Glossary of Wrongful Death Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #

Click on the first letter of the word from the list above to go to the appropriate section of the glossary.

- F -

Failure to Diagnose: A form of medical malpractice committed on behalf of a medical doctor. Florida failure to diagnose has the potential to cause serious damage and even death to patients who do not receive prompt and adequate medical care as needed because of medical malpractice.

Field Sobriety Test (FST): Any number of tests used by law enforcement officers, usually on the roadside, to determine whether a driver is impaired. Most FSTs test balance, coordination and the ability of the driver to divide his or her attention among several tasks as once. Other tests, such as the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, are used to measure a subject's impairment level.

Foreseeability: A key issue in determining a person's liability. If a defendant could not reasonably have foreseen that someone might be hurt by his or her actions, then there may be no liability.