter 21 > Subchapter 7 - Structured Awards

• Action for professional negligence: means any action for damages for injury or death against any health care provider, its agents or employees, or health care practitioner or the health care practitioner's agents or employees, whether based upon tort or breach of contract or otherwise, arising out of the provision or failure to provide health care services. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24 Sec. 2502
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Future damages: includes damages for future medical treatment, care or custody, loss of future earnings and loss of the economic value of services. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 24 Sec. 2951
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.