Torts - Quiz 1 Flashcards
Essential Elements of a Tort
Intent, Act, Result
Reason for tort damages
Compensatory and Deterrance (punitive)
Battery
(1) Intent to cause harmful or offensive contact and (2) resulting contact made that is harmful or offensive
Snyder v. Turk
Doctor grabs Nurse’s shoulder. pulls it toward a wound.
Takeaway: Actual harm doesn’t have to occur to be a battery, only intent, act, and result (including contact).
Cohen v. Smith
Devoutly religious couple comes to hosp to have a baby, informs dr’s and nurse’s of their beliefs prohibiting the wife from being seen by another male while nude. A nurse saw and touched her during labor.
Takeaway: Offense is subject to a reasonable person standard according to the Restatements
Van Camp v. McAfoos
toddler runs into a woman’s leg while riding a tricycle, def did not claim fault on part of toddler.
Takeaway: Fault must be present for a battery to exist . Parents may be held liable based on propensity test.
Parent/Child Liability - Propensity Test
They will be liable if:
- The child has a propensity toward a certain behavior
- The parents have knowledge of said propensity
Battery - Elements of Intent
YES Knowledge of a substantial certainty
YES Extended liability
YES TransIn - Person to Person
YES TransIn - Tort to Tort
Types of Intent in Intentional Torts
Purposeful - Acts to bring about the intended outcome
Knowledgeable - the person acts knowing that the consequence is substantially certain to result. (90% certain)
Single Intent
Intent to contact is all that is necessary
Dual Intent
both the act and the result must be intended to create liability
Transferred Intent - Person to Person
intent to harm need not be brought against the intended target to create liability
Transferred Intent - Tort to Tort
intent to commit one tort that results in another will create liability under that tort
Extended liability
If someone commits an intentional tort they are liable for the resulting injuries, even if those injuries are worse than the person intended or could have anticipated.
Can an insane person be guilty of intentional tort?
Intent can be created by any action even if the reasoning is indiscernible so long as it is not accidental or perpetrated by someone who is incapable of a voluntary act
When is intent not present?
Sleepwalking, reflexive movements, epilepsy, etc
Negligence by nature has no intent (it occurs when someone acts without a reasonable amount of care)
White v. Univ of Idaho
piano teacher intentionally used fingers to drum on back of plaintiff who was injured, the teacher was held liable because the act was intended even though the harm was not
Use of Single Intent - Battery does not require the intent to harm or offend, merely the intent to touch from which the harm or offense followed.
Extended Liability - Liable for harm worse than intended
Garrat v. Dailey
a boy moved a chair then when a woman went to sit down she fell and broke her hip. Court ruled that you must intend the harm or offense not merely the act that caused it. Case was remanded for consideration of the boy’s intent.
Use of Dual Intent - Intent requires the action to bring about a result or a reasonable expectation that the result could occur.
Baska v. Sherzer
highschool party where two boys were fighting and the host ended up getting punched, the puncher was liable
Transferred intent
Poltmaier v. Russ
Man went insane and shot his father in law, court ruled that he acted intentionally even though the decision made no sense to us
Irrational actions can have intent, but intent must be present
False Imprisonment
An intentional act to confine
Confinement occurs, directly or indirectly
The person confined is conscious of the confinement
OR
The person confined is harmed by confinement
Duress of Goods
Ability to leave may not be hindered, but if leaving would risk loss or damage to an item of property, it still could be considered false imprisonment
Time Requirement for False Imprisonment
“an appreciable length of time, however short”