Torts Flashcards
Eggshell skull rule
If you commit an intentional tort against someone, you are responsible even when completely unforeseen harm results from it
Transferred Intent
When one intends any of the trespass torts and accomplishes any of them, the person is liable (even if the plaintiff is not the intended target and even if it is not the same tort as was intended)
What torts does transferred intent apply to?
All trespass torts EXCEPT IIED:
battery, assault, false imprisonment, trespass to land, trespass to chattels, sometimes conversion
Which torts can nominal damages not be recovered from ? i.e., which ones do you need to prove damages
Nominal damages can NOT be recovered from IIED, trespass to chattels, or negligence
List all trespass torts
battery, assault, IIED, false imprisonment, trespass to land, trespass to chattels, and sometimes conversion
Intent
- purpose or desire
2. knowledge with a substantial certainty
Describe broadly the 4 elements of battery
- Volitional act
- Intent to cause harmful or offensive contact
- Harmful or offensive contact results
- causation
Define volitional act for battery
What are some examples that do not qualify as volitional acts?
External manifestation of the will.
Being asleep / unconscious / reflexes are NOT volitional acts
Describe harmful contact (bodily harm) for battery
bodily harm is any physical impairment of the condition of another’s body, or physical pain or illness.
impairment: if the structure or function of any part of the other’s body is altered to any extent (even if the alteration causes no other harm)
Describe offensive contact for battery
Offensive contact is an objective standard
What would be offensive to an ordinary person, not an unduly sensitive person
What is the extended person rule and what does it apply to ?
Applies to battery.
Unpermitted and intentional contact with anything so connected to a body as to be customarily regarded as part of the other’s person ( or intimately associated with a person’s body )
is actionable as a battery
Define Assault
Apprehension of imminent bodily contact
Are words alone enough for Assault?
no
Describe the broad
4 elements of Assault
- Overt volitional act
- Intent to cause apprehension of immediate harmful or offensive contact
- Well-founded apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact
- Causation
What is an overt volitional act for assault
External manifestation of the will (think offer to touch)
Must be known to the plaintiff
Describe intent for assault
Intent to cause apprehension of immediate harmful or offensive contact
-either purpose or desire, or knowledge with a substantial certainty
Apprehension does not mean fear, it is the feeling imminent contact is coming
Describe well-founded apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact
Apparent ability to effectuate attempt.
The plaintiff truly believes that they are about to have the harmful or offensive contact come in contact with them.
Define False Imprisonment
The direct restraint of one person of the physical liberty of another without adequate legal justification.
Describe the 5 elements of false imprisonment
- Volitional act
- Intent to unlawfully confine another person within boundaries
- Actual confinement
- Causation
- Prisoner is conscious of confinement or harmed by it
Describe intent for battery
Intent to cause harmful or offensive contact
only intent to cause contact, does not need to be intent to cause harmful or offensive contact
Either:
purpose or desire to cause contact that is deemed harmful or offensive
knowledge with a substantial certainty that harmful or offensive contact will result
Describe volitional act for false imprisonment
Does not need to be overt, threat may suffice, but moral persuasion is not
broad imminence required
Intent for false imprisonment
intent to unlawfully confine another person within boundaries.
- purpose or desire or knowledge with a substantial certainty
define actual confinement for false imprisonment
fixed boundaries
No reasonable means of escape (reasonable means of escape does not mean things that will hurt your dignity)
Imminence is needed
Duress is enough (tested by: would a reasonable person feel free to leave)
Last element of false imprisonment
The person being confined is conscious of confinement or harmed by it.
Some jurisdictions recognize being harmed by confinement as sufficient by itself without the requirement of consciousness.
IIED
Intentional infliction of emotional distress