New Hampshire Injuries Glossary

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

Why can your license get suspended before your DUI case is even decided? Because an administrative per se suspension is a civil, license-based penalty imposed by a motor...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-03

ATGATT

Miss this idea, and the worst-case result is brutally simple: a rider believes jeans, work boots, and a tough attitude are "good enough," then hits the pavement and turns a...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-23

care plan

Miss this for what it is, and a neglect case can start to look like "just old age" when the real problem was a facility not following its own roadmap. This is not just a stack...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-21

carrier safety rating

After a serious truck crash, one of the worst surprises is learning the company had already been flagged for safety problems and nobody understood what that meant. A carrier...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-30

CDL disqualification

The part people miss is this: a CDL disqualification does not always mean a driver "lost" a regular license too. It means the person is barred from operating a commercial motor...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-26

CDL downgrade

Insurance companies and defense lawyers may bring this up to suggest a commercial driver was already unfit to drive, had a shaky safety record, or lost earning power for...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-24

commercial learner's permit

Not a full commercial driver's license, and not a shortcut around CDL rules, a commercial learner's permit is a temporary permit that lets someone practice driving a commercial...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-30

Compliance Safety Accountability

A federal safety monitoring system for commercial carriers and drivers. "Federal" matters because the program is run by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, not by...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-27

conspicuity

You may see this word in an insurance letter, a crash report, or a lawyer's note asking whether a motorcycle was "reasonably conspicuous" to other drivers. In plain terms, it...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-23

CSA score

Insurance companies and defense lawyers may point to a truck driver's "CSA score" to argue that a crash was really the driver's fault, or to claim a trucking company was...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-28

driver fitness determination

You just got a letter that says your employer, insurer, doctor, or a government agency is reviewing whether you are medically or legally fit to keep driving. A driver fitness...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-01

FMCSA Clearinghouse

You just got a letter that says a drug or alcohol violation has been reported to the FMCSA Clearinghouse, and now your employer is asking questions before handing over the...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-01

FMCSA safety regulations

Like the rulebook that keeps a busy warehouse from turning into chaos, these are the operating standards meant to keep commercial trucks and buses moving safely on public...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-03

hazmat endorsement revocation

One bad misunderstanding can cost a commercial driver a job overnight: hauling a load that requires a hazardous materials endorsement after that privilege has been taken away....

GLOSSARY 2026-04-01

interstate vs intrastate CDL

Whether a commercial driver crosses state lines or stays within one state determines which CDL rules and medical requirements apply. "Interstate" means operating a commercial...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-26

involuntary discharge

A report may simply say a resident was "discharged" or "transferred," but what matters for a claim is whether the nursing home forced that move without the resident truly...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-22

left-turn accident

What does it mean when a crash is called a left-turn accident? It usually means one vehicle turned left across the path of an oncoming vehicle and caused a collision. With...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-23

look-back period

Like checking a rearview mirror to see what is still close enough to matter, a look-back period is the stretch of time a court, agency, employer, or insurer reviews when...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-02

major offense CDL disqualification

People often mix up a major offense CDL disqualification with a serious traffic violation, but they are not the same. A serious traffic violation usually involves unsafe...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-28

masking prohibition CDL

A commercial driver can lose work, face a disqualification, or trigger higher employer scrutiny by assuming a ticket can be reduced, deferred, or kept off the driving record...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-01

motor vehicle record CDL

A commercial driver's earnings, insurance costs, and claim value can change quickly when violations or suspensions appear on the driving history tied to a CDL. In a crash case,...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-25

out-of-service order

A violation here can cost a driver wages immediately and can also change the value of an injury case. If a truck, bus, or driver was under an out-of-service order, work stops...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-25

pre-employment screening program

A hiring-screening system that lets employers review an applicant's past safety record before putting them to work. In trucking and other safety-sensitive jobs, that usually...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-30

Recorded Statement

Say the wrong thing in one of these, and an insurance adjuster may use your own words to shrink or deny your claim. A casual answer like "I'm fine" or a guess about speed,...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-21

reinstatement fee

This is the bill that stands between a suspended license and getting back on the road. If you do not pay it, the case may feel "over" on paper, but your driving privilege is...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-03

roadside inspection violation

A roadside inspection violation is a safety or regulatory problem documented by an officer or inspector during a stop of a commercial vehicle, such as faulty brakes, bad tires,...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-01

serious traffic violation CDL

A conviction in this category can cost a commercial driver income quickly because it can trigger a CDL disqualification, raise insurance costs, and become damaging evidence...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-25

SR-22 insurance

"You need to file an SR-22 to get your license back," or "The DMV requires proof on file before reinstatement," is how most people first run into this phrase. What it means is...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-02

work permit driving privilege

Insurance adjusters and defense lawyers may use this phrase to suggest someone was driving on shaky legal ground, outside the rules, or not supposed to be on the road at all....

GLOSSARY 2026-04-03