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.
Rapidan is a small unincorporated community in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. Bisected by the Rapidan River, it is home to the Rapidan historic district and dates to the 18th century, when it was a mill town known as Waugh's Ford. It was renamed Rapid Ann Station in 1854 and Rapidan in 1886. The town was mostly destroyed in the American Civil War and later became a center for the shipment of wood products. The community and surrounding counties are served by the Rapidan Volunteer Fire Department, officially formed in 1978.