A person who is sued in court for violating a civil law that allegedly caused damages to the plaintiff
A defendant is alleged to have violated the civil code, a body of law that includes torts, commercial law, contract law, property law, and transactional law.
In a civil action, the person bringing the law is called the plaintiff. The defendant is the person against whom the plaintiff brings the civil action.
In civil courts, the defendant is represented by private counsel. In many instances, especially in injury and accident law, an insurance lawyer is assigned to represent the defendant.
The remedies available to the plaintiff in a civil action against the defendant are usually monetary damages. In certain cases, a plaintiff can seek equitable relief against a civil defendant in the form of an injunction.
