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.
Eidson is an unincorporated community located on Clinch Mountain in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol (TN)–Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region. The community is the site of the Clinch School, a K-12 public school operated by Hawkins County. Clinch School is the smallest K-12 school in the state, with a 2006-2007 enrollment of 133 students. The main school building was constructed in 1938 as a Works Progress Administration project to provide a high school for the Eidson community. Before the high school was built, Clinch School ended at grade 10, and students wishing to continue their education past that level attended Rogersville High School, Grainger County High School, or Hancock County High School. A new Clinch School is under construction as of autumn 2009. Eidson is also the site of a post office, assigned the zip code 37731. The town was named after a group of families living there with the surname Eidson. Among them was Andrew Jackson Eidson, a patriarch of the branch of Eidsons found throughout East Tennessee. Many Eidson are concentrated around upper Hawkins County.