Torts Flashcards
A prima facie case for any intentional tort requires showing three things
act
intent
causation
Transferred intent applies in tort to tort TI for five torts:
Assault, Battery, False Imprisonment, Trespass to land, Trespass to chattels
Causation for a tort requires that the defendant’s conduct be at least a
substantial factor
The elements to battery are
Intent to cause harmful/offensive contact
Actual harmful or offensive contact
Caused
with another’s person
The elements of assault are
intentional
creation of reasonable apprehension
of harmful/offensive/unconsented contact
For assault, fear is ____
not required
Only a reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact
An assault cannot occur if the def
did not know about it
Words can negate an assault if
Clearly indicating that there is no imminent threat of harmful/offensive/unconsented contact
False imprisonment requires
Intent to
Confine or restrain
in a bounded area
Insufficient acts of restraint include:
moral pressure
future threats
Is there a time requirement for false imprisonment
No, the length is immaterial
Is there an awareness requirement for false imprisonment
yes, the plaintiff must know or be harmed by the confinement
What is a bounded area for false imprisonment
A place where there is no reasonable means of escape known to the plaintiff
IIED requires showing
An act that is extreme and outrageous
causing damages in the form of severe emotional distress
that was perpetrated intentionally or recklessly
For IIED bystander cases, the defendant may be liable if he intentionally or recklessly causes severe emotional distress to some one other than the intended victim if they are:
i) An immediate family member
-present at the time of the defendant’s conduct
-defendant is aware of such presence
(no damages in the form of severe emotional distress must be proven)
ii) Any other bystander who is
-present at the time of the extreme and outrageous conduct
-Def’s conduct results in actual damages (severe emotional distress)
Trespass to land requires
Intentional (not involuntary)
physical invasion
of real property
Is intent required for trespass
Not to trespass, only to enter the land
Trespass to chattels requires
intentional (not involuntary)
interference
with P’s right of possession in a chattel
The difference between trespass to chattels and conversion is
Conversion requires a serious interference AND the remedy is the full value of the chattel or possession
TtC requires any interference and only allows actual damages recovery
Defenses to intentional torts are
Consent (unless consent given is exceeded)
Protective privilege (self-def, def of others, def of property)
Necessity (public or private)
Special duties of care include:
Children
Professionals
Possessors of land
For children the standard of care is
Under 5 - incapable of capacity to be negligent
5-18 - subjective test based on a child of the same age, intelligence, and experience
Professionals are held to a standard of care requiring
they act as an average practitioner of good standing in the profession
Possessors of land have the following standard of care
-Unknown Trespassers - no duty
-Known/Anticipated Trespassers - warn or make safe hidden, deadly, man made hazards
-Licensees - warn or make safe all hidden, man made or natural hazards they know of
-Invitees - warn or make safe all hidden, man made or natural hazards they know of or would discover on reasonable inspection
-Attractive nuisance - applies where (1) there is a dangerous artificial condition that the owner knows or should know of, (2) kids are likely to trespass, and (3) cost of remediation is slight compared to risk
Negligence per se occurs when
the tortfeasor violates a statute AND
the victim is the type of person intended to be protected AND
the harm is the type the statute sought to prevent
Violation of a statute as NPS is excused if
Compliance would be more dangerous OR compliance was beyond defendant’s control
Is there a duty to rescue?
No
A duty to act arises through
Special relationship
Statute
Contract
Causing peril
Beginning rescue
The standard for common carriers or innkeepers requires
they act with a very high degree of care (so long as the plaintiff was their passenger or guest)
NIED requires
Near Miss:
-Def creates a foreseeable risk of physical injury to the plaintiff
-The plaintiff is in the zone of danger
-And the near miss caused physical symptoms from distress
Great Likelihood of Distress:
-Def’s actions are highly likely to severe cause emotional distress
-P suffers emotional distress as a result
Bystander:
-P is closely related to injured person
-P was present and perceived injury
Res ipso loquitur is shown by plaintiff demonstrating that
-The accident is not one that would normally occur unless there was negligence
-the negligence is probably attributable to the defendant