Ch 6 Torts Flashcards
Tory
Civil wrongdoing or infringement on rights that leads to civil liability
Purpose of tort law
Provide remedy (damages) for injury to protected interest
Compensatory
Reimburse plaintiff for actual losses
Special damages
Medical expenses, lost wages, benefits
General damages
Pain and suffering, has cap
Punitive damages
Punish wrongdoer and defer similar future conduct, has cap
Tortfeasor
Person committing the tort
Intentional tort
Intended consequences and/or knew what would happen
Transferred intent
Tortfeasor goes for person ‘A’ but harms ‘B’
Assault
Intentional or undecided threat of immediate harmful/offensive action
Battery
Completion of assault, physical contact intentionally performed
False imprisonment
Intentional confinement of another person or restraining their activity without justification
Infliction of emotional distress
Intentional act that amounts to extreme and outrageous conduct (tying husband to tree)
Defamation
Wrongfully hurting a persons good reputation
Slander
Verbally defaming someone
Libel
Defaming someone through print and media
Damages for libel
General damages presumed and plaintiff will not have to prove actual injury
Damages for slander
Plaintiff must prove actual economic loss
Slander per se
No proof needed when involving loathsome disease, serious crime/sexual misconduct
Appropriation
Use of another’s name, likeness, or identifying characteristic for commercial purposes
Fraud
Intentional deceit, for personal gain.
Wrongful interference
Defendant knows about contract/business and intentionally induces party to breach or relationship to end
Conversion
Wrongful possession or use without permission
Negligence
Failure to live up to required duty of care they reasonable person has
Causation in fact
But for test; did injury occur because of defendants act or would if have occurred anyways?
Proximate cause
When causal connection between act and injury is strong enough to impose liability (Long Island railroad case)
Negligence per se
Occurs when defendant violates statute designed to protect the type of plaintiff that was injured;
Good Samaritan statutes
Projects someone who renders aid to injured person from being sued for negligence
Dram shop acts
In NC; liability for injuries may be put on bartender if he’s found at fault
Assumption of risk
Plaintiff knows risk and engages in act anyway
Superseding cause
Unforeseeable intervening act that breaks link between defendant’s act and plaintiffs injury (Cletus truck)
Contributory negligence
If plaintiff causes injury in any way he is barred from recovery