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Informed by coherence theory, it is contended that the narratives used in legal injury cases possess a universal set of particular characteristics & that these characteristics are found within the genre of melodrama. An overview of the melodramatic genre is presented, highlighting the various character types & motifs prevalent in such works & reviewing literary critical accounts of the function of melodrama. Similarities between melodramas & legal injury narratives are illuminated, including (1) the existence of a fundamental plot in which a benevolent & inherently good plaintiff/protagonist is wronged by a malicious & blameworthy defendant/antagonist; (2) the unilateral assertion of blame for the injury; (3) the presence of certain stock characters who fulfill stereotypical roles; (4) the attribution of certain characteristics like weakness & passivity to the plaintiff/protagonist; (5) the gendering & racializing of both principal parties/characters; (6) the articulation of the plaintiff/protagonist's virtue; & (7) the expression of positive emotions toward the plaintiff/protagonist. Future directions for research are offered. 41 References. J. W. Parker