Case vs. Incident — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 25, 2024
Case refers to an instance of a particular situation or the subject of an investigation, often in legal or medical contexts; incident denotes an event or occurrence, typically unexpected or disruptive, focusing more on the event itself.
Difference Between Case and Incident
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A case is a scenario or issue that is being investigated or managed, typically in a legal, medical, or organizational setting. It often implies a need for resolution or deeper understanding. On the other hand, an incident is a specific event, often unforeseen, that disrupts normal operations or poses a challenge, emphasizing the occurrence itself.
Cases usually require a systematic approach to address or solve them, involving analysis, follow-up, and sometimes, intervention by professionals. Whereas incidents are often reactive situations where immediate response is critical to mitigate impact.
In legal terms, a case is a file or dossier representing a dispute brought before a court. Conversely, an incident might refer to a specific action or event that becomes a part of the legal case but is not equivalent to the case itself.
In healthcare, a case involves a patient's medical history and treatment plan, indicating an ongoing process. In contrast, an incident in healthcare could refer to an unexpected event, like a sudden worsening of a patient's condition or an accident within the facility.
Cases often have a broader scope and may encompass multiple incidents as part of the situation under review or investigation. On the other hand, incidents are typically singular events that may catalyze the initiation of a case but are generally more limited in scope.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A situation under investigation or management.
An event or occurrence, especially unforeseen.
Context
Legal, medical, administrative.
General, can occur in any setting.
Focus
Resolution, management.
Immediate effects, occurrence.
Longevity
Ongoing, may take time to resolve.
Typically brief, momentary.
Example
A court case, a medical case.
A security breach, an accident.
Compare with Definitions
Case
A legal dispute before a court.
The Johnsons filed a case against their neighbors.
Incident
A breach of standard operations or expectations.
The security incident was reported immediately.
Case
A specific question or problem to be solved.
This case study will be included in our final exam.
Incident
A minor conflict or accident.
There was an incident involving two students in the schoolyard.
Case
An instance or example of a condition or scenario.
This is a classic case of miscommunication.
Incident
A sudden or significant event that demands a response.
Emergency teams responded to the fire incident.
Case
A patient's medical history and treatment plan.
Dr. Smith reviewed the case before proceeding.
Incident
A specific event or occurrence, often unplanned.
The incident at the factory halted production for hours.
Case
A situation requiring investigation.
The detective opened a new case after the recent theft.
Incident
An occurrence that interrupts normal proceedings.
The incident disrupted the meeting for a short period.
Case
An instance of a particular situation; an example of something occurring
A case of mistaken identity
In many cases farmers do have a deep feeling for their land
Incident
A particular occurrence, especially one of minor importance.
Case
An instance of a disease, injury, or problem
200,000 cases of hepatitis B
Incident
An event in a narrative or drama.
Case
A legal action, especially one to be decided in a court of law
A libel case
A former employee brought the case against the council
Incident
A usually violent or disruptive occurrence, especially one that precipitates a larger crisis
An international incident that provoked war.
Case
Any of the forms of a noun, adjective, or pronoun that express the semantic relation of the word to other words in the sentence
The accusative case
Incident
An occurrence that interrupts normal procedure or functioning; a mishap
The plane landed without incident.
Case
A container designed to hold or protect something
A silver cigarette case
Incident
(Law) Something contingent on or related to something else.
Case
Each of the two forms, capital or minuscule, in which a letter of the alphabet may be written or printed.
Incident
Tending to arise or occur as a result or accompaniment
"There is a professional melancholy ... incident to the occupation of a tailor" (Charles Lamb).
Case
Surround in a material or substance
The towers are of steel cased in granite
Incident
(Law) Related to or dependent on another thing.
Case
Reconnoitre (a place) before carrying out a robbery
I was casing the joint
Incident
(Physics) Falling upon or striking a surface
Incident radiation.
Case
An instance or occurrence of a particular kind or category
A case of mistaken identity.
Incident
An event or occurrence.
She could not recall the time of the incident.
It was an incident that he hoped to forget.
The suspect was released without further incident.
Case
An occurrence of a disease or disorder
A mild case of flu.
Incident
A (relatively minor) event that is incidental to, or related to others.
Case
A set of circumstances or a state of affairs; a situation
It may rain, in which case the hike will be canceled.
Incident
An event that causes or may cause an interruption or a crisis, such as a workplace illness or a software error.
Case
Actual fact; reality
We suspected the walls were hollow, and this proved to be the case.
Incident
Arising as the result of an event, inherent.
Case
A question or problem; a matter
It is simply a case of honor.
Incident
Falling on or striking a surface.
The incident light illuminated the surface.
Case
A situation that requires investigation, especially by a formal or official body.
Incident
Coming or happening accidentally; not in the usual course of things; not in connection with the main design; not according to expectation; casual; fortuitous.
Case
An action or a suit or just grounds for an action.
Incident
Liable to happen; apt to occur; befalling; hence, naturally happening or appertaining.
Case
The facts or evidence offered in support of a claim.
Incident
(legal) Dependent upon, or appertaining to, another thing, called the principal.
Case
A set of reasons or supporting facts; an argument
Presented a good case for changing the law.
Incident
Falling or striking upon, as a ray of light upon a reflecting surface.
Case
A person being assisted, treated, or studied, as by a physician, lawyer, or social worker.
Incident
Coming or happening accidentally; not in the usual course of things; not in connection with the main design; not according to expectation; casual; fortuitous.
As the ordinary course of common affairs is disposed of by general laws, so likewise men's rarer incident necessities and utilities should be with special equity considered.
Case
(Informal) A peculiar or eccentric person; a character.
Incident
Liable to happen; apt to occur; befalling; hence, naturally happening or appertaining.
All chances incident to man's frail life.
The studies incident to his profession.
Case
In traditional grammar, a distinct form of a noun, pronoun, or modifier that is used to express one or more particular syntactic relationships to other words in a sentence.
Incident
Dependent upon, or appertaining to, another thing, called the principal.
Case
Case In some varieties of generative grammar, the thematic or semantic role of a noun phrase as represented abstractly but not necessarily indicated overtly in surface structure. In such frameworks, nouns in English have Case even in the absence of inflectional case endings.
Incident
That which falls out or takes place; an event; casualty; occurrence.
Case
A container; a receptacle
A jewelry case.
Meat-filled cases of dough.
Incident
That which happens aside from the main design; an accidental or subordinate action or event.
No person, no incident, in a play but must be of use to carry on the main design.
Case
A container with its contents.
Incident
Something appertaining to, passing with, or depending on, another, called the principal.
Case
A decorative or protective covering or cover.
Incident
A single distinct event
Case
A set or pair
A case of pistols.
Incident
A public disturbance;
The police investigated an incident at the bus station
Case
The frame or framework of a window, door, or stairway.
Incident
Falling or striking on something
Case
The surface or outer layer of a metal alloy.
Incident
(sometimes followed by `to') minor or casual or subordinate in significance or nature or occurring as a chance concomitant or consequence;
Incidental expenses
The road will bring other incidental advantages
Extra duties incidental to the job
Labor problems incidental to a rapid expansion
Confusion incidental to a quick change
Case
A shallow compartmented tray for storing type or type matrices.
Case
The form of a written, printed, or keyed letter that distinguishes it as being lowercase or uppercase
Typed the password using the wrong case.
Case
To put into or cover with a case; encase.
Case
(Slang) To examine carefully, as in planning a crime
Cased the bank before robbing it.
Case
An actual event, situation, or fact.
For a change, in this case, he was telling the truth.
It is not the case that every unfamiliar phrase is an idiom.
In case of fire, break glass. [sign on fire extinguisher holder in public space]
Case
A given condition or state.
Case
A piece of work, specifically defined within a profession.
It was one of the detective's easiest cases.
Social workers should work on a maximum of forty active cases.
The doctor told us of an interesting case he had treated that morning.
Case
(academia) An instance or event as a topic of study.
The teaching consists of theory lessons and case studies.
Case
(legal) A legal proceeding, lawsuit.
Case
(grammar) A specific inflection of a word (particularly a noun, pronoun, or adjective) depending on its function in the sentence.
The accusative case canonically indicates a direct object.
Latin has six cases, and remnants of a seventh.
Case
Grammatical cases and their meanings taken either as a topic in general or within a specific language.
Jane has been studying case in Caucasian languages.
Latin is a language that employs case.
Case
(medicine) An instance of a specific condition or set of symptoms.
There were another five cases reported overnight.
Case
(programming) A section of code representing one of the actions of a conditional switch.
Case
A box that contains or can contain a number of identical items of manufacture.
Case
A box, sheath, or covering generally.
A case for spectacles; the case of a watch
Case
A piece of luggage that can be used to transport an apparatus such as a sewing machine.
Case
An enclosing frame or casing.
A door case; a window case
Case
A suitcase.
Case
A piece of furniture, constructed partially of transparent glass or plastic, within which items can be displayed.
Case
The outer covering or framework of a piece of apparatus such as a computer.
Case
A shallow tray divided into compartments or "boxes" for holding type, traditionally arranged in sets of two, the "upper case" (containing capitals, small capitals, accented) and "lower case" (small letters, figures, punctuation marks, quadrats, and spaces).
Case
The nature of a piece of alphabetic type, whether a “capital” (upper case) or “small” (lower case) letter.
Case
(poker slang) Four of a kind.
Case
(US) A unit of liquid measure used to measure sales in the beverage industry, equivalent to 192 fluid ounces.
Case
(mining) A small fissure which admits water into the workings.
Case
A thin layer of harder metal on the surface of an object whose deeper metal is allowed to remain soft.
Case
A cardboard box that holds (usually 24) beer bottles or cans.
Case
A counterfeit crown five-shilling coin.
Case
(obsolete) to propose hypothetical cases
Case
(transitive) To place (an item or items of manufacture) into a box, as in preparation for shipment.
Case
(transitive) To cover or protect with, or as if with, a case; to enclose.
Case
To survey (a building or other location) surreptitiously, as in preparation for a robbery.
Case
(poker slang) The last remaining card of a particular rank.
He drew the case eight!
Case
A box, sheath, or covering; as, a case for holding goods; a case for spectacles; the case of a watch; the case (capsule) of a cartridge; a case (cover) for a book.
Case
A box and its contents; the quantity contained in a box; as, a case of goods; a case of instruments.
Case
A shallow tray divided into compartments or "boxes" for holding type.
Case
An inclosing frame; a casing; as, a door case; a window case.
Case
A small fissure which admits water to the workings.
Case
Chance; accident; hap; opportunity.
By aventure, or sort, or cas.
Case
That which befalls, comes, or happens; an event; an instance; a circumstance, or all the circumstances; condition; state of things; affair; as, a strange case; a case of injustice; the case of the Indian tribes.
In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge.
If the case of the man be so with his wife.
And when a lady's in the caseYou know all other things give place.
You think this madness but a common case.
I am in case to justle a constable,
Case
A patient under treatment; an instance of sickness or injury; as, ten cases of fever; also, the history of a disease or injury.
A proper remedy in hypochondriacal cases.
Case
The matters of fact or conditions involved in a suit, as distinguished from the questions of law; a suit or action at law; a cause.
Let us consider the reason of the case, for nothing is law that is not reason.
Not one case in the reports of our courts.
Case
One of the forms, or the inflections or changes of form, of a noun, pronoun, or adjective, which indicate its relation to other words, and in the aggregate constitute its declension; the relation which a noun or pronoun sustains to some other word.
Case is properly a falling off from the nominative or first state of word; the name for which, however, is now, by extension of its signification, applied also to the nominative.
Case
To cover or protect with, or as with, a case; to inclose.
The man who, cased in steel, had passed whole days and nights in the saddle.
Case
To strip the skin from; as, to case a box.
Case
To propose hypothetical cases.
Case
A comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy;
The family brought suit against the landlord
Case
An occurrence of something;
It was a case of bad judgment
Another instance occurred yesterday
But there is always the famous example of the Smiths
Case
A special set of circumstances;
In that event, the first possibility is excluded
It may rain in which case the picnic will be canceled
Case
A problem requiring investigation;
Perry Mason solved the case of the missing heir
Case
The actual state of things;
That was not the case
Case
A statement of facts and reasons used to support an argument;
He stated his case clearly
Case
A portable container for carrying several objects;
The musicians left their instrument cases backstage
Case
A person who is subjected to experimental or other observational procedures; someone who is an object of investigation;
The subjects for this investigation were selected randomly
The cases that we studied were drawn from two different communities
Case
A person requiring professional services;
A typical case was the suburban housewife described by a marriage counselor
Case
The quantity contained in a case
Case
A glass container used to store and display items in a shop or museum or home
Case
A specific state of mind that is temporary;
A case of the jitters
Case
Nouns or pronouns or adjectives (often marked by inflection) related in some way to other words in a sentence
Case
The housing or outer covering of something;
The clock has a walnut case
Case
A person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities);
A real character
A strange character
A friendly eccentric
The capable type
A mental case
Case
An enveloping structure or covering enclosing an animal or plant organ or part
Case
The enclosing frame around a door or window opening;
The casings had rotted away and had to be replaced
Case
Bed linen consisting of a cover for a pillow;
The burglar carried his loot in a pillowcase
Case
Look over, usually with the intention to rob;
They men cased the housed
Case
Enclose in, or as if in, a case;
My feet were encased in mud
Common Curiosities
How is an incident typically reported?
Incidents are usually reported immediately after they occur, especially if they are emergencies or security breaches.
What typically triggers a case to open?
A case is often opened following the identification of a legal, medical, or administrative issue that requires resolution.
Can an incident lead to a case?
Yes, incidents can escalate or reveal deeper issues that necessitate opening a case for thorough investigation.
How do legal definitions of case and incident differ?
Legally, a case refers to a dispute or criminal investigation before the court, whereas an incident could be any event that may or may not lead to legal action.
What is the duration of a typical case compared to an incident?
Cases usually last much longer than incidents, as they involve investigation, deliberation, and resolution processes.
Are all incidents considered cases?
Not all incidents become cases; some are resolved quickly without the need for a formal investigation.
What is the role of professionals in handling cases?
Professionals like lawyers, doctors, or managers play crucial roles in managing cases through their expertise and systematic approach.
How does documentation differ between a case and an incident?
Documentation for cases is often more detailed and ongoing, while incident reports are typically concise and focused on immediate details.
What impact do incidents have on operations?
Incidents can disrupt operations, requiring immediate attention and resources to mitigate impacts.
What immediate actions are taken during an incident?
Immediate actions during an incident include ensuring safety, assessing damage, and initiating emergency protocols.
Can incidents be prevented?
Many incidents can be prevented with proper planning, safety protocols, and risk management strategies.
How do healthcare professionals approach a case versus an incident?
In healthcare, cases are managed with long-term treatment plans, while incidents, such as emergencies, are dealt with immediately.
How are incidents recorded in the workplace?
Workplace incidents are recorded through incident reports that detail the event, its impact, and the initial response.
What makes a situation a case in a business environment?
In business, cases often involve situations like customer complaints or complex project issues requiring systematic resolution.
What educational purposes do cases serve?
Cases are used in educational settings, particularly in law and business, to teach students about real-life scenarios and problem-solving techniques.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
