Kentucky Accidents Glossary

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

Defense lawyers and insurers often push for one when they want to shut down future claims for repayment or blame-sharing after a settlement. That can sound technical, but the...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-22

bellwether trial

A bellwether trial is a test case used to show how similar lawsuits may be decided. "Test case" means one lawsuit is picked from a larger group of claims that share common...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-23

careless driving

The point that trips people up most is that careless driving usually does not require proof that a driver meant to be dangerous. It is a lower-level driving offense based on...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-24

census plaintiff

You may see this phrase in a court notice, settlement update, or a lawyer's letter saying that someone has been counted as part of a group of claimants for reporting or...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-22

cy pres distribution

The worst outcome is thinking money left over in a settlement will automatically go back to injured people, when a court may instead send it somewhere else. Cy pres...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-23

distracted driving citation

Like dropping a glass in the kitchen and pretending the crash came out of nowhere, a distracted driving citation is the paper trail that says a driver's attention was somewhere...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-27

driving without headlights

Insurance adjusters and defense lawyers often point to this allegation as evidence that an injured driver was careless, inattentive, or partly at fault for a crash. They use it...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-03

evading a police officer

Knowingly refusing to stop for a law enforcement officer who is trying to detain you. "Knowingly" matters because the state usually must show the driver understood an officer...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-04

failure to stop for emergency vehicle

Not pulling over and stopping for an approaching police car, ambulance, fire truck, or other authorized emergency vehicle using lights or siren. "Failure" means a driver did...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-01

fleeing and eluding

You might see this phrase on a traffic citation, in a police report, or hear it from an insurer after a crash: a driver "failed to stop" and kept going after an officer tried...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-27

following too closely

People mix this up with tailgating, but they are not exactly the same. Tailgating is the everyday word for riding someone's bumper. Following too closely is the legal version:...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-25

improper lane change

People mix this up with failure to signal, but they are not the same thing. A failure to signal means a driver changed direction without using a turn signal. An improper lane...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-28

inventory settlement

A negotiated agreement that resolves a group of similar claims held by one law firm or defendant at the same time, usually as part of a larger mass tort or coordinated...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-23

leaving the scene of an accident

You might see this in a ticket, crash report, court notice, or hear an officer say you were accused of "leaving the scene" after a wreck. It means a driver was involved in a...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-01

multidistrict litigation panel

You'll usually see it in a notice, transfer order, or case update that says your lawsuit was "sent to the MDL" or that a motion is pending before the "Judicial Panel on...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-22

passing a stopped school bus

You just got a letter that says you were cited for passing a stopped school bus, and now you are trying to figure out whether this was just another traffic ticket or something...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-03

Requests for Admissions

Picture a wreck on the Brent Spence Bridge in Covington like a checklist handed across the table: admit this, deny that, and don't leave blanks unless you want trouble later....

GLOSSARY 2026-03-21

running a red light

Entering an intersection after a traffic signal has turned red is a moving violation that usually means a driver failed to stop when the law required it. That can happen in a...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-24

running a stop sign

You may see this written on a traffic ticket, crash report, insurance notice, or hear an officer say that a driver "failed to stop at a stop sign" or "ran a stop sign." It...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-03

school zone violation

A school zone violation is a traffic offense that happens when a driver breaks special road rules put in place near a school to protect children, crossing guards, buses, and...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-31

street racing charge

Like turning a public road into a drag strip, a street racing charge comes up when police say a driver used an open street or highway to compete on speed, test who has the...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-03

temporary partial disability

Yes - carriers use this label to cut panic, lower expectations, and push people back to work before they are really ready. When an adjuster or defense lawyer says someone is...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-22

texting while driving

Like trying to read and answer a message while walking down a crowded staircase, texting behind the wheel pulls a driver's eyes, hands, and attention away at the same time. In...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-01