Personal action

In the civil law. An action in personam. A personal action seeks to enforce an obligation imposed on the defendant by his contract or delict; that is, it is the contention that he is bound to transfer some dominion or to perform some service or to repair some loss. Gaius, bk.

4, § 2.

In common law. An action brought for the recovery of some debt or for damages for some personal injury, in contradistinction to the old real actions, which related to real property only.

See 3 Bl. Comm. 117. Boyd v. Cronan, 71 Me. 286; Doe v. Waterloo Min. Co. (C. Ct) 43 Fed. 219 ; Osborn v. Fall River, 140 Mass. 508, 5 N. E. 483.

An action which can be brought only by the person himself who is injured, and not by his representatives.