In civil litigation, the party that initiates the case by filing the petition is called the

• A. Defendant
• B. Respondent
• C. Plaintiff
• D. Appellant

Answer: (C)

In civil litigation, the party who starts the case by filing the petition is the plaintiff. The plaintiff is the one who brings the claims, sets forth the facts, and seeks relief from the court. The defendant is the person being sued and must respond to those claims. The term respondent is used in other kinds of proceedings (like certain petitions or family law contexts), not for the initiating party in a typical civil action. An appellant is someone who appeals a court decision, not the party who starts the case. So the initiator of the civil action by filing the petition is the plaintiff.