Exam 2 Review Flashcards
What is designed to compensate those who have suffered injury or loss due to another’s
actions; comes down to wrongs (injury) and compensations?
Torts
What’s purpose is to provide relief/remedies for the violations of protected interests
(personal safety, physical injury, freedom of movement; property)?
Torts
What refers to $ for injury/harm?
Damages
What type of damage compensates/reimburses the plaintiff for actual loss / damage;
“make whole”?
Compensatory Damages
What type of compensatory damages is for quantifiable loss (lost wages, medical
expenses, replacement items)?
Special Damages
What type of compensatory damages are for non-quantifiable losses (pain & suffering;
physical & emotional damage; loss of companionship; loss of consortium; disfigurement;
loss of reputation)?
General Damages
What type of damages punish the defendant/wrongdoer and deter others; only reserved for truly egregious behavior or reprehensible behavior; usually involving intentional torts; excessive amounts may involve due process issues?
Punitive Damages
It is not uncommon for who to limit punitive damages awarded on constitutional grounds
- “no legitimate purpose”?
Appellate Courts
What do some states have that limit the amount of damages (both punitive and genera)
that can be awarded for various claims?
Legislative Caps
What type of tort would be throwing a punch during a fight?
Intentional
In what type of cases are there usually legislative caps or even bans on damages; big
consideration on diversity of citizenship issues (250K and 500k non-special damages);
battles of lobbyists (insurance companies and trial attorneys)?
Medical Malpractice
Cases
What type of tort involves negligence/breach of duty to act reasonable (acting wild and
carelessly swinging your arms)?
Unintentional
What are the two types of torts?
Intentional and Unintentional
What can vary depending on the nature of the tort claim?
Defenses
What are the common defenses for torts?
Consent (most common)
- Comparative Negligence
- Statute of Limitations
What type of tort defense is when the plaintiff agreed to the act that caused an injury
and as a result there is no liability for the defendant?
Consent (Most common)
What type of tort defense determines who was most at fault for the injury; assessing
proper blame?
Comparative Negligence
What type of tort defense involves the time limits for bringing an action?
Statute of
Limitations
Who is the one committing the act leading to a tort?
The Tortfeasor
What type of tort is where the tortfeasor must intent to commit the act in question
leading to damage?
Intentional Tort
What means that the person intended the consequences of their actions or knew with
substantial certainty that specific consequences would result from the actions?
Intent
What may intentional torts be on top of being compensatory?
May be criminal
What can be transferred when an individual intends to hurt one person but
unintentionally hurts someone else (throwing a punch at person A but missing and
striking person B)?
Intent (Transferred Intent)
What is any intentional and unexcused threat of immediate harm or contact; no physical
contact needed - just a reasonable apprehension of imminent harm?
Assault
What is unexcused and harmful or offensive physical contact intentionally performed;
physical injury NOT needed; “offensive?” is judged by reasonable person standard - just
of fact (jury)?
Battery
What is the intentional confinement or restraint of another person’s activity without
justification; could involve physical barriers, physical restraint, or threats of physical
violence; common issue is with shoplifters (reasonable force and probable cause);
consent negates all liability?
False Imprisonment
What are acts that are so extreme and outrageous resulting in emotional distress; may
be protected by free speech (hustler case)?
Intentional Infliction of Emotional
Distress
What is it called when defamation is done orally?
Slander
What involves the wrongful hurting of one’s character or reputation; the law imposes a
general duty on all people to refrain from knowingly making false, defamatory
statements of fact about others?
Defamation
What must a plaintiff show to establish a tortious action for defamation?
- The defendant made a false statement of fact
- About the plaintiff with the intent to cause harm
- The statement was made to at least one other person (not the plaintiff) and
- If the plaintiff is a public figure it needs actual malice
What is the general legal issue with defamation; opinions are generally protected under
the 1st Amendment?
Statement of Fact
What part of defamation says that the statements need to be communicated to another
person; 3rd party merely by chance overhears the statement is probably not actionable
(no publication); restating a publication can be actionable against both individuals
(retweeting / forwarding emails)?
Publication Requirement
What is it called when defamation is done in written format?
Libel
What type of damages are presumed as a matter of law if libel is established;
individuals can be compensated for nonspecific harms (disgrace of dishonor,
humiliation, emotional distress); need not show harmed in a specific way (do not have to
quantify the harm suffered)?
General Damages
What type of damages must the plaintiff establish in order to recover under slander;
must show actual economic harm or $ loss; rational (loss is temporary and generally not
as deliberate)?
Special Damages
What is an exception to the proving of special damages for slander; if established, it
does not require the plaintiff to establish special damages to recover?
Slander Per
Se
What is an absolute defense for Defamation?
The Truth
What are the types of defenses to defamation?
- The Truth (absolute)
- Privileged Communications
- Public Figures (politicians, entertainers, athletes are regarded as fair game)
What type of privileged communication applies to good faith and publication is limited to those who have a legitimate interest in the communication (an employment evaluation,
employment reference)?
Qualified or Conditional Privilege
What type of privileged communication applies to court proceedings or legislative
hearings / debates?
Absolute Privilege
When dealing with defenses for defamation involving public figures, what must the
plaintiff show; this is a statement with either knowledge of its falsity or a reckless
disregard for truth; rational - matter of public interest and means to correct absurdities?
Actual malice
What says that a person has a right to solitude and freedom from prying public eyes?
Privacy
Who has held that there is an implied right of privacy in the Constitution?
The Courts
To recover damages from an invasion of privacy, what must a person establish?
a reasonable expectation of privacy and the invasion must be highly offensive
What are the 4 circumstances in which Invasion of Privacy appears in Common Law?
1.) Intrusion into individual’s affairs or seclusions
2.) False Light
3.) Public disclosure of private facts that a private person would find objectionable or
embarrassing
- Appropriation of Identity
What type of Common Law Invasion of Privacy Circumstance involves breaking &
entering into an individual’s home; accessing one’s laptop; wiretaps or eavesdropping;
peeping tom?
Intrusion into an individual’s affairs or seclusions
What type of Common Law Invasion of Privacy Circumstance is the publication of
information that places an individual in false light; ex.) attributing racial statements to an
individual?
False Light
What type of Common Law Invasion of Privacy Circumstance involves the publication of
medical or financial information (doesn’t matter if true)?
Public Disclosure of Private
Facts that a private person would find objectionable or embarrassing
What type of Common Law Invasion of Privacy Circumstance involves using a person’s
name, image, or likeness for commercial purposes without permission (hiring a look-alike for advertising purposes); most states have codified the common law but differ on
degree for which it may be used?
Appropriation of Identity
What leads one to believe in a condition that is different from the condition that exists?
Misrepresentation
What involves intentional deceit for personal gain; need to establish this to recover
damages?
Fraudulent Misrepresentation
What are the elements of Fraudulent Misrepresentation?
Misrepresentation of a
false material fact/condition or reckless disregard for the truth
- An intent to induce another party to rely on misrepresentation
- a justifiable reliance on the misrepresentation by the deceived party
- Damage suffered by the reliance
- Connection between the misrepresentation and injury suffered
What do you need more than to prove fraudulent misrepresentation?
Need more
than puffery (seller’s talk) - requires knowledge of untruth
What are normally not actionable under fraudulent misrepresentation; however, certain
opinions may be perceived as fact given the individual making the statement (ex. an
attorney advising a client on opinion of law?
Opinions
What tort recognized that people have the right not to be sued without a legally just and
proper reason, and this protects this right?
Abusive or Frivolous Litigation
What type of fraudulent misrepresentation is where the defendant has no knowledge of
its falsity, but the defendant still had a duty of care to supply correct information?
Negligent Misrepresentation
What type of frivolous litigation is if a party sues with malicious intent and without a
legitimate legal reason and loses they can be sued for this (constantly bring frivolous
claims)?
Malicious Prosecution
What type of frivolous litigation is using the legal process against someone outside of
the intended purpose as a form of punishment / harassment; does not require prior
litigation of proving malice (consistent and unreasonable subpoenas / depositions)?
Abuse of Process
What type of tort involves wrongful interference with another’s business rights; public
policy favors free competition?
Business Torts
What are the 2 categories that business torts fall in?
Wrongful interference with a
contractual right
- Wrongful interference with a business relationship
What are the defenses to business torts?
Justified and Reasonable (Marketing &
Advertisement can lead to the interference or breach of contract
What are the steps to prove that there is interference with a contractual right?
Valid contract between 2 parties
- 3rd party must know of the contract
- 3rd party must intentionally induce a party to breach the contract
What is unreasonably interfering with another’s business to gain a great market share
(competitive v. predatory behavior); often involves non-compete agreements and
aggressive marketing?
Interference with a Business Relationship
What do intentional torts against property include?
Trespass to real property
(land/home)
- Trespass to personal property ($, securities, cars)
- Conversion (use without authority)
- Disparagement of Property
Trespass to land occurs when without permission any one of the following occurs?
Entry upon the land by another (onto, above, or below the surface)
- Causes anything to enter onto the land by another
- Remains on land owned by another or permits anything to remain on the land
- Actual harm to the land is not essential (owners exclusive property)
How can the owner or legal occupant of the land establish the person as a trespasser
(must do this)?
Posting signs / asking individuals to leave
- It can be implied (illegal act)
What is the liability for harm today on an owner’s land?
Today the owner has a
reasonable duty of care & attractive nuisance doctrine to consider
What says that under common law someone is liable for harm caused to the land & the
trespasser could not sue the owner if injured?
Liability for Harm
Owners can use what to remove trespassers?
Reasonable Force
What are the defenses to trespass?
Warranted/needed (exigent circumstances)
- Licensee (invited on the land or ticket holder; licenses are revokable)
What is when an individual wrongfully takes or harms the personal property of another
or interferes with its use and enjoyment; harm can mean destruction or reduction in
value, condition, or quality; also includes barring an owner access to the property
(exceptions are mechanic liens; failure to retrieve)?
Trespass to Chattel / Personal
Property
What is any act that deprives the owner of personal property without the owner’s
permission; if this occurs then very often a trespass has occurred; the civil side of theft
crimes, however, theft is not necessary; can be borrowing and not returning; intention is
not a defense (receiving stolen goods?
Conversion
What occurs when economically injurious falsehoods are made about another’s
property
Disparagement of Property
What is the difference between trespass and conversion?
Original taking is trespass
and failure to return is conversion
What are the 2 different theories of disparagement of property?
Slander of quality
or trade libel
- Slander of title
What theory of disparagement of property is the publication of false information about
another’s product or alleging it cannot perform as the owner claims; plaintiff must show
that the improper publication caused a 3rd party to refrain from dealing with the plaintiff;
must show economic harm; must also trigger a defamation of character claim?
Slander of quality
What theory of disparagement of property is when a publication falsely denies, or casts
doubt on another’s legal ownership of the property; someone publishes an untrue story
about the ownership of another’s property with the intent to persuade others from
dealing with the plaintiff (auto parts business - inventory is all stolen)?
Slander of
Title
What unintentional tort occurs when someone is injured because of another’s failure to
live up to a duty of care; does not require intent (a person’s behavior creates the risk of
injury)?
Negligence
What will the courts look at in determining whether a duty of care has been breached?
The nature of the act (outrageous or common place)
- The way the act was performed (cautiously or heedlessly)
- The nature of the injury (serious or slight)
What must a plaintiff show to prove negligence?
- Breach (broke that duty of care)
- Causation (that break caused the plaintiff’s injury)
- Damages (injury)
What is where the courts asks how would a reasonable person act in the same
circumstances; degree of care can vary based upon occupation or relationship to
plaintiff; decided on a case-by-case basis?
Reasonable Person Standard
What is it called where landowners are expected to exercise reasonable care to protect
individuals coming onto their land; may extend to trespassers?
Duty of Landowners
What is it called where business owners have a duty to exercise reasonable care to
protect customers or business invitees; owner has a duty to discover and remove
hidden damages that might cause injury to a customer (wet caution signs)?
Duty to
Warn
What is it called where people who possess a superior knowledge, skill, or training, are
held to a higher standard of care; lawyers are held to a reasonable lawyer standard (if
breached is malpractice)?
The Duty of Professionals
What is where the person must have caused the harm?
Causation
What 2 questions do the courts ask to determine causation?
Causation in Fact
- Legal or proximate cause
What type of causation uses the “but for” test; cause and effect - did the bad act cause
the injury or would it have happened anyway
Causation in Fact
What type of causation looks at what was foreseeable; asks the question whether or not
the injuries sustained were foreseeable or were too remotely connected to the incident
to trigger liability?
Proximate Cause
Both questions of causation need to be what in order to recover?
Answered in the
affirmative
What says that if it was not foreseeable there is no causation?
✅Foreseeability
What requires the plaintiff to have suffered a legally recognizable injury; some loss,
harm, wrong or invasion to recover (carelessly bumping into someone); punitive
damages are the only type recoverable?
Injury Requirement and Damages
What protects individuals from liability who aid voluntarily; these laws were passed to
protect medical professionals who volunteer in emergency situations (medical
emergency on a plane)?
Good Samaritan Laws
What says that bar owners and bartenders are liable when intoxicated individuals cause
injuries?
Dram Shop Acts
What says that people hosting parties may be liable for injuries caused by guests
(overly intoxicated individuals); there is strict liability if underage drinking?
Social
Hosts Statutes
What are the 2 theories of defenses?
- Failed to establish a cause of action (did not
meet one of the 4 elements) - Affirmative Defenses
What are the 2 elements required to prove assumption of risk?
Knowledge of the
risk
- Voluntary assumption of the risk (skydiving and skiing; attending a baseball game)
What is where an individual voluntarily enters a risky situation?
Assumption of risk
What is an unforeseen intervening event (just after libelous statement is published the
plaintiff dies)?
Superseding Cause
What is where individuals must exercise a duty of care to themselves; under common
law if the plaintiff was negligent, they could not recover?
Contributory Negligence
What type of comparative negligence says that if you are 80% at fault, you still collect
20% in damages?
Pure form