Torts Flashcards
Elements of Intentional Torts
- Voluntary Act
- Intent
- Causation
- Harm
- Lack of privilege or defense
Transferred Intent
If D acts with the necessary intent to inflict certain intentional torts against P, but causes injury to V, then D’s intent is transferred to V. (Only applies to battery, assault, false imprisonment, and trespass)
Intent
D either desires to cause harmful result or knows with substantial certainty that it will come about
Battery
- Intent (desire to cause contact or know that such contact is substantially certain to occur)
- Harmful or offensive contact
- To the person or something physically closely connected to person
(P doesn’t have to show injury)
Assault
- Intent (act with desire to cause an immediate harmful contact or the apprehension of such contact or know that such a result will occur)
- Reasonable apprehension
- Imminent battery
False Imprisonment
- Intent (desire to confine or restrain or know that such confinement is certain to result)
- Confinement to a bounded area
- Against P’s will
- P is aware of the confinement or injured by it
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
- Intentional or Reckless conduct
- Extreme or outrageous conduct
- Severe emotional distress (greater than reasonable person would expect to endure)
Trespass to Land
- Intent (D entered or caused something to enter or knew that land entry was substantially certain to result)
- Entry
- On P’s land
Remedies for Trespass to Land
Damages: Nominal damages or punitive damages if D causes injury
Ejectment: P must prove (1) legal title (2) right to possession (3) wrongful possession by D
Mesne Damages: Compensates the loss of use of the land/benefit received by the wrongful possessor, whichever is greater
Trespass to Chattels
- Intent (D interferes with P’s chattel)
- Interference
- P’s chattel
- Actual damages (including loss of use of the chattel)
Remedies for Trespass to Chattels
Cost of repair, fair market value, and potentially punitive damages if D is a bad actor
Replevin-get back the chattel
Conversion
- Intent
- Dominion and control
- Destruction or serious and substantial interference
Remedies for Conversion
Forced sale (market value at time converted) Replevin
POPCANS
Privilege Others (defense of) Property Consent Authority Necessity Self-Defense
Defense of Property
Can use reasonable force; never deadly force
Shopkeeper Privilege
Not liable for false imprisonment if they had a reasonable suspicion that P stole. Can detain for a reasonable period in a reasonable manner on the premises/immediate vicinity.
Self-Defense
D honestly and reasonably believes that she used reasonable force to prevent P from engaging in an imminent and unprivileged attack. D needs to use reasonable and proportionate force.
Duty to Rescue
No duty to rescue, unless
- D’s tortious conduct created the need to rescue
- Rescuer undertook rescue and now must act reasonably
- Special relationship
Special Relationships
- Employer employee
- Common carrier/innkeeper customer
- School student
- Parent child
- Business patron
- Jailer prisoner
Duty to Control 3rd Parties
There is no duty to control 3rd parties unless a special relationship exists
Dram Shop Acts
Imposes liability on establishments when they know, or should know, a patron is drunk and that person drives while intoxicated and harms a 3rd party