Legal Definitions - recover

In legal terms, to recover means to successfully obtain a judgment, damages, or other relief through a lawsuit or legal proceeding. It signifies that a party has prevailed in their claim and is legally entitled to receive what they sought, most commonly a sum of money.

• Example 1: Personal Injury Lawsuit

  After being injured in a slip-and-fall accident at a grocery store due to a wet floor that was not marked, a customer filed a lawsuit against the store for negligence. The jury found the store liable and awarded the customer $75,000 for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

  Explanation: In this scenario, the customer has recovered $75,000 in damages from the grocery store, meaning they successfully obtained that monetary award through the legal process.

• Example 2: Breach of Contract

  A small business hired a contractor to renovate its office space, but the contractor abandoned the project halfway through, leaving significant work unfinished and causing delays. The business sued the contractor for breach of contract to cover the costs of hiring a new contractor to complete the work and for lost revenue due to the delay.

  Explanation: If the court rules in favor of the business and orders the original contractor to pay for the additional expenses and lost revenue, the business will have recovered those financial losses.

• Example 3: Debt Collection

  A credit card company filed a lawsuit against a cardholder who had accumulated a significant balance and failed to make payments for several months. The court reviewed the evidence and issued a judgment in favor of the credit card company for the outstanding amount plus interest.

  Explanation: The credit card company has successfully recovered the debt by obtaining a court judgment that legally obligates the cardholder to pay the outstanding balance.