Law Library Legal Dictionary – H

Legal Definitions – H

Habeas Corpus – A legal principle that allows anyone imprisoned by the government to challenge their detention as unlawful.

Habitual Offender – Someone who has committed the same crime more than once, and must face a harsher sentence as a result.

Harassment – Unwanted or inappropriate behavior exhibited by one person and targeted at another. See also: Hostile Work Environment Harassment, Types of Sexual Harassment, Harassment in the Workplace

Health Care Fraud – A crime where medical providers lie to insurance companies about medical procedures performed in order to receive inflated insurance payouts.

Health Insurance – An insurance policy that is designed to help consumers pay for health care.

Health Savings Account (HSA) – A personal savings account reserved for health care expenses. Only people that have a high deductible insurance plan can have this kind of savings account.

Healthcare Proxy – A legal document in which one appoints a "healthcare agent" to make medical decisions should that person become incapacitated due to either injury or illness.

Hiring Policy – A term used to describe the overall practices, decisions, and processes that a company uses when hiring employees. This kind of company policy must conform to local, state, and federal laws, such as anti-discrimination laws.

Hit and Run Accident – A car accident in which someone leaves the scene of an accident without stopping and exchanging information with the other driver. By leaving without stopping, that person is considered to have committed a crime.

HIV Patient Bill of Rights – The legal rights of HIV patients.

HMO Malpractice Liability – The liability a health maintenance organization or managed care organization has for any of its doctors that have failed to provide the organization’s patients with adequate health care.

Hobbs Act – A federal law that makes it a crime for anyone "in any way or degree" to obstruct, delay, or affect interstate commerce by committing robbery or extortion.

Home Business Insurance – Specialized home insurance for people that run a business out of their home.

Home Equity Loan – A special type of loan where the borrower utilizes their home equity as collateral for the loan. This type of loan is usually used for larger projects and expenses, such as college tuition or medical expenses.

Home Improvement Loan – A specific type of real estate loan that is used for the purpose of completing home renovation projects. It is usually used by the same types of companies that issue mortgage loans and is sometimes considered to be a type of second mortgage.

Homeowner Liability – The liability that the owner of a home owes to other people, such as visitors and passers-by, as the result of owning the home.

Hospital Malpractice – The liability that a hospital owes to patients for any malpractice committed by doctors and nurses working at the hospital.

Hostile Takeover – When one company acquires another company that does not want to be merged with the first company.

House Arrest – The confinement of a person in their home as an alternative to being confined in prison.

Housing Discrimination – Discrimination exhibited by a seller of a home or a residential landlord against a potential home buyer or tenant.

Husband-Wife Privilege – A privilege enjoyed by spouses that prevent them from being forced to testify against one another.