Tort Law Concepts

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to tort law, including definitions and examples of various legal principles.

Tort

A civil wrong causing injury to someone else.

False Imprisonment

The unjustified intentional confinement or restraint of another person's activities.

Intent

The intention to cause consequences or knowing with substantial certainty those consequences will result.

Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

An intentional act that leads to extreme and outrageous conduct causing severe emotional distress to someone else.

Defamation

A false statement of fact that injures a person's reputation.

Libel

Defamation in a permanent form, such as writing.

Slander

Defamation that occurs in an oral form.

Trespass to Land

Entering another person's property without permission.

Conversion

The unauthorized taking of someone else's personal property.

Fraud

A misrepresentation of material facts intended to induce reliance that results in damage.

Public Figure

An individual in the public eye who has a higher burden of proof for defamation cases, needing to show actual malice.

Malice

Knowledge that a statement is false or reckless disregard for its truth.

Entrapment

A legal defense against wrongful incarceration.

Qualified Privilege

A defense in defamation cases that allows certain statements to be made without liability under specific circumstances.

Shoplifting Detention Privilege

The legal right of businesses to detain suspected shoplifters as long as they have reasonable belief.