Toxic Tort Legal Glossary: S

SSRI Drugs: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are the newest class of antidepressant drugs on the market and are prescribed to treat depression in children and in adults. SSRIs have replaced tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors and are thought to more reliably alleviate the feelings of despondency and helplessness associated with depression. SSRI drugs must now carry a black-box warning, stating the possible relationship between these drugs and an increased chance of suicidal behavior. Celexa, Lexapro, Effexor, Paxil, and Luvox are popular SSRI drugs.

Screening: Testing for disease in people without symptoms.

Setoff: A claim by a defendant in a lawsuit that the plaintiff owes the defendant money which should therefore be subtracted from the amount of damages claimed by plaintiff.

Settlement: The resolution of a lawsuit or legal dispute prior to a final court judgment. Most settlements are achieved by negotiation in which the attorneys and the parties agree to terms of settlement. In practice, most lawsuits result in settlement.

Smog: Dust, smoke, or chemical fumes that pollute the air and make hazy, unhealthy conditions (literally, the word is a blend of smoke and fog). Automobile, truck, bus, and other vehicle exhausts and particulates are usually trapped close to the ground, obscuring visibility and contributing to a number of respiratory problems.

Solid Waste: Defined in RCRA to include any garbage, refuse, sludge, and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations and from community activities. RCRA also excludes certain materials from the definition of solid waste. Please see Section 1004(27) of RCRA.

Source Reduction: The design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials (such as products and packaging) to reduce the amount or toxicity of garbage generated. Source reduction can help reduce waste disposal and handling charges because the costs of recycling, municipal composting, landfilling, and combustion are avoided. Source reduction conserves resources and reduces pollution.

Stable Air: A motionless mass of air that holds instead of dispersing pollutants.

Stagnation: Lack of motion in a mass of air or water that holds pollutants in place.

Statute of Limitations: A law which sets the maximum period after which the right to file a lawsuit expires, depending on the type of case or claim. In some instances a statute of limitations can be extended based on delay in discovery of injury.

Statute of Repose: A statute of repose for products completely cuts off liability of the manufacturer or seller of a defective product after an arbitrarily-established number of years, such as 10 years or 15 years. Statutes of repose apply no matter how serious the injuries, how many injuries have been caused over the years by these products or services, or how reckless the actions of the wrongdoer were. They cover products with expected lives much longer than typical cut-off dates in the statute of repose, products like nuclear power plant components, medical devices such as pacemakers, elevators, airplanes, home appliances, playground equipment, farm equipment, freight trains, trucks, and other industrial machinery.

Strict Liability: Automatic responsibility for damages due to ownership or use of equipment, materials or possessions which are inherently dangerous.

Structured Settlements: Also called "periodic payments," structured settlement laws mandate, allow defendants to request, or allow courts to require that some or all payments awarded by a judge or jury be made to the injured consumer over a long period of time. In other words, the injured consumer is prohibited from receiving payments in a lump sum. These provisions increase the hardships of the most seriously injured consumers who are hit soon after an injury with large medical costs and must make adjustments in transportation and housing. Often, the law allows insurance companies to pocket the money upon the plaintiff's death, instead of paying it to a dependent spouse or child.

Systemic Effects: Effects observed at sites distant from the entry point of a chemical due to its absorption and distribution into the body.