Personal Injury
| Tort Law -- Financial Responsibility |
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| Apart from legislation granting a right to sue for a specific harm, personal injury law generally consists of tort law and the civil procedure for enforcing it. Most scholars agree that tort law has four purposes: (1) compensation for damages; (2) financial responsibility; (3) deterrence; and (4) avoiding self-help. This article discusses the purpose of financial responsibility. More... |
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| Criminal Conversation with a Spouse |
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| Under the common law, there was a tort for criminal conversation with a spouse. Although most states have enacted statutes that abolished the tort, there are a few states in which a spouse may bring an action against a third party for the tort. More... |
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| Negligence Per Se |
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| Ordinarily, a jury determines whether a defendant was negligent in a personal injury action. However, in some cases, a court may determine that a defendant was "negligent per se." If a court determines that a defendant is guilty of negligence per se, then the defendant's negligence is conclusively established and the plaintiff is not required to offer further evidence of the defendant's negligence. More... |
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| Defenses to Actions Involving Recreational Boating Accidents |
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| When a plaintiff files a lawsuit regarding a recreational boating accident, the defendant may claim defenses that are similar to those available in any other accident case. Such defenses include that the accident was inevitable, that the plaintiff was contributorily negligent or assumed the risk, that there was a superseding cause, or that the plaintiff's action is barred by the doctrine of laches or by a statute of limitations.
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| Federal Volunteer Protection Act -- Exceptions |
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| The federal Volunteer Protection Act (VPA) grants immunity to a volunteer who causes harm to a person while the volunteer is performing services for a nonprofit organization or governmental entity. However, under some circumstances, a volunteer is not immune from liability for such harm. More... |
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