' ▁in ▁English ▁law , ▁or ▁a ▁' comp la int ' ▁in ▁U . S . ▁federal ▁practice ▁and ▁in ▁many ▁U . S . ▁states . ▁It ▁can ▁be ▁any ▁communication ▁not ifying ▁the ▁party ▁to ▁whom ▁it ▁is ▁addressed ▁of ▁an ▁alleg ed ▁fault ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁dam ages , ▁often ▁expressed ▁in ▁amount ▁of ▁money ▁the ▁receiving ▁party ▁should ▁pay / re im bur se . ▁ ▁To ▁purs ue ▁a ▁cause ▁of ▁action , ▁a ▁pla int iff ▁ple ads ▁or ▁alleg es ▁facts ▁in ▁a ▁compla int , ▁the ▁ple ading ▁that ▁initi ates ▁a ▁law suit . ▁A ▁cause ▁of ▁action ▁generally ▁en comp ass es ▁both ▁the ▁legal ▁theory ▁( the ▁legal ▁wrong ▁the ▁pla int iff ▁claims ▁to ▁have ▁suffered ) ▁and ▁the ▁rem edy ▁( the ▁relief ▁a ▁court ▁is ▁asked ▁to ▁grant ). ▁ ▁O ften ▁the ▁facts ▁or ▁circumstances ▁that ▁ent itle ▁a ▁person ▁to ▁seek ▁jud icial ▁relief ▁may ▁create ▁multiple ▁causes ▁of ▁action . ▁Although ▁it ▁is ▁fairly ▁straightforward ▁to ▁file ▁a ▁Stat ement ▁of ▁Cla im ▁in ▁most ▁juris dict ions , ▁if ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁done ▁properly , ▁then ▁the ▁fil ing ▁party ▁may ▁lose ▁his ▁case ▁due ▁to ▁simple ▁technical ities . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁specific ▁causes ▁of ▁action , ▁including : ▁contract - based ▁actions ; ▁stat ut ory ▁causes ▁of ▁action ; ▁tort s ▁such ▁as ▁assault , ▁battery , ▁invasion ▁of ▁priv acy , ▁fra ud , ▁s land er