Torts Flashcards
INVASION OF PRIVACY: Intrusion into Seclusion?
D intentionally interferes w/ P’s seclusion
- Invasion must be highly objectionable to a reasonable person
- Damages include: emotional distress or punitive damages
False Imprisonment: confinement?
P is confined to a bounded area by use of physical barriers, [threats] physical force, failing to release P & by invalid assertion of legal authority
- Pl. KNOWS OF REASONABLE means of escape then no confinement exists
- Brevity of confinement is not at issue
- Threats of reputational harm are generally insufficient
Gratuitous bailment treated as?
Bailment for Hire?
Gratuitous bailment: licensee.
Bailment for hire: invitee.
Abnormally dangerous activities?
Recovery?
Whether it creates a foreseeable and highly significant risk of physical harm EVEN when highly significant risk is exercised.
P can recover if proven:
- Def. INVOLVED in activity &
- ACTIVITY CAUSED Pl.’s harm
Proximate cause issue: Pl. must be injured by things that make activity abnormally dangerous [not some strange byproduct]
False Imprisonment?
intentional confinement/restraint of another against P’s consent & P is aware of confinement or injured thereby [same as False arrest]
- intent
- confinement
- against Pl.’s will
- awareness of confinement or injured thereby
* Awareness isn’t required for young children [infants] & incompetents
Contributory negligence?
any fault on part of Pl. bars to recovery
Conversion?
intentional exercise of dominion or control over a chattel by Def. that causes destruction or serious & substantial interference w/ Pl.’s ownership rights
- intent
- complete dominion & control by D
- P’s chattel
- serious/substantial interference justly requiring full repayment for value of chattel
Cause-in-fact (Actual Cause): Loss of chance?
Pl’s burden of proving more likely than not but for Dr.’s malpractice would not have lost ___% chance of survival
Strict Products Liability in Tort:
Defenses?
- Misuse - P uses product in manner neither intended nor foreseeable [bars recovery against manufacturer]
- Alteration - 3rd party unforeseeably alters a product [bars recovery]
- Assumption of Risk - knew, understood & voluntarily [bars recovery]
Cause-in-fact (Actual Cause):
Market share liability?
generic product & P can’t show who in large group negligent Ds is at fault then may sue all Ds [each only at fault for their share of the market]
Cause-in-fact (Actual Cause): but for?
“but for” D’s failure to act P would likely not have been injured
ECONOMIC TORTS: Interference w/ Contractual Relations?
- D knows K between P & 3rd party
- D act w/ intent to have K breached OR harder to perform
Standard of Care: Children?
reasonable child same age, experience, skill & intelligence
- EXCEPTION: child not behaving as child, involved in adult/ inherently dangerous activity, then treated as adult
- Minority: if 5 & under can’t be negligent
ECONOMIC TORTS: Negligent Misrepresentation?
- Gen’l rule: D no duty to avoid negligent infliction of pure economic loss
- Personal injury or property damage can recover for N.M.
- EXCEPTION: when there is a special relationship [atty/client recoverable due to fiduciary duty]
- Who beyond a party who is in privity of contract can recover?
- D knows they are acting for the benefit of the 3rd party & aim of their conduct is to benefit third party then 3rd relies & suffers economic loss
- In the context of lawyer/client relationships: allow non-client for economic loss in the context of will drafting
DEFAMATION: damages?
- General damages (non-pecuniary aspects such as loss of friends, humiliation, injury to reputation): presumed for libel/slander per se
- Special damages (specific economic losses: pecuniary (quantifiable monetary losses suffered by P due to injury to reputation)): required for slander/libel per quod
DEFAMATION: Standard of Proof: PUBLIC FIGURE:?
treated like public officials
- All purpose public figures: household names
- Limited public figures: inject themselves into particular controversy
Libel?
any communication w/ a certain permanence
- Reputational harm presumed & damages presumed
- Libel per quod: libel that is not apparent on its fact & extrinsic facts are needed to establish whether libel was defamatory
Strict Products Liability in Tort:
Damages?
- May be recovered when: personal injury or property damage NOT INTANGIBLE ECONOMIC loss such as lost profits
- Where harm only to product itself: only claim available is one of breach of warranty
Assumption of Risk: waiver?
Pl. through written/oral agreement waives D’s negligent behavior
- Unless, Void against public policy when dealing w/ a necessity. [emergency room waiver form]
DEFAMATION: Publication?
some reasonable 3rd person received the defamation & understood it to refer to the P
- If not intentional, if D negligently permitted it to be communicated to 3rd persons considered published
Standard of Care: Professionals?
knowledge & skill of member of profession in good standing in similar locality [if customary practice then deviation is breach]
- Lack Informed Consent: due to failure to disclose info to Pl. Professional rule: doctor must divulge risks CUSTOMARILY DIVULGED. Minority: Standard of materiality: [Patient Rule] requires doctor to divulge all mat’l risk that reasonable patient would want to know
- Attys: To prevail in legal malpractice action, P must show: but for atty’s malpractice would have won in underlying CoA
- Specialist: nat’l focus & Gen’l practitioner: close locality
DEFAMATION:
Standard of Proof:
Public Concern?
Constitution requires FAULT & FALSITY on part of Def.