Torts Flashcards
What is battery?
Harmful or offensive contact with the person of another and acts with the intent to cause such contact or the apprehension of such contact
What is assault?
P’s reasonable apprehension of an imminent harmful or offensive bodily contact caused by the D
What is false imprisonment?
D acts intending to confine or restrain the P within boundaries fixed by the D and those actions directly or indirectly result in such confinements and the P is conscious of the confinement or is harmed by it
What must be shown in every intentional tort?
Act
Intent
Causation
What is intentional infliction of emotional distress?
A D is liable for intentionally or recklessly acting with extreme or outrageous conduct that causes a P severe emotional distress
What is the shopkeepers privilege? (Glade imprisonment)
Shopkeeper can reasonably detain someone (time and manner) for shoplifting.
Totality of circumstances test
What are defenses to intentional torts?
Consent
Self defense defense of others
Defense of property
Parental discipline
Privilege of arrest
What is self defense?
A person may use reasonable force to defend against offensive contact or bodily harm that he reasonable believe is about t intentionally be inflicted upon him.
What must self defense be?
Reasonably proportionate to the anticipated harm
When can deadly force be used in self defense?
If you have a reasonable belief that force sufficient to cause serious bodily injury or death is about to be intentionally inflicted.
Majority are stand your ground and no duty to retreat before deadly force
Minority duty to retreat IF you can do so safely
What is defense of others?
Can use reasonable force of others upon a reasonable belief that the D party would be entitled to self defense.
Must use proportional harm to anticipated harm
What is defense of property?
Can use reasonably force to prevent harm to property.
NO DEADLY FORCE
What is trespass to chattels?
D intentionally interferes with the P right of possession of either
1) dispossessing the P of their chattel or
2) using or intermeddling with the P chattel
What is conversion?
D intentionally commits an act depriving the P authority of possession of their chattel or interfering with the P chattel in a manner as to serious deprive the P of used of the chattel
What is trespass to land?
D intentional act causes a physical invasion of the Ps land.
***D only needs the intent to enter the land
** throwing a rock or flooding is enough doesn’t have to physically enter
What is necessity?
Can be on property of another in order to prevent serious harm.
A landowner CANNOT forcibly expel a trespasser when the basis is necessity
What is private nuisance?
A thing or activity that substantially and unreasonably interferes with another individuals use and enjoyment of his land.
Coming to the nuisance is just evidence for the jury to consider
What is public nuisance?
Unreasonable interference with a right common to the general public
When does a private citizen have a claim to public nuisance?
When they suffer a harm different that that suffered by members of the general public
HALF OF TORTS IS NEGLIGENCE!!!!
What is negligence?
Conduct that falls below the minimum degree of ordinary care imposed by law to protect others against unreasonable risk of harm
What are the four elements of negligence?
Duty
Breach
Causation
Damages
What is the duty in negligence?
Duty of care owed to all foreseeable persons who may foreseeably be harmed by the D’s failure to act as a reasonable person would under the circumstances
Foreseeability views (2 types)
Majority (Cardozo) if person is group who may foreseeably be harmed [zone of foreseeable danger]
Minority (Andrews) duty owned to everyone
Is a rescuer foreseeable?
Yes
What is assumption of the duty?
A person who voluntarily aids or rescues another had a duty to act with reasonable ordinary care in the performance of aid or rescue.
What is the standard of care in negligence?
Use care of a reasonably prudent person under the circumstances
Presumed to have average mental abilities and knowledge of an average member of the community. Mentally disabled is held to same standard
Ex: blind person held to same standard as another blind person
What is the standard of care to be exercised by children?
The same as a reasonable child with similar age, intelligence and experience