Motorcycle Insurance Glossary - defendant
The defendant is the person against whom a claim is brought (an insurance claim is a civil not criminal matter).
A defendant in a civil action usually makes his or her first court appearance voluntarily in response to a summons, whereas a defendant in a criminal case is often taken into custody by police and brought before a court, pursuant to an arrest warrant. The actions of a defendant, and its lawyer counsel, is known as the defense.
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