Civil Cases Civil lawsuits are cases in which a plaintiff claims that he or she has been injured by the actions of the defendant. In jury is a legal term meaning any harm done to a person's body, property, reputation or rights. In some civil cases, the plaintiff seeks damages, or money, from the defendant as compensation for injuries allegedly caused by the defendant. Civil juries consist of six members. Not all civil cases, however, involve attempts to receive compensation for injuries.
People also file lawsuits to enforce their rights.
In New Jersey, these kinds of non-monetary lawsuits are called General Equity cases. A General Equity case may involve a terminally ill person s right to refuse life-sustaining medical treatment, or a dispute between labor and management over rights in the workplace, or even a company s ability to protect its trade secrets, such as how it makes or markets a product. General Equity cases are decided by judges instead of juries. As in criminal cases, the parties in civil cases often agree to settle their disputes without a trial. Settlements may occur before a trial starts or even during a trial.