| Wages |
A form of compensation given to an employed person by an employer for services rendered.
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| Waive |
Something is waived when someone voluntarily agrees to give it up.
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| Waiver |
To intentionally give up something, such as a right, by making a written or oral statement signifying you wish to relinquish it, or by merely not utilizing that right.
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| Warranty |
In products liability law, a warranty is any written statement designed to assure the consumer of quality merchandise.
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| Weight of Evidence |
The weight of evidence is determined by which side presents evidence that is the strongest, most believable and most valuable to a factual issue. This is synonymous with the phrase "preponderance of evidence."
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| Wet Reckless |
When a reckless driving charge is labeled as "alcohol related" because the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream was borderline illegal, a "wet reckless" plea is designed to reduce the drunk driving charge. To plea wet reckless, the charged individual must have caused no accident and have no prior record. This can reduce a fine, eliminate the possibility of serving jail time, and prevent a drunk driving conviction from appearing on the individual's record. If, however, there is a second offense, the "wet reckless" will be considered a "prior" drunk driving conviction and the second conviction will receive a heavier sentence.
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| Willful |
Any act with is consciously or intentionally performed and directed toward achieving a specific purpose.
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| Willful Negligence |
Intentionally performing an unreasonable act, consciously knowing it contains a level of risk, but disregarding the high probability for harm. There is no clear distinction between willful negligence and gross negligence.
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| Witness |
A witness is anyone who testifies under oath in a trial or deposition with first-hand or expert evidence useful in a lawsuit. This person can be a party for the plaintiff or defendant.
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| Workers' Compensation Acts |
When employees are injured on the job or become ill, Workers' compensation is a employer liability in some states which helps employees receive medical coverage, a percentage of lost wages or salary, costs of rehabilitation and even, following a medical evaluation, payment for permanent injuries. Workers' compensation is not based on employer negligence.
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| Workmen's Compensation |
Workmen's compensation was an earlier phrase to reflect worker's compensation, before the phrase moved to be non-gender-specific.
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| Writ |
A writ is a judge's written requesting a specific action from the individual receiving the writ.
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| Wrongful Death |
When a wrongful act-- such as negligence, intentional attack, manslaughter or murder-- of one person results in the death of another. The family who has lost the company and support of the deceased may file a wrongful death action against the party or parties who caused the death.
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| Wrongful Termination |
When an employee is discharged without a proven cause, that employee has the right to sue the employer for damages such as loss of wage and "fringe" benefits, and under certain circumstances, for punitive damages. To do this, the employee must have had a specific or implied contract indicating that the employment would be permanent and that the discharge was in contradiction of public policy.
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