Torts Flashcards
3 Elements in Most Torts
- D’s State of Mind (SOM) when performing the tortious act; AND
- One or More Physical or Non-Physical Elements; AND
- Causation.
Intent: MENTAL ELEMENT
Must always relate to one or more of the non-mental elements
Intent: Mental Element: INTENTIONAL TORTS
Intent is the mental element of the tort.
· D MUST act w/ intent to bring about a set of circumstances that meets one or more of the other physical elements of the tort
Intent: GENERAL
Encompasses varying degrees of culpability or blameworthiness
· Objective circumstances surrounding the D’s actions
· Subjective to D
–> T4: Objective E indicates what the D was thinking at the time b/c impossible to KNOW what’s going on in someone’s head
Three Ways D Can Act w/ Requisite mental State (For the Purposes of Intentional Torts)
- Conscious Object (SPECIFIC INTENT);
- Substantial Certainty; OR
- Recklessness
Specific Intent
Act with the purpose of bringing about one or more of the non-mental elements of the tort
Substantial Certainty
To do something with the knowledge or substantial certainty that a set of circumstances will occur that the law would deem to fulfill one or more non-mental elements of the tort.
Recklessness
D acts w/ UNREASONABLE disregard of a high probability (that the person SHOULD be aware of) that a particular element of the tort to which recklessness relates, will occur.
· If TOTALITY OF CIRCUMSTANCES indicates that there was no offsetting justification for taking the risk
Papier-Mache P Rule
D takes P as the D finds them w/ all Ps physical fragilities
· Meant to punch their shoulder and broke their nose = Intent
Transferred Intent
The intent that the D had to commit the act, which didn’t happen, transfers over to the act that did occur such that the intent from the second act is as if the first act occurred.
· Transfers to different actions; AND
· Transfers intent to different people.
Minor Child/Incompetents: Intent
EVERYONE IS CAPABLE OF INTENT
· T4: Not a good defense b/c can form requisite intent BUT incapacity may shield them from criminal prosecution.
Battery: GENERAL
Battery is:
(1) an act, done by the D which is
(2) intended to and does bring about
(3) physical contact w/ the P
(4) which is either HARMFUL OR OFFENSIVE.
Battery: HARMFUL
Any physical impairment of the condition of another’s body OR physical pain OR illness.
· NOT harmful if it only causes emotional harm BUT MAY be offensive.
Battery: OFFENSIVE
A reasonable, ordinary person in the P’s position would find it offensive under all the circumstances AND if it is done w/o P’s consent
· Must be contact which is unwarranted by the social usages prevalent at the time and place at which it is inflicted.
· An objective test
Battery: Offensive Contact: UNUSUALLY SENSITIVE PERSON
The person who is unusually sensitive to his own personal dignity will NOT likely benefit from a suit of battery UNLESS D KNOWS the P is one of these super-sensitive types and D deliberately takes advantage of that in order to inflict an offensive contact
Battery: CONSENT
A complete defense to battery.
· P’s valid consent can operate as an affirmative D in a battery case EVEN IF physical harm results from the contact
· Also a defense to most intentional torts
· If physical contact is NON-CONSENSUAL –> Most reasonable people would find it offensive.
Types of Consent
- Implied
- Express
Express Consent
Involves an explicit statement of consent to the D’s act.
Implied Consent
No express statement consenting BUT EITHER:
· The overall circumstances (especially the P’s conduct) give a reasonable person in the D’s position reason to infer the P’s consent; OR
· The law deems consent to have occurred EVEN IF IT HAS NOT.
Implied Consent: Consent IMPLIED BY FACTS
P’s conduct gives a reasonable person in the D’s position cause to believe the P consents
Implied Consent: Consent IMPLIED BY LAW
The law implies consent if:
· An emergency makes it apparently necessary for the D to contact the P physically before the P can consent in order to PREVENT HARM to the P; AND
· The D has no reason to believe the P would decline to consent if given the opportunity.
Valid Consent
To be valid, consent MUST BE:
· Informed; AND
· Voluntary
Consent: INFORMED
If the P knows everything a reasonable person would need OR want to know in order to make an informed decision about whether to give consent
· T4: Invalid when it is predicated upon a fundamental mistake by the P of which the D is aware, and which relates to a basic assumption on which the consent was given or which relates to the nature of the physical contact or the harm that can be expected to result from it.
Consent: VOLUNTARY
A product of P’s will, procured w/o duress, coercion, or undue influence BUT NOT NECESSARILY free from pressure or persuasion
· MUST be given by one with the legal capacity to consent
Consent: SCOPE
In order for consent to provide a defense to battery, the D’s activities MUST remain confined to the scope of consent given.
· Exceeds the scope? Battery.
Battery: PHYSCIAL CONTACT
D directly touches the P’s person.
· If D touches something intimately connected w/ the P’s person, w/o necessarily touching the P directly.
· P does NOT need to be aware of the contact.
Assault
(1) An overt physical act by the D
(2) of which the P is subjectively aware and which is intended to AND DOES create in the P a
(3) reasonable apprehension of an imminent battery
Assault: OVERT ACT
Some physical act.
· Mere words or threats ALONG are not enough
· BUT words and threats can add to the forcefulness OR intimidating effect of physical acts and thus add to the overall reasonableness of the P’s apprehension of an imminent battery
Assault: REASONABLE APPREHENSION
Must be the case that a reasonable person in the P’s position would have an expectation that a battery is about to happen
· Reasonable person would not think it’s an imminent battery? Not an assault
–> UNLESS D actually knows the P is afraid of everything
· Does not need to be a fear of battery, just apprehension
· Need only reasonably believe that the D is able and willing to commit the battery imminently
–> Only imminent if the P reasonably believes that the battery will take place w/o any significant delay
· T4: credible threats of harm at some indefinite future time do NOT make for an assault.
False Imprisonment: GENERAL
Intentional tort designed to protect the P from UNJUSTIFIED interference w/ his/her physical freedom of movement.
False Imprisonment: ELEMENTS
Requires:
(1) An act/omission by the D;
(2) Which is intended to; AND
(3) Which does cause the P to be confined;
(4) Non-consensually;
(5) W/in fixed borders of the D’s choosing;
(6) For any appreciable length of time
(7) W/o any LAWFUL authority to do so.
AND P MUST also;
(8) Be aware of the confinement; OR
(9) Be harmed by it.
False Imprisonment: CONFINEMENT
· D could impose some obstacle;
· D can confine the P through employing PHYSICAL FORCE against:
–> The P;
–> A member of O’s IMMEDIATE family; OR
–> The P’s property.
· Threat of harm at some INDEFINITE FUTURE TIME is NOT ENOUGH.
–> MUST be such that, in the mind of a REASONABLE PERSON in the P’s position, there will be NO SUBSTANTIAL DELAY b/w P’s exercise of his personal freedom AND the D carrying out the threatened force.
· MUST be limited in ALL DIRECTIONS.
False Imprisonment: LENGTH OF TIME
Can be confined for ANY APPRECIABLE LENGTH OF TIME.
· Can be BRIEF OR LENGTHY
· The actual amount of time will reflect the damages the P can recover BUT NOT whether the P has made a case for false imprisonment.
False Imprisonment: INDIRECT CONFINEMENT (General)
Where force is not employed against the P DIRECTLY, BUT the D essentially forces the P to choose b/w yielding his personal freedom of movement OR suffering some other outcome that a REASONABLE PERSON would NOT be willing to suffer in order to leave the defined area.
· Also, D’s act of confining the P is LAWFUL, BUT the lawfulness of the confinement EXPIRES and the D does NOT release the P immediately.
False Imprisonment: NO CONFINEMENT
P is NOT CONFINED:
· D merely applies MORAL PRESSURE to keep the P in the defined area;
· P ACTUALLY AND SUBJECTIVELY knows of a way out of the defined area which a REASONABLE PERSON would utilize under the circumstances; OR
· D merely blocks the P’s access to a defined area while the P otherwise HAS THE FREEDOM to go where he wants.
False Imprisonment: UNLAWFUL
Any confinement WITHOUT CLEAR, LAWFUL AUTHORITY is unlawful confinement.
· Consent can make confinement lawful.
Limitations on Transferred Intent Doctrine
Transferred intent may be invoked ONLY IF BOTH the tort intended AND the tort that results are one of the following:
· Assault;
· Battery;
· False imprisonment;
· Trespass to land; OR
· Trespass to chattels.
Battery/Assault/False Imprisonment: Damages Requirement
Damangese are NOT required. P can recover nominal damages EVEN IF actual damages are not proved. P MAY recover PUNITIVE damages for malicious conduct.
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress (IIED)
(1) An act by D amounting to EXTREME AND OUTRAGEOUS CONDUCT;
(2) w/ Intent or recklessness;
(3) Caused by D; AND
(4) there are damages.
IIED: Extreme and Outrageous Conduct
This is conduct that transcends all bounds of decency tolerated in civilized society.
· Conduct that is NOT normally outrageous may become so if:
→ It is continuous in nature;
→ It is directed TOWARD a fragile class (like the elderly or children); OR
→ It is committed by a certain type of D (an innkeeper may be liable for gross insults.)
IIED: Intent
Recklessness as to the effect on D’s conduct WILL SATISFY the intent requirement.
IIED: Damages
Actual damages are REQUIRED but proof of physical injury is NOT REQUIRED.
→ The more outrageous the conduct, the less proof of damages is required.
IIED: Bystander: Causation
When the D intentionally causes physical harm to a 3P AND the P suffers severe emotional distress as a result, the P MAY recover by showing EITHER the prima facie case elements of emotional distress; OR
→ that (1) P was present when the injury occurred;
(2) P is a close relative of the injured person; AND
(3) the D HAD KNOWLEDGE of (1) AND (2).