Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals and/or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim. For instance, if a car crash victim claims damages against the driver for loss or injury sustained in an accident, this will be a civil law case. Civil law courts provide a forum for deciding disputes involving torts (such as accidents, negligence, and libel), contract disputes, the probate of wills, trusts, property disputes, administrative law, commercial law, and any other private matters that involve private parties or organizations including government departments. The objectives of civil law are different from other types of law. In civil law there is the attempt to right a wrong, honor an agreement, or settle a dispute. If there is a victim, they get compensation, and the person who is the cause of the wrong pays, this being a civilized form of, or legal alternative to, revenge.
Damascus is an unincorporated community in southwestern Goshen Township in Mahoning County and northwestern Butler Township in Columbiana County in the U.S. state of Ohio. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 44619. It lies at the intersection of U.S. Route 62 and State Routes 173 and 534. The Mahoning County portion of Damascus is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Columbiana County portion is part of the East Liverpool–Salem Micropolitan Statistical Area.