Chapter 7

Tort

A civil wrong for which the law provides a remedy, typically in the form of monetary damages.

Intentional Torts

Torts that arise from deliberate actions that cause harm to others.

Negligent Torts

Torts that arise from a failure to exercise reasonable care, resulting in unintentional harm.

Strict Liability Torts

Torts in which a defendant is liable for wrongdoing without having to prove negligence or fault.

Negligence

A breach of the duty of care that causes harm or injury to another person.

Duty of Care

The legal obligation to avoid causing harm to others.

Compensatory Damages

Monetary awards intended to compensate the injured party for losses due to a tort.

Punitive Damages

Monetary awards intended to punish the wrongdoer and deter others from similar behavior.

Vicarious Liability

A legal doctrine holding an employer or principal liable for the negligent acts of an employee or agent.

Defamation

The act of harming someone's reputation by making false statements, which can be classified as slander (spoken) or libel (written).

False Imprisonment

The unlawful restraint of a person against their will.

Assumption of Risk

A legal defense that reduces or eliminates liability based on the plaintiff's voluntary exposure to a known risk.

Res Ipsa Loquitur

A legal doctrine allowing the presumption of negligence when an accident implies negligence.

Elements of Negligence

Duty, breach, causation (actual and proximate), and damages.

Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

A tort involving extreme and outrageous conduct that causes severe emotional distress to another.

Trespass

The intentional entry onto land owned by another without permission.

Nuisance

An act that interferes with the use and enjoyment of one's property.