Torts (from outline) Flashcards
A duty is owed to _____ plaintiffs that are ____ endangered by the defendant’s negligent conduct
Foreseeable; foreseeably
Rescuers are _____ when the defendant negligently put themselves or a third person in peril
foreseeable plaintiffs
The firefighters rule states that firefighers and police officers cannot recover from injures caused by ___-
the inherent risks of their jobs
To prove negligence, a plaintiff must show there was a duty, breach, causation (_____) and damages
actual and proximate
A P must show that D breached its __
duty of care
The two types of causation in negligence that must be present are
actual (but-for) and proximate (forseeable)
Actual (but-for) causation is when there is a ____ between the breach and the injury suffered
factual connection
Proximate cause exists when the harm is a _____ result of the breach
foreseeable
Examples of harms considered foreseeable include:
(1) medical malpractice that occurs after an accident, (2) harm that occurs during rescue efforts to protect life and property endangered by D’s negligent conduct, and (3) a disease or subsequent accident that occurred after an accident.
When you have 2 or more defendants, in determining who is negligent, use the ____ test
substantial factor test
which says if a D’s breach was a substantial factor in causing the harm, the D is liable
For an “alternative cause” scenario, the P must show that ALL potential defendatns are joined in the lawsuit and that all D’s are negligent.
The burden will shift to ______
each defendant to show its breach of duty was NOT the actual cause
An intervening cause is a subsequent injury that occurs after the original injury, and it is a ______
normal consequence of the original injury
AKA foreseeable type of harm
if this exists, then the original P will be held liable for his original injury
A superseding cause occurs when an injury occurs after the original injury that is _______
unforeseeable
this cuts off the original defendant’s liability, so he/she will NOT be held liable for those damages
Examples of unforeseeable things:
- acts of god
- intentional torts
- crimes
- and ANYTHING THE DAMN FACT PATTERN TELLS YOU is unforeseeable
Can a plaintiff recover punitive or nominal damages in a negligence action?
no
Name 3 defenses to negligence (CAC)
- Comparative Negligence
- Contributory Negligence
- Assumption of the Risk
For pure comparitive negligence, the P can recover ____. Plus, his damages are simply reduced by his percentage of fault
This is the default on MBE
no matter how negligent he is!!!!
Partial (modified) comparative negligence is when a P is more at fault than the D, the P ________ recover
cannot
Contributory negligence is when the P CANNOT recover if he was even A LITTLE BIT NEGLIGENT (he contirbuted to the negligence) UNLESS the D had the _______ to avoid the injury
last clear chance
Assumption of the risk is a ddefense to negligence if the P ______ of the risk and _____ assumed it, then he CANNOT recover damages
Knew; voluntarily
only defense for strict liability cases
Children are held to the standard of care to a child of
similar age, experience, and intelligence, UNLESS engaged in an adult activity
Professionals are held to a _____ standard of care to an average member of their profession in good standing
national
Doctors have a duty to disclose risk of treatment to enable a patient to give _____
informed consent
An undiscovered trespasser is one whom the land owner does not know or ____
The duty of care owed to an undiscovered trespasser is ____
should not know of
NO DUTY. Ha almost tricked you there
A discovered/ anticipated trespasser is one whom the landowner knows or should know is trespassing.
The Duty owed to an anticipated trespasser is to ____ or make safe ______ artificial conditions the landowner KNOWS OF
Warn of; unreasonably dangerous
a licensee is one who enters the land with the possessor’s permission for their own ____business (social guest)
The duty owed to a licensee is to ______ or make safe all _____ the land owner KNOWS OF
purpose
warn of; HIDDEN DANGERS
There is NO DUTY TO INSPECT
An invitee is one who is invited onto the property for the owner’s own benefit (like customer at mall open top ublic)
The duty owed to an invitee is to warn of or make safe ______ they should know of or ______
All dangers
Should know of
Duty to inspect - yes!
Trespass to land is the physical act of _____ the land of another
entering
Conscious act of stepping onto that land.
Do you have to damage the land for trespass to land?
no
IIED - is physical harm required
NO
IIED requires that the D act with intentional or ____ conduct (knew or should have known) causing severe _____
Reckless (malicious)
emotional distress
Bystander cases of IIED scenario 1:
The bystander is a ____ of the P, the D KNOWS that the person is there, and the bystander suffers ____
close family relative
emotional distress
Bystander cases of IIED scenario 2:
The bystander is _____ a family member of P, but that person suffers _______
NOT a family member
PHYSICAL HARM
False imprisionment is when the defendant acts with the ____ to confine or restrain P to a BOUNDED area, actual confinement occurs, and P either ______ or is hurt by it
Shopkeeper privilege
intent
knows of the confinement
Merchant has reasonable suspicion that someone is stealing from them, then they can be detained for reasonable amount of time
Assault requires that the P demonsrtate that he ______ a harmful or offensive touch that was ____
reasonably apprehended
imminent
Apprehension does NOT mean fear. Apprehension is knowledge or anticipati
Battery is when the D acts with the ____ to cause ____ contact, or with a ______ and a ____ contact directly or indirectly results
“Substantial certainty” element for battery liability
intent
harmful or offensive
knowledge that a harmful contact would occur,
harmful or offensive
There is no rule of tort law stating that a plaintiff is prohibited from pursuing claims for battery and products liability on the basis of same set of facts
Negligent trespass to land occurs when someone enters into another’s land ________and there is __________
Negligently
Damage
NIED occurs when the D acts negligently, the P is in the _______, causing D BOTH severe emotional distress AND ____
zone of danger
PHYSICAL HARM
Bystander theory of NIED
If the bystander is a _____ present at the scene and they suffer ____ then they can recover.
Does the D have to KNOW that the bystander was there?
close family member
emotional distress
NO
If someone acts negligently in the care/ handling of a corpse, and P suffers ____, then P can sue for NIED without showing ____
emotional distress
physical harm
Defenses to intentional torts include 4
- consent
- self defense
- public necesssity
- private necessity
Can you have implied consent?
Yes, like you are playing football game. but it must not go BEYOND the scope of the consent.
Self defense is a defense to intentional torts if you have _____ that someone will hurt you, and you can apply _____back at that person
reasonable belief
same force
Defense of others is a defense to intentional torts as long as there is ______ that the defense is necessary to protect a third person
reasonable belief
Defense of property is allowed to defend property as long as there is _____ that the defense will stop the thing on the land
reasonable belief
You cannot use Deadly force to protect property UNLESS there is a ____ to the person’s ______
threat
own saftey
Necessity is a defense to intentional tort.
Private necessity, it is a defense if you must enter someone else’s property out of necessity. If it is _____. However, even though this is a defense to the tort, you must still pay for _____ to the property
necessary to protect yourself
damages