Torts Flashcards
Negligence
P must prove: duty, breach, cause (actual + proximate), and harm
If P can’t prove then judge can enter directed verdict for D
Duty of Care Standard
Duty of care is owed to foreseeable P’s & is measured agasinst prudent person acting under same or similar circumstances would use.
Exceptions to Reasonable Prudent person standard
- superior knowledge
- age if D child- similar age, intelligence, experience
- D’s physical characteristics (blind, deaf, missing an arm)
Exception to Child standard of care
Child engaged in adult activity
driving car, boat, shooting a gun
reasonable prudent adult standard
Professional malpractice
custom is conclusive as to standard of care; if not followed breached
non malpractice cases
custom is evidence to standard of care but showign it wasn’t followed isn’t proof of nelggience
Doctor Standard of Care
Informed Consent- must show pt w/ enough info to give informed consent- reasonable peson in position would’ve refused procedure; harm must still be shown
Wrongful Conception
woman has child after being told not to
damages are costs associated with birth
Wrongful Birth
child is born b/c Dr failed to diagnose disease and parents assert they would’ve aborted child
Damages: extra expenses raising child w/ special needs
Wrongful Life
child sues for being born w/ defects
Damages allowed but usually no recovery
Wrongful Death
P can only recover if expert testimony estab. chance of survival absent negligence would have been greater then 50% or in loss of chance of survival jurisdictions allow recovery for any loss of chance of survival
Undiscovered Tresspasser
1 who comes on land without permission or privilege & landowner isn’t aware
No Duty
landowner can’t engage in intentional and willful misconduct
Discovered Trespasser
tresspasser landowner knows or should know of
Landowner must warn or make safe any unreasonably dangerous, concealed, artifiical man made conditions that they know of
Attractive Nuisance
dangerous condition on land that owner knows or should know of, children frequent land and owner knows or should know and child can’t appreciate risk, landowner fails to exercise reasonable care to eliminate the danger or protect children
balance the cost to fix v. harm
Licensee
Social Guest who has permission to enter land but doesn’t offer economic benefit on possessor of land
Landowner must warn and make safe all concealed dangers that he knows of; no duty to inspect
Invitee
enters land to confer economic benefit or one that enters land that is open to pubic at large
Customer, church goer, museum
owner must warn and make safe all dangers that he knows or should know and make inspections
Firefighters Rule
licensees- no duty to inspect
Neglgience Per se
D violeted statute w/out execuse
right person was injured (P was in class of people trying to protect)
right injury was sustained
P shows duty and breach must prove cause and harm- no directed verdict
don’t have to follow statute if dangerous, impossible, incapacity
Rescurers
forseeable P’s but must act w/ ordinary care in conducting resuce but liable if neglgiently worsen condition
Duty to Act
no duty to act generally unless
- special relationship- parent/child, spouses, psycotherapist
- K to take of person
- statute
- tort- caused peril
- reliance- babysitting
Breach
P must establish D failed to comply w/ duty of care owed
Res Ipsa Loquitur
circumstances surrounding injury are unclear
P has made case for breach; no directed verdict
- probably negligent- act doesn’t happen w/out it
- probably D- accident is normally due to negligence of someone in D’s position
Actual Causation
factual; but for
connection between injury & breach
would same harm occured even if breach didn’t occur
Multiple D’s working in concert to cause harm
substantial factor test: breach a substantial factor in causing the harm?
D’s jointly and severally liable meaning each can be sued for whole amount
If D’s beleive they acted independent burden will shift to each individual D to show breach wasn’t cause P
Proximate Cause
harm must be forseeable
- disease or subsequent accident
- medical malpractice
- resuce efforts
- reactions- running to escape
Harm
P compensated for all damages (economic & noneconomic)
Actual injury must result meaning damages must be forseeable
P has duty to mitigate
Egg Shell P Rul;e
D must pay damages even if larger b/c forseeability of extent harm not necessar
NIED
D is negligent
P hasn’t sustained any physical trauma to body
Zone of danger, bystander, special cases
Zone of Danger & NIED
D neglgient
P in zone of danger
P sufferes emotional disress that manifests physicval symptoms (heart attack, shock, miscarriage)
Bystnader Case NIED
P witnesses nelggient injury
inflicted on person is closely related to P
P suffers phsyical symptoms
Special cases of NIED
Dr. telling pt of disease when he doesn’t have it
errors in relative’s death
mishandeling corpse
*no physical symptoms neccessary
Contributory Negligence
old CL bars P’s recovery if he was negligent
BAD LAW