Author Question: List and discuss the elements necessary to establish negligence.[br][br][b][color=#FA1639]Question ... (Read 62 times)

scienceeasy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 565
List and discuss the elements necessary to establish negligence.

Question 2

Discuss the concepts of contributory negligence and comparative negligence.



AmberC1996

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 317
Answer to Question 1

For there to be a successful lawsuit for negligence, five elements must be established: duty of due care, breach, factual cause, proximate cause, and damages. Duty is the responsibility to use reasonable care not to injure others around you. If the defendant could foresee that his misconduct would injure a certain person, he has a duty to that person. Normally, there is no duty to avoid the injury of others through nonconduct, unless there is a special relationship. Breach is conduct that fails to meet the standard of reasonable care imposed if there is a duty to the injured party. Factual cause requires that the defendant's conduct, at least in part, actually caused the injury. Proximate cause requires that the risk of harm was reasonably foreseeable and not so remote or bizarre that a reasonable person would never have expected it to happen. And finally, Damages: the plaintiff must have actually been hurt or has actually suffered a measurable loss. The injury must be genuine, not speculative.

Answer to Question 2

Contributory negligence is a defense that can be used by a defendant to avoid liability. Most states have discarded this concept; however, if allowed, even if the plaintiff were one percent responsible for an accident, she cannot recover from the defendant. Comparative negligence is used to pro rate each party's fault in a negligence case. So, if the plaintiff is 50 percent or less responsible, she is allowed to collect relative to her degree of fault. Thus, if the plaintiff were 30 percent responsible for her accident and sustained 100,000 worth of injuries, she could recover 70,000 (70 percent) from the defendant.



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
 

Did you know?

Asthma cases in Americans are about 75% higher today than they were in 1980.

Did you know?

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis syndrome are life-threatening reactions that can result in death. Complications include permanent blindness, dry-eye syndrome, lung damage, photophobia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, permanent loss of nail beds, scarring of mucous membranes, arthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Many patients' pores scar shut, causing them to retain heat.

Did you know?

Hippocrates noted that blood separates into four differently colored liquids when removed from the body and examined: a pure red liquid mixed with white liquid material with a yellow-colored froth at the top and a black substance that settles underneath; he named these the four humors (for blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile).

Did you know?

Signs of depression include feeling sad most of the time for 2 weeks or longer; loss of interest in things normally enjoyed; lack of energy; sleep and appetite disturbances; weight changes; feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, or worthlessness; an inability to make decisions; and thoughts of death and suicide.

Did you know?

The first documented use of surgical anesthesia in the United States was in Connecticut in 1844.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library