7: Tort Law
- Page ID
- 11151
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)After reading this chapter, you should understand the following:
- Know why most legal systems have tort law.
- Identify the three kinds of torts.
- Show how tort law relates to criminal law and contract law.
- Understand negligent torts and defenses to claims of negligence.
- Understand strict liability torts and the reasons for them in the US legal system.
In civil litigation, contract and tort claims are by far the most numerous. The law attempts to adjust for harms done by awarding damages to a successful plaintiff who demonstrates that the defendant was the cause of the plaintiff’s losses. Torts can be intentional torts, negligent torts, or strict liability torts. Employers must be aware that in many circumstances, their employees may create liability in tort. This chapter explains the different kind of torts, as well as available defenses to tort claims.
- 7.1: Purpose of Tort Laws
- This page explores the critical function of tort law in a market system, distinguishing it from criminal law and categorizing torts into intentional, negligent, and strict liability. It clarifies the moral rationale for tort liability and the nature of injuries while detailing the purposes of compensatory and punitive damages.
- 7.2: Intentional Torts
- This page distinguishes between intentional torts, such as assault and battery, and other torts, detailing elements necessary for claims, including emotional distress. It examines tortious interference, with cases like Pennzoil vs. Texaco illustrating these concepts, and clarifies definitions of malicious prosecution and defamation. The text explores privacy-related intentional torts, emphasizing that privacy violations can occur even with true but private facts.
- 7.3: Negligence
- This page explains negligence elements: duty of care, breach, causation, and damages, which determine liability. It describes how negligence is assessed based on the reasonable person standard, with specific requirements for establishing causation and damages. The plaintiff must prove negligence caused their injury, and the principle of res ipsa loquitur allows for negligence inference without direct evidence.
- 7.4: Strict Liability
- This page discusses the learning objectives related to strict liability torts and negligent torts, highlighting their historical origins and applications in product liability. It explains that strict liability holds parties responsible for damages from defective products, regardless of fault, as established by cases like Greenman v. Yuba Power Products.
- 7.5: Cases
- This page explores legal cases focusing on false imprisonment and negligence. In Lester v. Albers Super Markets, the court ruled that false imprisonment requires force or threat, finding for the defendant. The Whitlock v. University of Denver case involved negligence regarding trampoline safety, with the court ruling the University owed no duty of care due to lack of a special relationship. Other cases highlighted include Palsgraf v. Long Island R.R.
- 7.6: Summary and Exercises
- This page discusses tort law, emphasizing the duties of care individuals owe one another and its distinction from criminal law, particularly the absence of intent for negligence and strict liability. Key concepts include legal injury and proximate cause, along with employer liability for supervised individuals’ actions.
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