attractive nuisance Flashcards

1
Q

what is attractive nuisance?

A

a form of landowner negligence liability to a plaintiff-trespasser who is a minor. The conjunctive elements of the doctrine supersede the standard-of-care test for trespasser liability.

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2
Q

The age of child- do not discover cuz of youth

A

State statutes may specify the maximum age of the child-plaintiff who may take advantage of the doctrine, e.g. 14. Regardless, though, note that element (c) effects a sliding scale where the older the child, the less likely he or she will be able to take advantage of the doctrine.

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3
Q

elements

A

0) (preconditions) a child-trespasser-pl. enters on def.’s real property, and thereon encounters a highly dangerous and artificial condition;
(1) as to the place, the landowner knows or has reason to know that children are likely to trespass there;
(2) as to the condition, the landowner knows or has reason to know of an unreasonable death-risk with which children are likely to meddle;
(3) the children do not discover the risk because of their youth, and they do not realize the risk of entering into the dangerous area;
(4) the utility of the condition and the burden of eliminating the risk are outweighed by the high risk of the condition to children;
AND
(5) landowner fails to exercise reasonable care to make safe or warn.

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4
Q

majority rule

A

condition must be artificial, according to majority rule. Water and fire are not artificial conditions, even if they collected or initiated by artificial means.

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5
Q

must the dangerous condition be what attracted child to property?

A

NO

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6
Q

where the test requires “knows or has reason to know”

A

imposing no duty of investigation to ascertain facts not subjectively known already.

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7
Q

(3) the children do not discover the risk because of their youth, and they do not realize the risk of entering into the dangerous area

A

is stated as a subjective test, but that element’s variability with the age of the child hints at an objective “check”–we might readily disbelieve the 14-year-old who claims to have been ignorant of the danger of a blasting cartridge, if we conclude that the ordinary 14-year-old would have been better informed

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8
Q

mass

A

MASSACHUSETTS courts long refused to recognize attractive nuisance at common law. However, the legislature adopted attractive nuisance by statute, MA ST 231 s 85Q, in 1977. The statute tracks the multistate approach. The Commonwealth furthermore allows a defendant in attractive nuisance to plead comparative fault

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