In simple terms, a civil case refers to a private case and dispute, which are not criminal in nature, between people and/or organizations.
It is a lawsuit brought before a civil court as a result of some private wrong or misconduct. This may include damages, negligence, breach of contract or another civil issue.
A civil case usually commences when an entity or a person claims that another person (defendant) or entity (any other company or an organization) has not performed the legal duties that they were supposed to and, as a result, the plaintiff has suffered a loss.
Civil cases revolve around civil wrongs, which are also known as "torts." The party who commits the civil wrong, or tort, is known as the tortfeasor. The amount of damages that a tortfeasor can be forced to pay depends heavily on the severity of the civil wrong.
Unlike criminal cases, if defendants lose a civil case, they will not be forced to serve jail time.