ch 5: Torts and product liability Flashcards
2 notions of tort law
wrongs and compensations
what is tort law designed for
to compensate those who have suffered due to another persons wrongful act
damage vs damages
Damage- refers to harm to persons or property
Damages- referred to as the reward sought as a remedy
Compensatory damages
payment given to cover the real value of injuries or damage suffered (given to plaintiff)
compensatory damage broken into what 2 categories
-special
-general
Special damages
compensation based on quantifiable money losses (ex lost wages)
Legislative caps on damages
caps ranging from 250,000 to 750,0000
General damages
compensation for non monetary aspects such as pain or suffering
Punitive damages
-Monetary damages that may be awarded to a plaintiff to punish the defendant from the defendants pocket
classification of torts
-intentional
-unintentional
intentional tort vs unintentional
Intentional- when someone causes harm on purpose
Unintentional- when someone causes harm without intending to
Tortfeasor
the one committing the tort
intent in tort means
the person knew the consequences even if the consequence was not their intention
transferred intent
when someone intends to harm someone but accidently harms someone else (still is intentional)
assuault
any intentional and unexcused threat of immediate harmful or offensive contact (words or actions)
battery
- Physical contact with another that is unexcused, harmful or offensive, and intentionally performed.
ivy and jean example
: ivy threatening jean with the gun and pointing is assualt her actually firing the gun and shooting jean is battery
how is contact judged
Contact offense is judged by what a reasonable person would think and if it is found to be offensive the plaintiff can revive compensation for physical and emotional harm
false impriosnment
Confinement of another persons activities without justification
-Can be accomplished thru the use of physical barriers, physical restraint, or threats of physical force
can business have the right to reasonably detain
yes
Intentional infliction of emotional distress
(IIED)
extreme/outrages conduct resulting in severe emotional distress to another
how does IIED become ationable
to be actionable(capable of lawsuit) it must be so extreme it wouldn’t even be accepted by society
Defamation
false statements that are published/ publicly spoken that causes injury to another by hurting their reputation
libel
if the defamatory statement is written/recorded
Slander
if the defamatory statement is spoken
To establish defamation plaintiff MUST prove
That the defendant made a false statement
The statement was about the plaintiff and harmed their rep
The statement was published to at least one other person other than the plaintiff
If a plaintiff is a public figure they must prove actual malice
Statement of fact requirement
It is imp to determine if the defendant made a fact or option bc opinions are protected by the first amendment
Only defamatory if it is false and presented as a fact
Publication
means the statements are shared with people other than the person being defamed.
when publication is considered
if someone overhears defamatory statements by chance, it’s also considered publication
Anyone who repeats or republishes defamatory statements can be held liable, even if they reveal the original source.
Damages for libel
If someone is found responsible for libel, the plaintiff can receive general damages.
General damages cover things like damaged reputation, humiliation, and emotional distress, even if it’s hard to measure these harms.
Damages for slander
For slander cases, the plaintiff must prove they suffered actual loss due to the statement.
Without proving the plaintiff typically cannot win the case or recover damages.
This is because slanderous statements are considered temporary contrast to libel statements which are considered permanent
Defenses to defamation
Truth is a defense, so if a defendant can prove the statement is true no defamation occurs
Other defenses apply if a public figure i involved
Privileged communications
Some idv. Will not be liable bc they have immunity
Absolute privilege & Qualified privilege
absolute privledge
statements made by attorneys and judges
Qualified privilege
applies in situations like employer evaluations, where statements are protected
public figures
must prove Actual malice-the statement was made knowing it was false or with reckless disregard for the truth.
what is a statement of opinion
not actionable bc they are protected by the first amendment
Actual malice
statement made with either knowledge that its false or a reckless disregard of the truth.
Invasion of the right to privacy and appropriation
People have the right to privacy meaning they are entitled to be free from unwanted attention
4 elements to invasion of privacy
- Intrusion into an individual’s affairs or seclusion
- False light
- Public disclosure of private facts
- Appropriation of identity
Intrusion into an individual’s affairs or seclusion
(ex-invading someone’s home, window peeping, etc)
- False light-
publication of info that places a false light on a person
Public disclosure of private facts-
when a person publicly discloses private info about a indv. That the normal person would find objectionable
Appropriation of identity
- using a person’s name, picture, etc. without permission is a tortious invasion of privacy
debit card false light case
A man reported his debit card as stolen and that someone withdrew funds. They identified who they thought was the woman and posted her image on crimestoppers, however it was in fact not her, she sued for false light and won.
appropriation singer case
a ad company asks singer to make an ad w her voice she rejects but then they get someone who imitates the singer- this would be an appropriation of identity
Fraudulent misrepresentation
Misrepresentation either by mistake or by leaving out a specific fact, knowingly made with the intention of deceiving another
for fraud to occur more than just what must occur…
puffery (exaggeration)
statement of fact vs optinion
Fraud occurs when someone relies on a statement of fact
Can involve an opinion if the person has expertise ex a lawyer giving opinion may be considered a fact
negligent misrepresentation
When false info is given without the intent but because of their carelessness and lack of knowledge of the statements falsity
Liability arises when the person giving the info had a duty of care to acc provide accurate info
Business tort
wrongful interference with another businesses rights
Wrongful Interference with a Contractual Relationship which 3 elements must occurs
-A valid, enforceable contract must exist between two parties.
-A third party must know that this contract exists.
-The third party must intentionally induce a party to breach the contract.
opera singer wrongful interference case
opera singer wagner had a contract to sing for lumley but a dude named gye knew of this contract but enticed wagner to sing for gye which constituted a tort as it interfered with their contract and also wagner did a breach of contract
Wrongful interference with a business relationship
Businesses do many things to attract customers but wrongful interference occurs when they unreasonably interfere with another business in attempts to gain from it and it is considered predatory as it is in attempt to drive them out of the market
Intentional Torts against Property
includes trespassing land, trespassing personal property, and conversion as it interferes with a person’s rights to their land or personal property
includes real and personal property
real vs personal property
Real - land and things permanently attached to the land (house)
Personal- all other items that are movable (furniture)
does actual harm on the land have to occur to prove tresspass
no
Trespass to Land
occurs when a person
Enters on, above, or below the surface that is owned by another
Causes anything to enter onto land owned by another
Remains on land owned by another or permits anything to remain on it
Trespass to Personal Property
When someone wrongfully takes or harms someone elses property and interferes with the lawful owners ability to use their property (ex when that guy took my headphones)
defenses to trespass
If the trespass was warrentend (ex someone fell and someone went to savge them)
If the person had a license
warrented personal trespass
The only time it is warranted if its a defense ex a auto shop keeping a car when the customer doesn’t pay for the repairs
conversion
When someone deprives the owner of their property without permission or cause
Related to trespass as taking the item is trespassing and then wrongfully keeping it is conversion
Even the person was initially allowed to take it, if they don’t return it, it can be considered conversion
To succeed in a negligence action plaintiff must prove
Duty- The defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff.
Breach- The defendant breached that duty.
Causation in fact- The plaintiff’s injury would not have occurred without the defendant’s breach.
Proximate causation- The connection btw the defendant’s breach and plaintiff’s injury is foreseeable therefore justifies imposing liability.
Damages-The plaintiff suffered a legally recognizable injury.
Negligence
When someone gets injured bc of the negligence of another.
(not intentful and a normal person should see the risk)
reasonable care in negligence
courts look at what a careful person might to do assess whether it was negligent
breach of duty of care
May be thru act such as setting a fire or thru ommiusion such as seeing a fire and not saying anything
When determining whether duty of care has been breached courts consider..
The nature of the act (whether it is outrageous or commonplace).
The manner in which the act was performed (cautiously versus heedlessly).
The nature of the injury (whether it is serious or slight).
Duty of care
idea that people should act carefully and not harm others- free to do what u want as long as it does not affect others
The reasonable person standard
Judges how a reasonable person would act in a similar situation and how they should act and uses this to measure negligence and breach of duty of care
duty of land owners
Landowners must take reasonable care to keep ppl on property safe from harm
Duty to Warn Business Invitees of Risks
Business invitee- person who is invited onto business premises
Businesses must warm visitors about risks such as wet floors
Obvious risks may be an exception
Businesses don’t need to warn people about obvious dangers
Duty of professionals
Ppl with special skills such as doctors are held to a higher standard of care and are judged by what a reasonable professional in their field would do not by the average person
bc of this they can be sued for malpractice (professional negligence)
causation
To decide whether there is causation
Was the defendant’s conduct the cause of the injury
Was it the proximate cause
Causation in fact
Means the injury happened bc of the defendants actions
Proximate cause
When the connection btw the act and injury is strong enough to hold someone responsible
They use this to determine which injuries are acc linked to the defendants actions
Involves foreseeability meaning that the defendants actions created a risk of injury
Palsgraf v Long Island Railroad co
Palsgraf was at train station when at the other end a man was tryna catch a train but it was alr boarding so the guards helped him on in which he dropped his package which then exploded and palsgraf got injured. Palsgraf tried to sue claiming that the guards were negligent in their duty to care however that risk was not a foreseeable risk so she did not win.
The Injury Requirement and Damages
For tort to be committed the plaintiff MUST have suffered a legally recognizable injury bc if there is no harm, loss, etc, there is nothing to compensate
Good Samaritan Statutes
Statute that protects ppl who help in emergencies for ex doctors unless they purposely act recklessley
assumtion of risk
The plaintiff knew and accepted the risk.
