Intentional Torts Flashcards
What are the seven Intentional Torts?
Assault, Battery, False Imprisonment, IIED, Trespass to Land , Trespass to Chattel, Conversion
What are the four Intentional Torts to Persons?
Assault, Battery, False Imprisonment, IIED
What are the three Intentional Torts to Property?
Trespass to Land, Trespass to Chattel, Conversion
With regard to intent, what is the difference between Intentional Torts to Persons and Intentional Torts to Property?
Intent for persons is a desire to cause the result (or knowledge with substantial certainty that the result will occur). Intent for property is a desire to do the act (or knowledge with substantial certainty that the act will occur).
Assuming the requisite intent, are Minors, Insane persons and Intoxicated persons liable for their intentional torts?
Yes
Mistaken persons are liable for their intentional torts because:
They are usually mistaken as to a non-essential element.
What is the Transferred Intent doctrine?
The requisite intent can be transferred from one plaintiff to another and from one intentional tort to another.
What five Torts qualify for Transferred Intent?
Tort intended and tort committed must be: 1) Assault 2) Battery 3) False Imprisonment 4)Trespass to Land 5) Trespass to Chattel
What two Torts do not qualify for transferred intent?
1) IIED 2) Conversion
Please insert the three variations to this sentence regarding transferred intent - “When a defendant intends to commit one tort but instead______…the intent will transfer.”
1) commits a different tort against the same person 2) commits the same tort against a different person 3) commits a different tort against a different person
What causation is required for Intentional Torts?
Basic “but-for” actual cause
What three Intentional Torts do not require actual damages?
Battery, Assault, False Imprisonment
What is a Battery?
An act by defendant that intentionally causes a harmful or offensive contact with plaintiff’s person.
What is Assault?
An act by defendant that intentional causes reasonable apprehension in plaintiff of immediately receiving a battery.
What is False Imprisonment?
An act by defendant that intentionally causes the plaintiff to be confined to a bounded area.
What is Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress (IIED)?
Extreme and outrageous conduct by defendant that intentionally (or recklessly) causes severe emotional distress in plaintiff.
What is Trespass to Land?
An intentional act by defendant that causes a physical invasion of plaintiff’s land.
What is Trespass to Chattel?
An intentional act by defendant that causes an interference with plaintiff’s possessory interest in chattel.
What is Conversion?
An intentional act by defendant that causes an interference with plaintiff’s possessory interest in chattel so severe as to warrant a forced sale.
For Battery, what must the defendant intend?
To cause a harmful or offensive contact with plaintiff’s person.
For Battery, what constitutes a plaintiff’s person?
Plaintiff’s physical body, clothing, or anything closely connected to plaintiff.
For Battery, what causation is required?
Actual cause
For Battery, how is “harmful or offensive” judged?
Reasonable person standard
For Assault, what must the defendant intend?
To cause apprehension
For Assault, what causation is required?
Actual cause
For Assault, how is “reasonable apprehension” judged?
Reasonable person standard
Must the “apprehension” required for Assault be so severe as to create fear in plaintiff?
No, the plaintiff need only have the reasonable expectation that an immediate battery will occur. If fear is present, fear certainly constitutes apprehension.
For Assault, is an “apparent ability” to cause battery all that is required?
Yes
Are words alone sufficient for Assault?
No
For Assault, must words always be coupled with action?
Yes
For Assault, must the apprehension be of an immediate battery (not future)?
Only apprehension of an immediate battery, never a future battery, will suffice.
For False Imprisonment, what must the defendant intend?
To confine plaintiff to a bounded area
For False Imprisonment, what causation is required?
Actual cause
What are the five conditions that create “confinement”?
1) physical barriers 2) physical force 3) threats of force 4) failure to release 5) invalid use of legal authority
For False Imprisonment, what must the “time of confinement” equate to?
Only an appreciable time
For False Imprisonment, the plaintiff must be aware of the confinement unless:
The plaintiff is injured by the confinement
For False Imprisonment, is moral pressure and/or future threats sufficient?
No
For False Imprisonment, what two conditions create a “bounded area”?
1) Movement restrained in all directions, with 2) no reasonable means of escape
For IIED, what must the defendant intend?
To cause severe emotional distress
For IIED, if the defendant did not intend to cause severe emotional distress (but) was aware of the risk of severe emotional distress, is this sufficient?
Yes
For IIED, what causation is required?
Actual cause
For IIED, what “conduct” is required?
Extreme and outrageous conduct. Conduct that transcends all bounds of decency.
For IIED, conduct that is short of “extreme and outrageous” may still be sufficient under what three conditions?
1) it is continuous in nature 2) it is directed toward a particular type plaintiff, or 3) it is committed by a particular type of defendant
For IIED, what particular type of plaintiff may be especially susceptible to IIED (and) protected when conduct is “short” of extreme and outrageous?
Children, elderly persons, pregnant women, and those with supersensitivities (if supersensitivity is known to defendant).
For IIED, what type of defendant is held to a higher standard of care so that, even if conduct is “short” of extreme and outrageous, the plaintiff may be protected?
Common Carriers and Inn Keepers
Does IIED require actual damages?
Yes