Remedies Flashcards
(38 cards)
What is included in Compensatory damages for torts?
1) Compensate a plaintiff for their injury or harm. Includes pain and suffering, medical expenses, and lost wages
What are compensatory damages for contracts?
Expectation damages; plus,
any consequential damages, plus
any incidental damages.
Reduced if the plaintiff fails to mitigate
What is the formula for compensatory damages in contracts?
Expectation damages + consequential damages + incidental damages - failure to mitigate - cost avoided.
What are expectation damages?
subset of compensatory damages to put the injured party in the same position as if the contract was performed (torts and contracts)
What are consequential damages?
reasonably foreseeable damages other than expectation damages that are related to the tort or breach of contract. (tort and contract)
What are the three elements of consequential damages?
1) Foreseeability
2) causation
3) certainty
What are incidental damages?
costs associated with non-breaching parties attempts to remedy the breach. (contract0
what are nominal damages?
cause of action is established but harm is slight. (Contract and Torts)
What are reliance damages?
damages the non-breaching party incurs by relying upon the promise that the other party would perform. Can’t have both reliance and expectation damages. (contracts)
What are punitive damages and constitutional limit?
Meant to punish a defendant who engaged in serious misconduct with an improper state of mind. Constittuional limit: must not impose grossly excessive punishment on a party (no more than 9:1) court will consider reprehensibility of the D’s conduct, the ratio, and the D’s net worth. (Torts, rarely contracts)
What is restitution
Measured by the benefit conferred on the D by the P and awarded under the theory of unjust enrichment. Can recover restitution and compensatory damages. (contract and torts)
What are liquidated damages?
Damages that are agreed upon by parties during the formation of a contract. Generally enforceable if the amount is reasonable and not so high as to be a penalty.
What are the limitations on damages?
1) Actual Cause (torts and contracts): but’for test
2) Proximate cause (torts)
3) Certainty (torts and contracts): damages must be established with reasonable certainty.
4) Duty to mitigate (torts and contracts)
torts: duty to seek medical attention and treatment
contracts; duty to cover, duty seek reasonable alternate employment
5) Benefit Plaintiff received from breach (but not collateral sources of payment)
What are 5 equitable remedies?
1) injunctive relief (torts and contracts)
2) Specific Performance (contracts)
3) Rescission (contracts)
4) Reformation (contracts)
5) Restitution (Torts and contracts)
What are two types of injunctive relief?
1) prejudgment remedy
2) post-judgment remedy
What are two types of Prejudgement injunctive relief?
1) Temporary restraining order (TRO): does not require notice to D or opportunity to be heard. 14 days max federal rules, 15 days max CA. Assume federal rules.
2) Preliminary injunction: effective until final judgment of the court. D must be given notice and opportunity to be heard.
What are the 4 elements of a preliminary injunction?
1) Irreparable harm if no injunction. (money damages does not equal irreparable harm). Real property or unique itmes do
2) Balancing the hardships. P must show that his hardship outweighs D.
3) Likelihood of success on the merits. Is P likely to win at trial.
4) Enforceability: Must be feasible for court to enforce.
What is a permanent injunction and what are the elements?
After P has won a case, a permanent injunction is granted t prevent the violation of P’s rights or to restore the P rights that have been violated.
P must show:
1) irreparable harm if not granted.
2) The hardships if the injunction is not issued will be significantly greater than the hardships on the defendant and the third parties fi the injunction is issued.
What are the 6 elements of specific performance?
1) Must be a valid contract
2) The terms of the contract must be certain and clear.
3) Non-breaching part met conditions or conditions excused so no breaching party’s performance is now due.
4) Money dames are inadequate.
5) Its feasible for the court to enforce and supervise. (no service contracts or rise to indentured servitude under the 13th A.)
6) No defenses exist
What are two categories of contract-based defenses?
1)formation
2) performance
failure of SoF
Fraud
Unilateral mistake
etc.
What are two equitable defenses?
1) Laches: P waited too long and delay resulted in prejudice
2) Unclean Hands: P engaged in unethical or immoral acts relating to contract.
What are 4 types of restitution?
1) Money damages (legal remedy)
2) Constructive trust (equitable remedy)
3) Equitable lien
4) Purchase money resulting trust (Equitable remedy)
What is a constructive trust?
A judicially created remedy that imposes a duty to convey specific property to the P if the D would be unjustly enriched by retaining the property.
What are the 3 elements to a constructive trust?
1) D holds the title to the property that is subject to the trust,
2) D’s retention of the property would unjustly enrich the D; and
3)Legal (monetary) remedy is inadequate.