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TORTS

 

Professor Abrams

Fall Semester 2004

 

 

COURSE OUTLINE & READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

            We will be using Franklin & Rabin, Torts Law and Alternatives: Cases and Materials, 7th edition.

 

Call the bookstore (617/373-2286) or Gnomon Copy (617/536-4600) to determine if the course materials are available in advance.

 

 

I.                     COURSE INTRODUCTION

 

1.                  A Balancing of Interests

2.                  Pp. 1-6 (Hammontree); 7-17; 17-23 (Christensen).

 

 

II.                  NEGLIGENCE: DUE CARE

 

A.                  Historical Development of Fault Liability

 

1.                  Pp. 33-37 (Brown v. Kendall).

 

B.        Standard of Care

 

1.                  Pp. 37- 47(Adams v. Bullock) (Carroll Towing).

 

C.        Reasonable Person

 

1.                  Pp. 47-58 (Bethel).

 

D.                 Judge and Jury

 

1.                  Pp. 58-64 (Goodman) (Pokora).

 

E.                 Custom

 

1.                  Pp. 67-73 (Trimarco).

2.                  T.J. Hooper (handout)

 

F.                  Statutes

 

1.                  Pp. 73- 85 (Martin v. Herzog) (Tedla v. Ellman).

 

G.                Proof of Negligence

 

1.                  Proof by inference from circumstantial evidence (hypos).

2.                  Res ipsa loquitur: pp. 94-109 (McDougald) (Ybarra v. Spangard).

3.         Medical Malpractice: pp. 109-114 (Sheeley); pp. 122-129 (Matthies).

 

 

III.              CAUSATION

 

A.                  Cause in Fact (“Actual Cause“)

 

1.                  Pp. 341-349 (Stubbs).

2.                  Joint and Several Liability: pp. 368-369.

3.                  Causal Uncertainty: pp. 374-391 (Summers v. Tice) (Hymowitz).

 

B.                 Proximate Cause (“Legal Cause”)

 

1.                  Unexpected Harm: pp. 399-404 (Benn).

2.                  Unexpected Manner: pp.412-419 (McLaughlin).

3.                  Unexpected Victim: pp. 419-431 (Palsgraf v. L.I. RR.)

4.                  Liability to a Rescuer: Wagner (handout)

 

 

IV.             DUTY

 

A.                  Affirmative Duty to Act (“Rescue”)

 

1.                  Pp. 130-144 (Harper) (Farwell)

2.                  Pp. 158-163 (Tarasoff).

 

B.                 Premises Liability

 

1.                  Duty of Care: pp. 197-205 (Heins).

 

C.                 Emotional Distress

 

1.                  Pp. 261-270 (Falzone).

2.                  Pp. 282-291(Portee).

 

 

V.                NEGLIGENCE: AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES

 

A.                  Contributory Fault

 

1.                  Pp. 435-441.

 

 

B.                 Immunities: Intra-family, governmental and sovereign (lecture).

 

C.                 Assumption of Risk

 

1.                  Express A/R: pp. 460-469 (Dalury).

2.                  Implied A/R: pp. 469-476 (Murphy)

 

 

VI.             DAMAGES

 

A.                  Compensatory Damages

 

1.                  Pp. 679-697 (Seffert).

2.                  Collateral source rule (lecture)

 

B.                 Punitive Damages (lecture)

 

 

 

VII.             INTENTIONAL TORTS

 

A.                    Prima Facie Case

 

1.                  Intent: Pp. 864-872 (Garratt v. Dailey).

2.                  Assault/Battery: Pp. 872-875 (Picard).

3.                  False Imprisonment: Pp. 882-888 (Lopez).

4.                  Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress: Pp. 888-894(Womack).

 

B.                   Defenses and Privileges

 

1.                  Consent: Pp. 911-914 (Hart).

2.                  Self Defense: Pp. 914-917 (Courvoisier).

3.                  Protection of Property: Pp. 917-922 (Katko v. Briney).

 

 

VIII.        STRICT LIABILITY

 

A.                  Historical Development

 

1.                  Pp. 498-511 (Rylands v. Fletcher) (Sullivan).

 

 

 

 

IX.             PRODUCTS LIABILITY

 

A.                  The Demise of Privity and the Emergence of Strict Product Liability

 

1.                  Pp. 540-556 (McPherson) (Escola)

 

B.                 Defects

 

1.                  In manufacture: pp. 556-558.

2.                  In design: pp. 558-572 (Soule).

3.                  Instructions and warnings: pp. 581-592 (Hood)

 

C.                 Defenses (lecture).

 

 

X.         DEFAMATION

 

A.                  The Prima Facie Case at Common Law

 

1.                  Libel, Slander, Defamatory Utterance, Publication, Inducement, Colloqium: pp. 948- 970; (Romaine) (Matherson)

 

B.                 Defenses and Privileges

 

1.                  Pp. 974-977; 980-985.

 

C.                 Public Plaintiffs and the Constitution

 

1.                  Pp. 1000-1011 (Times v. Sullivan).

 

 

X.                 PRIVACY

 

A.                  The Right to be Left Alone

 

1.                  Public Disclosure of Private Facts: pp. 1098-1106 (Haynes).

2.                  False Light: pp. 1140-1145 (Cantrell).

3.                  Intrusion: pp.1151-1157 (Nader)

4.                  Appropriation: pp. 1186-1194 (Zacchini, “The Human Cannonball”)

 

B.        Conclusion