Torts Flashcards
When does a D’s duty to act arise?
- D’s conduct created a reasonably foreseeable risk of harm to P; or
- D + P have a special relationship
Duty to help others – Special Relationship
Please Help Eliminate Safety Concerns Causing Injuries
- Parent/Child
- Hospital/patient
- Employer/employee
- Shopkeeper/business invitees
- Common Carrier/passengers
- Innkeepers/guests
Which is a stronger defense?
No proximate cause; no duty to act
No duty to act
Please Help Eliminate Safety Concerns Causing Injuries – stands for?
affirmative duty to act based on special relationship
- Parent/Child
- Hospital/patient
- Employer/employee
- Shopkeeper/business invitees
- Common Carrier/passengers
- Innkeepers/guests
Tortious Interference With a K
Claim for intentional interference w/ K:
- Valid K existed between P + TP
- D knew of that K relationship
- D intentionally and improperly interfered with K’s performance; and
- Interference caused P’s pecuniary loss
Does a mistaken belief that D legally possessed chattel serve as a defense to conversion?
NO, even if it is a reasonable belief
Pure Comparative Negligence JDX
Default on MBE
Recovery is reduced by the P’s % of fault
Modified Comparative Negligence JDX
If P’s L is ≤ 50% –> P’s $ is reduced by her fault
If P’s L is ≥ 50% –> P is barred
Contributory Negligence
If P is even 1% negligent –> barred from recovery
Punitive Damages
Rarely applied
Imposed to punish + deter:
- outrageous
- malicious
- willful
- wanton
- evil conduct
*not awarded to for neg conduct!
Res Ipsa Loquitor
In Neg, this theory allows the jury to infer D’s negligent conduct from circumstantial E when there is no direct E
- accident was the kind that would not ordinarily occur in absence of neg
- thing that caused harm was under D’s exclusive control
- harm was not due to P’s actions
- this is loosely applied in comp fault jdx
- in comp fault, courts will reduce $ by P’s own neg
Privilege to Protect Others from Self Harm
D is privileged to use reasonable force to protect TP from self harm when:
- TP is unable to understand nature & consequences of their actions; and
- D reasonably believed that individual is about to commit act likely to cause death or serious bodily harm to themselves
*D can assert this privilege to shield himself from L
Assumption of Risk
Defense if the P:
- Knew about the risk
- of a known harm
- voluntarily accepted that risk
CL – complete bar to recovery
Modern – comparative neg (pure & modified)
1. Pure: recovery reduced by P’s fault
2. Modified: if P’s fault <50%, then recovery reduced; if >50%, barred
Does SL Product L apply to servcie providers?
NO, only to manufacturers, distributors, sellers
Service providers:
- gym
- doctor
- amusement park
Res Ipsa
Negligence is inferred from circumstantial E if:
- Accident was the type that does not ordinarily occur in absence of neg
- the thing that caused harm was under the ∆’s exclusive control
- harm not due to π’s actions
Standard applied if animal strays onto public road and causes harm
Negligence
Standard applied wheen livestock or other animals (except cats/dogs) enter another’s land and cause harm
SL
How is intent for battery established?
Intent req is met if D acted with either:
- Purpose –desire to cause contact to π’s person
- Knowledge – substantial certainty that such contact will result
Seller of a Component Part – Product L
Commercial supplier of a component –> subject to SL only if the component itself is defective–– but not when the component is incorporated into a product that is defective for another reason.
Exception: SL if:
1. supplier substantially participates in the process of integrating the component into the design of the assembled product and that product is defective due to the integration; or
2. component is defective
EX: sand used in manufacturing cement or a switch used in an electrical device
Where does a supplier of components fall in the SL PL chain of distribution
The supplies that sell simple components to manufactures, so it is on the top of the chain of distribution before any product is even put together!!
They are not SL for defects unless they substantially participated in the integration/manufacturing of the product, or if the component sold was defective
4 Types of Invasion of Privacy Claims
- Intrusion upon Seclusion
- Appropriation of name or likeness
- Public disclosure of private facts
- Publicity in a false light
Intrusion Upon Secution –Invasion of Privacy
- highly offensive
- intentional intrusion of
- P’s private affairs
EX: easdropping, bugging phones, taking pics of them in fitting room
Appropriation of Name or Likeness –Invasion of Privacy
- unauthorized
- use of P’s name or likeness
- for personal benefit
EX: commerical advantage
Public Disclosure of Private Facts –Invasion of Privacy
- Publicity
- given to highly offensive
- private matter
- concerning P
- not of legit public concern
- damages
Publicity in False Light –Invasion of Privacy
- Publicity
- given to false info
- about P
- actual malice
- places P in highly offensive & false light
- damages
Trespasser
Intentionally enters land w/o permission
Traditional: duty to warn/protect only to
KNOWN trespassers
Modern: duty of care to all land entrants (except flagrant trespassers)
Licensee
Enters land w/ permission or privilege
ie, social guests, emergency personnel
Traditional –warn of hidden dangers known to D + reasonable care in active operations––NO duty to inspect
Modern: duty of care to all land entrants (except flagrant trespassers)
Invitee –2 types
Public Invitee –enters land open to public (church, mall)
Business Invitee–enters land for business purpose
Traditional – duty of reasonable care, including:
1. inspect the property
2. discover unreasonably dangerous conditions
3. protect the invitee from them.
**limited to scope of invitation, if they go outside of scope –> trespasser
NOTE: a person is an invitee if they enter a store consistent with their policies or rules
EX: store has policy that repeat customers can get boxes. A enters store to get a box, but does not buy anything. She aks for permission to look around. While looking in the “employee only” she is injured.
Store is responsible for her bc she was an invitee since she entered consistent with store policy
Do you need proof to prevail on an IIED claim?
YES – need proof that πsuffered severe emotion distress
When can assault arise?
- words
- actions
- actions w/o words –> but P needs to reasonably anticipate that a harmful contact was imminent
Assualt
- Intentional Act by D
- creates a reasonable apprehension in P
- P must be aware + appreciate risk - of immediate harm or offensive contact to P’s person
- words alone usually not enough
- threats of future battery not enough
Battery
- Intentional
- Harmful or offensive contact
- to P’s person
- by D
Can a π recover for negligence solely based on emotional distress?
No proof of physical or property damage?
Generally, no––need some sort of physcial damage
Unless can falls under 1 of the 3 theories for NIED
Three Theories of Recovery for NIED
- Zone of Danger
- Bystander
- Special Situation
Zone of Danger –NIED
theory 1 of 3 NIED
- D’s negligence
- Put π
- in danger of immediate bodily harm
- π suffers serious emotional harm
Bystander – NIED
theory 2 of 3 NIED
- D negligently injured P’s close relative
- P contemporaneously perceived the event
- event cause P serious emotional distress
Special Situations –NIED
theory 3 of 3 NIED
- D negligently:
(a) delivered erroneous news of death or illness
(b) mishandled corpse
(c) contaminated food w/ repulsive foreign object - Caused P’s serious emotional distress
Fraud or Intentional Misrepresentation
- D knowingly or recklessly
- misrepresented a material fact
- w/ intent to induce P’s reliance
- P justifiably relied on misrepresentation
- suffered pecuniary/$ loss