Chapter 6 Flashcards
Civil wrong [plaintiff vs. defendant]
Tort
Role/ Purpose of Tort
Compensate plaintiff (injured party) for injuries wrongfully inflicted by the defendant.
Place injured party in as close to the position they would have been in prior to the tort occurring.
Remedy
Types of Remedies:
(1) Monetary damages
(2) Punitive damages
(3) Specific performance
(4) Injunction (force party to do something or not to do something)
Categories of Torts:
(1) Negligence
(2) Intentional Torts
(3) Strict Liability
Businesses become involved in torts through….
(1) Person harmed by actions of business or employees
(2) Person harmed by a product manufactured by business
(3) Business harmed by wrongful acts of another business
Unintentional, but careless conduct that creates an unreasonable risk of harm to others.
Negligence
Elements of Negligence:
(1) Duty
(2) Breached
(3) Caused
(4) Harm
To be successful in a case, plaintiff must prove all these 4:
(1) Defendant had a duty of care owed to others (must act reasonably all the time)
(2) Defendant breached that duty (failed to act miserably)
(3) Defendant breach of duty caused (failure to act reasonably is the cause of the harm)
(4) Harm to plaintiff (injury / damage)
True or False: Negligence does not require intent.
True
Carelessness which is in reckless disregard for the safety or lives of others, and is so great it appears to be a conscious violation of the safety of others. Can lead to punitive damages.
Gross Negligence
Examples of Gross Negligence:
(1) Surgeon amputation of the wrong limb
(2) Speeding through a parking lot where numerous people are walking
(3) Surgeon leaving a tool in a person following surgery
(4) Drinking and Driving
How persons in the relative community ordinarily ought to behave.
Reasonable Person Standard
What applies once you turn 18?
Reasonable Person Standard: Everyone at all times is expected to act responsibly.
Defendants are not liable for every injury their actions cause - only those from unreasonable behavior.
Reasonable Person Standards
Reasonable Person Standard applies to _________________.
Specific Professions (CPA, doctor, attorney, etc.)
Standard of Reasonable Person Standards
What a reasonably skilled, competent and experienced person in that profession would do.
Defendant has a Duty
Reasonable Person Standard
Defendant’s duty of reasonable care was breached through some act or omission on the part of the wrongdoer
Defendant Breached their Duty
Cause is the link between the defendant’s breach of duty and the harm done.
Defendant’s Breach of Duty Caused
Person’s conduct is the actual cause of the injury (“but for” test)
Cause in Fact
Defendant is only responsible for harms the defendant could have foreseen through his or her actions.
Proximate [foreseeable] Cause
In a proximate foreseeable cause, look for _______________________.
A relationship between the injury and the negligent conduct.
Proximate [foreseeable] Cause Contrasts
- Example: A drunk driver weaves in traffic and hits a pedestrian, causing injury. It is foreseeable that if you drink and drive, they can cause personal injuries.
- Contrast with: If a drunk driver hits a truck full of explosives, and there is an explosion that causes drivers to rubberneck and another vehicle ends up hitting a pedestrian, the drunk driving is probably not the foreseeable cause of the pedestrian’s injuries.
- Contrast with: Maria speeds through an intersection while Sam is crossing. When Maria sees Sam, she swerves to try and avoid hitting him. While swerving, she crashes into a brick wall. The wall crumbles. The crumbling wall knocks over a tree standing next to it. The tree falls on Sam, breaking his arm. Maria hitting the wall is probably not the proximate cause of Sam’s injuries, because we couldn’t foresee the injury.
The thing speaks for itself.
Res Ipsa Loquitur