MBE Torts Flashcards
What are the elements for negligence?
(1) Duty, (2) Breach, (3) Causation, (4) Damages
Who do you owe a duty of care to?
Foreseeable plaintiffs
Who is a foreseeable plaintiff?
Those who are in the zone of danger and foreseeable
What is the standard when you have a duty of care?
Reasonably prudent person
What level of care does a professional have?
Heightened duty of care. Must act like other like professionals with the same background and training in the area
What is the standard for duty of care for a minor?
Like other children of the same age, intelligence, and experience
What is the duty of a parent?
To control their kid to prevent harm
When does duty of a parent apply?
When parent knew or should have known that their child is likely to cause harm
Is there generally a duty to aid or rescue?
No
When is there a duty to aid?
Only when there is a special relationship
Ex: employer/employee, inkeeper/guest, common carrier/passenger
If you begin to render aid, what level of care is required?
That of a reasonable person
What is a land owner’s duty to an unknown trespasser?
None
What is a land owner’s duty to a known trespasser or anticipated trespasser?
Duty to warn (or make safe) of KNOWN dangers (protect from known, man-made death trap)
Who is a licensee?
Social guest
What is a land owner’s duty to an invitee?
To warn, cleanup, and make safe (Barbri: protect from all reasonably known traps- need reasonable inspection)
Who is an invitee?
Business/commercial
What is a breach?
Didn’t do what you were supposed to do
What are the elements of causation?
Actual causation and proximate case
What is the test for actual causation?
But for
What is proximate cause?
Whether the event was foreseeable
What is an intervening cause?
A foreseeable event
Who is liable for an intervening cause?
The original tortfeasor
What is a superseding cause?
An unforeseeable event that cuts off liability
What are the three superseding causes?
1) Act of God
2) Intentional torts
3) Criminal acts
What is a foreseeable event in terms of superseding cause?
Everything, unless they tell you that it is not foreseeable
What is needed for damages under common law?
Actual, physical harm
What is not required for damages under common law?
Economic damage
What is negligence per se?
Violation of a statute or ordinance
What are the elements of negligence per se?
1) Plaintiff is part of protected class of people that statute is trying to protect
2) Injury is the kind the statute was trying to prevent
What is res ipsa?
Whatever occurred does not normally occur, absent negligence
Elements of res ipsa?
1) Defendant is in exclusive control of the premises or instrumentality and 2) raises inference of negligence
For what two things is a defendant strictly liable?
1) Owning wild animals
2) Abnormally dangerous activities
Can you domesticate a wild animal?
No
For what is defendant liable because of his wild animal?
Any injury that results (including fear)
What is a defense to strict liability?
Assumption of the risk
What is the standard for assumption of the risk?
You know and appreciate the risk involved but proceed anyway
What are some examples of abnormally dangerous activities?
Blowing up, excavating, hazardous, chemicals, fireworks
What is the default negligence apportionment?
Pure comparative
What is contributory negligence?
If plaintiff contributed, get nothing
What is the exception to contributory negligence?
Last clear chance rule
What is the last clear chance rule?
Even if plaintiff was negligent, if the defendant had the last clear chance to avoid the accident and did not, plaintiff may recover
What is comparative negligence?
Plaintiff recovers but amount reduced by their own percentage of fault
What is the modern/modified comparative negligence?
If plaintiff is responsible for more than 50% of accident, plaintiff recovers nothing
What is joint and several liability?
Two or more people cause a single accident and plaintiff may recover all of the damages from a single defendant
What is contribution?
One co-defendant will ask other defendant to pay what they’re owed because they paid their part to plaintiff
What is vicarious liability?
Employer is liable for the negligent acts of their employee
When does vicarious liability apply?
When the employee was acting within the scope of his employment
When are you liable for independent contractor’s negligent conduct?
1) Contractor engaged in abnormally dangerous activity
2) Is doing a non-delegable duty
What is a non-delegable duty?
Work done on or behalf of the safety of the public
What are some examples of a non-delegable duty?
Doing work on public land or property, scaffolding, lobby
What is the standard for private nuisance?
Someone’s activity unreasonably interferes with the use and enjoyment of your land
What is the standard for unreasonable interference in private nuisance?
Reasonable person standard
What is the standard for public nuisance?
Unreasonable interference w/ health, safety, or property rights of community and results in special or unique harm/damage
What is public nuisance?
Affects the public (community at large)
Can a person reasonably apprehend an immediate contact although he is not scared or intimidated?
Yes
Are words alone enough for assault_
No
What are the elements of battery?
1) Act by defendant that brings about harmful or offensive contact;
2) intent for the harmful or offensive contact; and
3) Causation
May a landowner use force to regain real property after being tortiously dispossessed?
No because this is “self help.” Can bring an ejectment action instead
May an owner of chattel use force to recapture chattel?
Yes, when in “hot pursuit” of the tortfeasor. Need to make a demand that the chattel be returned first though, unless the demand would be futile or dangerous
May a citizen use force to effect a misdemeanor arrest?
Yes, but only force necessary to effect the arrest
What are the conditions for shopkeeper’s privilege?
1) Reasonable belief as to the fact of theft
2) Detention must be in a reasonable manner
3) Detention must be only for.a reasonable time and only for the purpose of making the investigation
What must a landowner usually do before defending her property?
Make a request to desist (not required if request would be futile or dangerous)
How can an owner get property back if someone else got the owner’s property lawfully?
Owner can only recover the property through peaceful means. Force can only be used when in hot pursuit
If a shopper loses against a store security guard, what is the most likely reason?
The guard acted reasonably in dealing with the suspected shop lifter
What must a plaintiff prove for assault?
That the defendant’s actions caused the plaintiff to be in reasonable apprehension of an immediate harmful or offensive contact and defendant intended to cause this reaction
What does it mean that a store raises a defense of recapture of chattel?
Property owner (or his agent) allowed to use reasonable force or threat of force to recapture chattel and has a specialized application in the shopkeeper’s privilege
Can a home owner use a vicious dog to protect his property against a mere trespasser?
No because this is indirect deadly force
Can trespassers recover from injuries inflicted by a landowner’s abnormally dangerous domestic animal?
No without a showing of negligence
What is private necessity?
A person may interfere with the property of another when the interference is reasonably and apparently necessary to avoid threatened injury from a natural or other force and threatened injury is substantially more serious that the invasion that is undertaken to avert it
What does negligence per se (breaking statute) really mean?
Means that the plaintiff will have established a conclusive presumption of duty and breach of duty by showing a violation of the statute (still need to establish causation and damages)
For negligence per se, when will a violation of a statute be excused?
(1) Compliance would cause more danger, or (2) compliance would be beyond defendant’s control
If driver suffers an unexpected heart attack (never had one before) is there a valid negligence claim?
No because driver would not be deemed to have breached a duty of care to other drivers
At common law, is parent vicariously liable for negligent conduct of child?
No, but will be responsible for his own negligence/breach of duty
Under invitee/licensee, what are firefighters and police officers considered?
Generally treated liked licensees