LAW 122 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Professional Liability Insurance, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Law Society
Document Summary
Litigation is the system of resolving disputes in court. Unpredictable time consuming frequently fatal to business relationships. Very few cases are decided by judges in court. Most disputes are settled out of court; we rarely hear about those details. Fewer than 1% of private disputes are decided by judges. General rule: any person or corporation can sue or be sued. Person who lacks legal capacity can sue or be sued but must act through a representative. Example: child or adult with mental disability) A corporation is a type of a person. A company may therefore sue or be sued. Unincorporated organizations such as clubs and church groups are not classified as a legal person. Purpose: multiple claims against single defendant joined together in one action. Suing on behalf of large group of claimants; allows small individuals to take on large organizations. Small claimants able to share costs of litigation against large defendant. Example: product liability, mass torts, workplace discrimination.