torts Flashcards
elements of intentional torts
*act or omission
*intent
*causation
definitions of intent
*purpose of causing something
*knowing with substantial certainty the thing will happen
elements of battery
*D acts in a manner that
*causes harmful or offensive contact (direct or indirect contact, with anything connected to the person)
*with the intent to cause contact
elements of assault
*D acts in a manner that
*causes reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive conduct
*with the intent to cause apprehension
elements of intentional infliction of emotional distress
*D engages in extreme and outrageous conduct that
*causes P severe emotional distress
*with the intent to cause distress or with recklessness as to the risk of causing distress
elements of false imprisonment
*D acts in a manner that
*directly or indirectly results in confinement
*with the intent to confine or restrain P within fixed boundaries
*and P is conscious of the confinement or harmed by it
defenses to intentional torts
*consent (actual and implied)
*capacity
*self-defense
*defense of others
*defense of property
*recapturing chattels
*parental privilege
*privilege of arrest
what use of force is allowed for self-defense, defense of others, defense of property, recapture of chattels, regaining possession of land?
*self-defense: reasonable and proportionate
*defense of others: reasonable, as long as third party had privilege of self-defense
*defense of property: reasonable BUT never deadly
*recapturing chattels: reasonable unless the taking was legal
*regain possession of land: no force (legal remedies only)
elements of trespass to chattels
*dispossess P of chattel OR use or intermeddling with P’s chattels (or damage)
*with the intent to perform the interfering act (not intent to interfere)
elements of conversion
*deprive P of possession OR interfere with the chattel in a manner so serious as to deprive P entirely of its use
*with the intent to perform the interfering act (not intent to interfere)
trespass to chattels vs. conversion (+factors)
*the level of interference
*the duration and extent of interference
*D’s intent to assert a right inconsistent with the rightful possessor
*D’s good faith
*the expense or inconvenience to P
*the extent of harm
elements of trespass to land
*D physically invades land (with person or objects)
*with the intent to enter or invade
private vs. public nuisance
D substantially and unreasonably interferes with P’s use and enjoyment of their land
vs.
D unreasonably interferes with a right common to the public as a whole
exception to trespass to land
*private necessity: liable for actual damages
*public necessity: complete bar
circumstances creating an affirmative duty to act
*assuming a duty / voluntary undertaking (e.g., rescuer)
*placing another in danger / risk creator
*by authority: must have the ability and actual authority to control another
*by (special) relationship
traditional (majority) rule for land possessor’s duty of care
*invitee: on land for a material/economic purpose or land open to public / must use reasonable care to inspect, discover unreasonable dangerous conditions, and take reasonable steps to protect
*licensee: gets permission to enter / must make the land reasonably safe or warn of hidden dangerous, must use reasonable care in acting
*trespasser: no duty (but can’t act willfully or wantonly)
*discovered/anticipated trespasser: same as licensee
minority rule for land possessor’s duty of care
reasonable care for all except flagrant trespassers
elements of attractive nuisance
*artificial conditions exists in a place where the owner knows or has reason to know that children are likely to trespass
*the owner knows or has reason to know the artificial condition poses an unreasonable risk of death or serious bodily harm
*children, due to age, don’t discover or can’t appreciate the danger
*maintenance is slight compared to the risk of injury
*the owner failed to exercise reasonable care
landlord duties
*maintain safe common areas
*repair hazardous conditions
*warn of hidden dangers
duty to off-premises victims
prevent unreasonably dangerous artificial conditions
informed consent exceptions
*the risk is commonly known
*the patient is unconscious
*the patient waives or refuses informed consent
*the patient is incompetent
*the patient would be harmed by the information
elements of negligence per se
*a statute imposed a duty on D
*D violated the statute
*P suffered the type of harm intended to be prevented by the statute
*P was in the class meant to be protected
*the violation caused the harm
considerations for duty
*does a duty exist? was this a foreseeable P and foreseeable harm?
*what is the standard of care?
considerations for causation
*is there “but for” causation? if not, are there multiple tortfeasor? multiple sufficient causes? a loss of chance?
*was the breach a proximate cause of the harm? was the harm within the scope of the breach? did an intervening (foreseeable, like negligence) vs. superseding cause occur?
excuses to negligence per se
*compliance would have been more dangerous
*compliance was impossible (or an emergency arose)
*the party exercised reasonable care in trying to comply
*the party was incapacitated
*the statue is too vague
elements of res ipsa loquitor (traditional vs. modern)
*the accident was of a kind not ordinarily occurring in the absence of negligence
*the thing causing the harm was within the exclusive control of D
*the harm was not due to any action by P
vs.
*the accident was of a type ordinarily occurring as a result of negligence of a class of actors
*D is a member of that class
what are compensatory damages?
actual damages provided with the purpose of making P whole again
how are compensatory damages calculated for personal injury and property damage?
*personal injury = past and future medical expenses + lost income + reduced earning capacity + past and future pain and suffering
*property damage = different in market value (OR cost of repair or replacement)
when does NIED apply?
*if the person is within the zone of danger and the threat of immediate physical impact (caused by D’s negligence) caused them emotional distress
*if the person is a bystander (closely related to injured person, present at scene, and personally observed the injury)
*if a special situation exists (announcement of death or illness in error, mishandling corpse of loved one, contaminating food with repulsive object)