Torts Flashcards
Intentional Torts
Elements
• VOLITIONAL ACT by the defendant
• Intent; AND
• Causation
Intent
If person’s PURPOSE was to bring about the consequence OR
the person knows to a substantial certainty that the result could occur
Super-sensitivities
Not taken into account unless the defendant knew of them beforehand.
Transferred intent
When D intends to commit one tort against one person but instead diff tort, different person or both.
Torts that intent transfers • Battery • Assault • False Imprisonment • Trespass to Land • Trespass to Chattels
Minors and incompetents
Maj. Both minors and incompetents will be liable for their intentional torts.
OHIO: children under the age of 7 are not liable for intentional torts.
Battery
- Intent to cause harmful or offensive touching
- An act by the defendant brings about the harmful or offensive touching to the person of the plaintiff
- Causation
The person does not have to be aware of the touching
No need to prove damages. Nominal damages are enough.
You can Transfer intent
Harmful or Offensive Touching
Harmful or Offensive TO a reasonable person of ordinary sensibilities.
Offensive if no permission given.
Permission is given for incidental day to day contact.
Exception: if the tortfeasor knew of the person’s special sensitivity
Dr. operating on wrong w/o consent is battery even if no harm.
Plaintiff’s Person
Touching can include things that are closely associated with or connected to the person.
A plate, a purse, shaking a car with the Plaintiff inside.
Causation
D is liable for direct and indirect contact. If D sets in motion a force that brings about harmful or offensive contact to the plaintiff’s person.
Assault
Elements
• Intent to cause apprehension of immediate harmful or offensive touching with the plaintiff’s person
• An ACT by the defendant to cause APPREHENSION of immediate harmful or offensive touching
• CAUSATION
You don’t need to prove damages, nominal damages will work.
You can transfer intent
APPREHENSION
The apprehension must be Reasonable, not exaggerated (unless defendant knows of the unreasonable fear).
Apprehension is not fear. It is the expectation.
Person MUST be aware of the apprehension.
The actual ability of the person doesn’t matter, it is the APPEARANCE that the tortfeasor has the ability to do it.
BUT in order for the apprehension to be REASONABLE, the tortfeasor must have the APPARENT ability to do it.
Effect of words
• Some OVERT ACT is necessary
o Words are not enough because they cannot create a REASONABLE apprehension of contact. The act may not be huge, e.g. clenching a fist
o BUT words MAY NEGATE an assault, I’d hit you if I wasn’t such a good guy.
• Conditional threat is sufficient
o Mugger says, give me your wallet and no one gets hurt.
Requirement of Immediacy
Apprehension of an immediate act only, future acts not sufficient.
Causation
The apprehension must have been legally caused by the defendant’s act or by something he set in motion, directly or indirectly.
False Imprisonment
• Intent to confine or restrain the person in a bounded area
• Act that confines or restrains the person in bounded area
• Causation
NO NEED TO RESIST
Time of confinement: immaterial, except as to damages
P must be aware of the imprisonment, or injured.
You can transfer intent.
You do not need to prove damages, nominal damages is enough. If motivated by Malice you might get punitive.
Sufficient Methods of Confinement or Restrain
- Physical Barriers
- Physical force: Restraint by physical force directed at him or member of his immediate family or his property
- Direct threats of force: against P, P’s immediate family
- Indirect threats: words or acts that REASONABLY imply a threat of force against P, P’s family or property.
- Failure to provide Means of escape: When P has lawfully come under D’s control, and P CANNOT leave w/o D’s assistance, D has an AFFIRMATIVE DUTY to provide a means of escape.
- Invalid Use of Legal Authority (False Arrests)
False Arrests
An arrest or detention made through legal process, warrant, is not false arrest.
HOWEVER, if arrest for a criminal offense WITHOUT a warrant is unlawful, and may constitute false imprisonment
When Arrest are privileged?
• Felony Arrests w/o warrant: by police officer (or private citizen acting at the officer’s direction) valid if officer has REASONABLE GROUNDS that a felony has occurred and the person arrested did it.
• Private person arrest: only if felony IN FACT occurred AND the private person had REASONABLE GROUNDS that person did it
Ohio: OR when he reasonably believed a felony had been committed
• Misdemeanor arrest: by officer or private person privileged if the misdemeanor was a BREACH OF THE PEACE AND committed in presence of arresting party
• Arrests to Prevent a Crime w/o a Warrant: police and private persons privileged if it reasonable appears that felony or breach of peace is being or about to be committed.
Amount of Force Allowable
- Felony: use force reasonably necessary to make arrest, deadly force ONLY if suspect poses threat of serious harm to others (including arresting party).
- Misdemeanor: use force necessary to make arrest BUT NEVER deadly force.
Shoplifting Detentions
Elements
• REASONABLE BELIEF as to the fact of theft
• Detention must be conducted in a REASONABLE MANNER, No deadly force
• Detention must only be for REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME and ONLY for purposes of making an investigation
Insufficient Forms of Confinement or Restraint
- Moral Pressure: not enough
* Future Threats: not enough
BOUNDED AREA
Plaintiff’s freedom of movement in all directions must be limited. No reasonable means of escape known to the prisoner. A bounded area can be moving.
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
Elements
• An ACT by D, that is EXTEREME and OUTRAGEOUS conduct.
• Intent to cause P to suffer severe emotional distress OR recklessness as to the effect of D conduct
• Causation
• DAMAGES: SEVERE emotional distress
Extreme and Outrageous Conduct
Conduct that transcends all bounds of decency tolerated by society.
Conduct may become outrageous if continuous.
• Extreme Business Conduct: Extreme methods of collection, repeated.
• Misuse of Authority: in some circumstances, teacher bullying students
• Offensive or Insulting Language: Generally NOT, BUT if SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP between P and D OR a Sensitivity on P’s part which the D is aware
• Special Relationship: Common carriers and innkeepers.
• Known Sensitivity: children, pregnant women, and elderly.
Bystander cases
When D causes physical harm to third person AND P suffers severe emotional distress because of her relationship to the injured person. MUST SHOW
• P was PRESENT when the injury occurred to the other person
• P was close relative to injured person
• D KNEW that P was present AND close relative of injured person
DON’T NEED presence or family relationship IF D had a design or purpose to cause severe distress to P.
Mishandling Corpses
Allows recovery where mental distress occurs under intentional infliction of emotional distress.
ACTUAL DAMAGES REQUIRED
Not necessary to have PHYSICAL damages BUT need to prove SEVERE emotional distress (more than a reasonable person could be expected to endure).
Punitive damages when Δ’s conduct improperly motivated.
Trespass to Land
Elements
• An ACT by D of physical invasion on P’s land
• D’s INTENT to cause physical invasion of P’s land
• Causation
TRANSFERRED INTENT applies.
DAMAGES: damages presumed, no need to show damages.
PHYSICAL INVASION
- Defendant Need not Enter onto Land. Floods P land, chases someone else on to P land, throws a rock
- Lawful Right of Entry expires. Allowed you to stay then night but you stay a week.
- If No Physical Object Enters Land: NOT trespass (more like a nuisance or strict liability)
- Land: the usable air and subsurface.
INTENT
Mistake IS NO DEFENSE, as long as you INTENDED to enter upon the land.
WHO IS THE PLAINTIFF in Trespass to land
ANYONE in ACTUAL or CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION (even if no title).
IF no one in possession the TRUE OWNER is presumed in possession.
LESSEE: some allow damages only to extent that trespass damages the LEASEHOLD interest.
Others allow full recovery for all damage done, BUT req. Lessee account to lessor for excess over damages to the leasehold.
Trespass to Chattels
ELEMENTS
• Act of defendant that interferes with plaintiff’s right of possession in the chattel
• Intent to perform the act that interferes with the plaintiff’s right of possession
• Causation; and
• Damages: no nominal damages BUT loss of possession is deemed to be an actual harm
TRANSFERRED INTENT: applies
Interference
ANY act of interference will suffice
• Intermeddling: conduct that serves to directly damage P’s chattels: denting car, hitting P’s dog
• Dispossession: conduct on D’s part serving to dispossess plaintiff of lawful right to possess
INTENT for Trespass to Chattels
Mistake as to the lawfulness of D’s actions is NOT DEFENSE. Intent to do the act of interference is sufficient. (not the intent to trespass)
WHO CAN BRING TRESPASS TO CHATTELS
ANYONE with possession OR the immediate RIGHT to possession.
Conversion
ELEMENTS
• An ACT of interfering w/ P right to possess, SERIOUS ENOUGH, to warrant full value of the chattel
• INTENT to perform that act
• CAUSATION
ACTS OF CONVERSION
- Wrongful acquisition, theft
- Wrongful transfer, selling,
- Wrongful detention, not returning
- Substantially changing
- Severely damaging or destroying
- Misusing the chattel
MERE INTENT TO PERFORM ACT REQUIRED:
Bona fide purchaser may be liable if it was stolen from true owner
• Accidental Conduct Insufficient, unless act using chattel w/o permission when accident occurred.
SERIOUSNESS OF INTERFERENCE OR CONSEQUENCE
A momentary taking or movement it is not enough.
Conversion if person refuses to return when asked OR ALTERS it.
The LONGER the withholding period and the more extensive the use during the time, more likely conversion occurred.
SPECIAL SITUATION OF BAILEES RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY
bailee takes w/o notice and returns to thief w/o liability, but if bailee has notice and returns to thief he is liable
SUBJECT MATTER OF CONVERSION
ONLY tangible personal property and intangibles that have been reduced to physical form, and docs. In which title to the chattel is merged (bill of lading or warehouse receipt). Real property and intangible CANNOT be CONVERTED.
WHO CAN BRING THE ACTION
Anyone with POSSESSION or the IMMEDIATE RIGHT TO POSSESSION may maintain action. But if not true owner must account to true owner.
REMEDIES for conversion
- Damages: FMV of chattel as of time and place of conversion. (tortfeasor gets title)
- Replevin: give it back
Consent
- Express
- Implied
Capacity required, Incompetents, drunken persons, and very young children deemed incapable of consent (Consent of parent necessary)
Cannot exceed consent granted
Express Consent
Consent by mistake: still valid UNLESS D caused the mistake OR KNOWS of the mistake
CONSENT INDUCED BY FRAUD; not a defense if the fraud goes to essential matter. IF the fraud goes to a nonessential matter consent is still a defense
Consent Obtained by Duress, is invalid, BUT threat of future action or some future economic deprivation is not duress
Implied Consent
Apparent Consent: a reasonable person would infer consent from P’s conduct.
ALSO inferred from USAGE and CUSTOM
Consent implied by Law:
where action necessary to save a person’s life, or important interest in property. Like emergency surgery to unconscious person.
Consent Criminal Act:
Maj. View, a person cannot consent to a criminal act, Min. consent to criminal act is valid defense
a. Modern Trend: consent is ineffective against illegal acts that are breaches of the peace, but is in those not breaches of peace.
Street fighting consent is ineffective.
b. Consent Invalid Where law seeks to protect members of victim class: consent not good (like statutory rape)
Self-Defense:
When person has reasonable grounds that he is being or is going to be attacked, he may use force necessary to protect against injury.
Retaliation Not Allowed.
Retreat not necessary, maj. No retreat, growing trend says you must retreat before using deadly force, UNLESS in your home. (OHIO must retreat Except in home or work or can’t do it in complete safety)
Not available to Aggressor: BUT if other uses deadly force, the aggressor may defend self with deadly force.
Defense of Others
If actor has reasonable belief that person aided would have right of self defense. (even if he doesn’t)
Only the amount of force reasonable.
Defense of Property
May use reasonable force (no deadly force)
• Request to Desist Usually Required, unless futile or dangerous
• Effect of Mistake: mistake allows as to the property owner’s right to use force or whether intrusion occurred, or whether request to desist needed
BUT mistake NOT allowed, where entrant has privilege to enter, then property owner is liable, UNLESS entrant intentionally or negligently caused mistake.
Limited to Preventing Commission of Tort against the property: until tort is complete, unless in hot pursuit
• Superseded by Other Privileges: like necessity, reentry, right to enter to recapture chattels
Reentry onto Land
Modern: use summary procedures, self-help not allowed
Common law: if tortuously disposed, could use reasonable force to regain possession.
Recapture of Chattel
Same as that of land, only peaceful means to recover, force only if in hot pursuit
Timely demand req, unless futile or dangerous
Recovery Only from Wrongdoer: not against third parties
Only reasonable force, NOT death or serious bodily harm
Entry upon land to remove
Wrongdoer’s land. Privileged to enter the land and reclaim at reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. Generally req. demand before such entry.
On land of innocent Party: at a reasonable time, and in a peaceful manner when landowner given notice and refuses to return it. Chattel owner liable for any actual damage caused by entry
On land through Owner’s own fault: NO privilege. Only legal process
Privileged Arrest
Invasion of Land: privilege entry on to another’s land for purpose of effecting arrest
Subsequent Misconduct: still liable for misconduct afterward
Mistake that you are privilege you may be liable
Necessity
May interfere with real or personal prop of another if reasonably and apparently necessary to avoid threatened injury from nature or another. As long threatened injury more serious than the invasion being avoided.
- Public necessity: where act is for public good, defense is absolute
- Private Necessity: where the act is solely to benefit any person or to protect any property the defense is qualified, actor must pay for any injury he causes.
Discipline
Parent or teacher may use reasonable force in disciplining children
Defamation (common law)
Elements • defamatory statement that turns out to be false • of and concerning Π • publication to a third party • damages
Defamatory Statement
A defamatory statement: statement that injures the plaintiff’s reputation as to honesty, trustworthiness, morality, or integrity that lowers reputation in the eyes of the community.
NAME CALLING is not enough.
BUT Truth is a valid defense. Δ has the burden of proving truth.
MUST BE a living person
Inducement and Innuendo
If statement is not defamatory on its face, Π may plead additional facts (inducement) to establish defamatory meaning by innuendo.
Of and concerning Π
Δ’s statement must be reasonable understood to refer to the Π.
If small group, yes refers to a member.
If larger group, no does not concern member.
Colloquium
If statement on its face does not refer to the Π, extrinsic evidence may be allowed in to establish that the statement refers to the Π. (pleading colloquium).
Publication to a third party
Must be communicated in an understandable fashion to a third person OTHER THAN the Π.
Publication must at least be negligently.
So if party took all the precautions possible no publication.
Primary publishers (TV newspaper) liable same as speaker.
repeating same liability.
One selling papers playing tapes only if knows or should have known of the defamatory conduct.
Damages
Slander-spoken defamation-Π must prove special damages.
Libel-written defamation or broadcasted-juries may presume damages.
Slander per se: juries may presume damages.
Slander per se
- Statement that impugn one’s conduct in trade or profession.
- Statement that once has committed crime involving moral turpitude.
- Statement that one has a loathsome disease.
- Statement that impugns the chastity of a woman
Truth Defense
If Δ can prove true, no defamation.