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Simple English definitions for legal terms
chain-of-causation rule
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A quick definition of chain-of-causation rule:
Chain-of-Causation Rule: This is a rule that says if someone gets hurt at work and it makes them really sad or sick, and then they hurt themselves on purpose, like by killing themselves, then their family can get money from the company to help them. It's like saying the company is responsible for what happened because they didn't keep the person safe at work.
Chain of Custody: This is a way of making sure that evidence in a court case is real and hasn't been changed. It means that everyone who had the evidence had to say where it was and what they did with it, so that no one could change it or make it different. It's like making sure that a toy you borrowed from a friend is still the same toy when you give it back to them.
A more thorough explanation:
The chain-of-causation rule is a principle in workers' compensation that states that if an employee suffers a work-related injury that leads to a mental disorder resulting in suicide, then the suicide is compensable under workers'-compensation statutes.
For example, if an employee falls from a ladder at work and suffers a traumatic brain injury that leads to depression and ultimately suicide, the chain-of-causation rule would apply, and the employee's family would be eligible for workers' compensation benefits.
The chain of custody refers to the movement and location of real evidence, and the history of those persons who had it in their custody, from the time it is obtained to the time it is presented in court.
For example, if a murder weapon is found at a crime scene, the chain of custody would document who found the weapon, who collected it, who transported it to the lab for analysis, and who stored it until it was presented in court as evidence.
The chain of custody is important because it ensures that the evidence presented in court is authentic and has not been tampered with or altered in any way. It requires testimony from each person who had possession of the evidence, and they must confirm that the evidence remained in substantially the same condition during their possession.