Fast Quick Tort Flashcards
(45 cards)
Intent: 3 types
The definition for intent includes both intending the conduct or knowing with substantial certainty that such an outcome or consequences would occur.
It can also include transferred intent.
transfer no work conversion or IIED
children can be held for intentional torts.—-however courts have allowed arguments to show that a child is so young as to lack the capacity for intent as an element (Note this includes substantial certainty of the consequences of actions).
Battery:
An actor is subject to liability to another for battery if
(a) he acts intending to cause a harmful or offensive contact with the person of the other or a third person, or an imminent apprehension of such a contact, and
(b) a harmful contact with person of the other directly or indirectly results.
Harmful or offensive act, results in contact with Plaintiff’s person (unpermitted)
Assault:
apprehension of reasonable harm, of imminent contact (words coupled with conduct)
(1) An actor is subject to liability to another for assault if
(a) he acts intending to cause a harmful or offensive contact with the person of the other or a third person, or an imminent apprehension of such a contact, and
(b) the other is thereby put in such imminent apprehension.
False Imprisonment:
Sufficient act of restraint, to a bounded area (threats/inaction are enough)
*shopkeeper privilege, allowed to use reasonable force and reasonable time to detain- IF THEY HAV REASONABLE SUSPICION- they have defense of property- never deadly for property alone
—this may be a chance to use critical race theory by: “indeterminacy” of legal doctrines and how they are used to benefit particular social classes or economic institutions.
CLS often “demystifies” doctrines and “deconstructs” the language of the law.
BC DANGER OF BIAS IN
(1) An actor is subject to liability to another for false imprisonment if
(a) he acts intending to confine the other or a third person within boundaries fixed by the actor, and
(b) his act directly or indirectly results in such a confinement of the other, and
(c) the other is conscious of the confinement or is harmed by it.
(2) An act
IIED:
Intent OR recklessness, Extreme or outrageous conduct, results substantial harm (P like child/pregwoman/guest+bus driver matters) + transferred intent not applicable here, D had to know others watching .
2) Where such conduct is directed at a third person, the actor is subject to liability if he intentionally or recklessly causes severe emotional distress
(a) to a member of such person’s immediate family who is present at the time, whether or not such distress results in bodily harm, or
(b) to any other person who is present at the time, if such distress results in bodily harm.
**Torts scholars like Martha Chamallas challenged the downplaying of emotional harm in favor of physical harm in torts like the infliction of emotional distress as examples of gender bias.
Chamallas and Kerber reveal that while gendered thinking affected the development of legal doctrine about fright and emotional distress, the gender issues remained unexamined by courts. In the early fright cases, courts refused to allow recovery for emotional harms absent a showing of physical impact on the plaintiff.”
Tresspass to land:
Act of physical invasion, land (any part of land where owner could make use of space)
Trespass to chattels:
Act of invasion to personal property
Tort of Conversion:
Act of invasion to personal property, results in damage (serious interference of posessory rights qualify)
(t interfering with plaintiff’s right of possession in the
chattel;)
Defenses or “Privileges” Intentional Torts:
Consent, Self defense, Defense of others, Defense of Propety, Private/Public Necessity
*Insanity is NOT defense
“if a lunatic, having inflicted an injury upon the person or property of another, is not held to make reparation, the party suffering would be without redress.”
Privileges in intentional torts include privileges of self-defense, defense of others, defense of property, recapture of chattel, and necessity
Defense Consent:
Consent (check capacity= child, mental impaired, coerced, consent given fraud/mistake) implied based on custom or P’s conduct
Possible to have “substituted consent” for patients who are not competatnt
Also,
Emergency Rule: three elements: (1) the existence of a medical emergency; (2) the need for treatment to protect the patient’s health; and (3) the impossibility or impracticality of obtaining consent. –“an emergency arises and treatment is required in order to protect the patient’s health, and it is impossible or impractical to obtain consent from the patient or someone authorized to consent for him.”
Defense/priviliege Self Defense
Self defense: justified using reasonable force to prevent imminent force against self (based on reasonable person thinking so too) can stand ground, or in home (castle doctrines), but states split on that
**Timing! he privilege is lost with the passing of the danger.
There is no privilege in retaliation.
-Posner on Bird case with deadly spring gun protecting tulips: “In an era of negligible police protection, a spring gun may have been the most cost-effective means of protection for the tulips.” While spring guns are effective in protecting crops, they impose prohibitive costs on society in most cases.
“neither blanket permission nor blanket prohibition of spring guns and other methods of using deadly force to protect property interests is likely to be the rule of liability that minimizes the relevant costs.”
Defense of others
Defense of others: Can do under same manner and conditions of self defense. (we ask if the other person could have done self-d)
If it’s mistaken belief, but reaonable, court say okay.
Defense of Property
Defense of Propety: dont confuse with self-d can use reasonable force, but never deadly force to protect property alone hot pursuit doctrine you can only use reasonable force if you are in CURRENT pursuit to regain property
Public/Private Necessity
Private/Public Necessity: Only use with 3 property torts
“One is privileged to enter land in the possession of another if it is, or if the actor reasonably believes it to be, necessary for the purpose of averting an imminent public disaster.”
Tort of Defamation
Tort of Defamation: 1. Defamatory statement that turns out to be false, 2. about P, 3. published to 3rd person, 4. damages.
(cant be opinion or names, D has to prove it’s false) (if you can imply person from group, counts)(if 3rd party cant understand it, no count) (if you try not to publish it then no count) *if spoken = slander, P also has to prove “special damages” aka economic harm, *if writing = libel, jury can presume special damages **exception slander per se: P can recover presumed damages even in slander if statement 1) impugns one’s profession 2)accuses of serious crime 3) suggest loathsome disease 4) acuse woman of unchastity
Supreme court has added matters of “public concern”:
5. P needs to prove statement was false 6. P needs to prove some fault of D’s knowledge about whether statement was T/F #6 depends on if Plaintiff is publicofficials/figure vs private citizen. Both need to prove “flasity” but public figure needs to prove “actual malice” and private “negligence” Def damages When 1st Ammendment “public concern” cases: Jury is never allowed to presume punitive or special damages unless P can prove “actual malice” aka reckless disregard
Defamation Defense
Defamation Defenses: Consent, Truth, Absolute Privilege (Any statements In judicial proceedings, legislative proceedings/executive branch people in scope of their duty, spouses) Qualified privilege (if it serves interest of person receiving info ex: student gives privilege to teacher to write reference or public debates)
Invasion of privacy Torts list:
Tort of Appropriation, Tort of Intrusion, Tort of False Light, Tort of Public Disclosure of Private Facts
Tort of Appropriation
Tort of Appropriation- D uses name, image, likeness for commercial advantage without permission (“newsworthy use” doesn’t count ex: biography), only advertising, labeling use
Tort of Intrusion
Tort of Intrusion: Interfering with seclusion, in a way that is highly offensive to reasonable person. (eavesdropping, public place not count)
Tort of False Light
Tort of False Light: widespread dissemination of inaccurate info, done in a highly offensive way (ex: telling fake flattering story
overlaps defamation but broader
Tort of Public Disclosure of Private Facts:
Tort of Public Disclosure of Private Facts: widespread dissemination of accurate private statements done in an offensive way to reasonable person , exception: if this is newsworthy then 1st amendment privilege to say “newsworthy” meaning legit public interest… tabloids qualify
Defenses to Privacy
Defenses to Privacy:
Consent
False light/public disclosure claims adopts all absolute + qualified privileges
Intentional Misrepresentation “tort of fraud”
Intentional Misrepresentation “tort of fraud”
Affirmative misrepresentation by D (omission will not do) 2. Statement D knew was false (fault) 3. Made with intent to induce reliance 4. P had actual + justifiable reliance (was it reasonable forP to rely) 5. Actual Damage
Negligence
Elements:
Duty, Breach of Duty, Factual Causation, Proximate Causation, Damages