TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface to Second Edition xix
Preface to First Edition xxiii
Acknowledgments 000
Notes on the Text xxv
PART ONE
OVERVIEW 1
CHAPTER 1
AN INTRODUCTION TO TORTS 3
I. What Is a Tort? 3
II. An Example of a Tort Suit 4
Walter v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 5
A. Common Law and Statute 12
B. Responsibilities in Tort 16
C. The Role of Lawyers 18
D. Proceeding Through Court 21
III. Tort Law in Context 31
A. Tort Contrasted with Other Areas of Law 31
B. The Politics of Tort Law 38
C. Some Statistics Concerning the Tort System 40
IV. Using This Book 41
References/Further Reading 41
PART TWO
NEGLIGENCE: LIABILITY FOR PHYSICAL HARMS 45
CHAPTER 2
THE DUTY ELEMENT 47
I. Negligence: A Brief Overview 47
A. Elements of the Prima Facie Case 47
B. The Injury Element 48
C. Focusing on Physical Harms 50
II. The Duty Element and the General Duty of Reasonable Care 50
A. Easy Cases: The Unqualified Duty to Conduct
Oneself with 51
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xi
Reasonable Care for the Person and Property of Others 51
B. A Sampling of Easy Duty Cases Drawn from English Law 52
C. The Evolution of Duty Rules 55
MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co. 59
Mussivand v. David 67
III. Qualified Duties of Care 73
A. Affirmative Duties to Rescue and Protect 75
Osterlind v. Hill 76
Baker v. Fenneman & Brown Properties, LLC 77
B. Premises Liability 87
Leffler v. Sharp 88
C. Pure Economic Loss 97
Aikens v. Debow 97
IV. Rowland, Tarasoff, and the Meaning of Duty 109
Rowland v. Christian 109
Tarasoff v. The Regents of the University of California 119
References/Further Reading 134
CHAPTER 3
THE BREACH ELEMENT 137
I. Duty, Breach, and the Meaning of Negligence 137
Meyers v. Heritage Enters., Inc. 138
Martin v. Evans 142
Pingaro v. Rossi 147
Jones v. Port Authority of Allegheny County 148
Campbell v. Kovich 150
Adams v. Bullock 151
II. Defining the Reasonable Person 157
Vaughan v. Menlove 158
Appelhans v. McFall 160
III. Industry and Professional Custom 171
The T.J. Hooper 171
Johnson v. Riverdale Anesthesia Assocs., P.C. 173
Largey v. Rothman 177
IV. Reasonableness, Balancing, and Cost-Benefit Analysis 189
United States v. Carroll Towing Co. 189
Rhode Island Hosp. Trust Nat¿l Bank v. Zapata Corp. 194
V. Proving Breach: Res Ipsa Loquitur 203
Byrne v. Boadle 205
Kambat v. St. Francis Hosp. 206
References/Further Reading 213
CHAPTER 4
THE CAUSATION ELEMENT 217
I. Key Terms and Concepts 217
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A. Actual and Proximate Cause 217
B. Actual Cause, the Jury, and the But-For Test 218
C. Two Meanings of ¿¿Caused¿¿ 219
II. Proving But-For Causation under the Preponderance
Standard 221
Skinner v. Square D Co. 221
Falcon v. Memorial Hospital 231
III. Multiple Necessary and Multiple Sufficient Causes 239
McDonald v. Robinson 239
Aldridge v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. 242
IV. Causation and Burden-Shifting 259
Summers v. Tice 259
References/Further Reading 264
CHAPTER 5
ALIGNING THE ELEMENTS: PROXIMATE CAUSE
AND PALSGRAF 267
I. Proximate Cause (Including Superseding Cause) 268
A. Directness, Foreseeability, and Scope of the Risk 268
Union Pump Co. v. Allbritton 269
Jolly v. London Borough of Sutton 277
B. Proximate Cause and Intervening Wrongdoing
(Superseding Cause) 287
Pollard v. Oklahoma City Ry. Co. 288
Clark v. E.I. Dupont De Nemours Powder Co. 292
II. The Persistent Puzzle of Palsgraf 300
Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co. 300
Petitions of the Kinsman Transit Co. 314
III. Proximate Cause and Affirmative Duties 325
Fast Eddie¿s v. Hall 325
References/Further Reading 335
CHAPTER 6
STATUTORY SUPPLEMENTS: NEGLIGENCE PER
SE, WRONGFUL DEATH ACTS, AND IMPLIED
RIGHTS OF ACTION 337
I. Negligence Per Se 338
Dalal v. City of New York 338
Bayne v. Todd Shipyards Corp. 339
Victor v. Hedges 342
II. Wrongful Death Acts 354
A. Historical Background 354
B. Lord Campbell¿s Act and American Statutes 356
Nelson v. Dolan 359
III. Implied Rights of Action 369
Table of Contents xiii
Tex. & Pac. Ry. Co. v. Rigsby 370
J. I. Case Co. v. Borak 371
Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Federal
Bureau of Narcotics 379
References/Further Reading 387
CHAPTER 7
DEFENSES 389
I. Contributory Negligence and Comparative Responsibility 389
A. Contributory Negligence 389
B. Comparative Fault in Action 392
1. Comparative Fault and Apportionment:
Alternatives 392
United States v. Reliable Transfer Co. 393
Hunt v. Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation & Correction 395
II. Assumption of Risk 404
A. Express Assumption of Risk 404
Jones v. Dressel 404
Dalury v. S-K-I, Ltd. 409
B. Implied Assumption of Risk 414
Smollett v. Skayting Dev. Corp. 414
III. Statutes of Limitations and Repose 424
Ranney v. Parawax Co. 424
IV. Immunities and Exemptions from Liability 432
A. Intra-Familial Immunites 433
Renko v. Mclean 433
B. Sovereign Immunity 442
Riley v. United States 442
C. Libility Exemptions¿No-Duty Rules for Local
Government and Private Entities 449
Riss v. City of New York 449
Strauss v. Belle Realty Co. 458
References/Further Reading 466
CHAPTER 8
DAMAGES AND APPORTIONMENT 469
I. Elements and Availability of Damages 469
A. Compensatory Damages 469
Smith v. Leech Brain & Co. Ltd. 469
Kenton v. Hyatt Hotels Corp. 475
B. Punitive Damages 490
National By-Products, Inc. v. Searcy House Moving Co. 491
Mathias v. Accor Economy Lodging, Inc. 495
II. Vicarious Liability 508
Taber v. Maine 508
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III. Joint Liability and Contribution 519
Ravo v. Rogatnick 519
Bencivenga v. J.J.A.M.M., Inc. 527
IV. Indemnification and Liability Insurance 533
Interinsurance Exch. of the Automobile Club v. Flores 533
V. Enforcing Judgments: Getting to Assets 546
References/Further Reading 549
PART THREE
BATTERY, ASSAULT, FALSE IMPRISONMENT, AND INFLICTION
OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS 553
CHAPTER 9
BATTERY, ASSAULT, AND FALSE
IMPRISONMENT 555
I. Introduction 555
II. Battery and Assault: Elements 556
A. Battery 557
1. Harmful or Offensive Touching 557
Cecarelli v. Maher 558
Paul v. Holbrook 559
2. Intent (First Pass) 563
Nelson v. Carroll 564
Wagner v. State 572
B. Assault 584
Beach v. Hancock 584
Brooker v. Silverthorne 585
Vetter v. Morgan 588
III. Standard Defenses to Battery and Assault 592
A. Consent 594
Koffman v. Garnett 594
B. Self-Defense and Defense of Others 604
Haeussler v. De Loretto 604
C. Defense and Recapture of Property 608
Katko v. Briney 608
IV. Intent Revisited: Unintended Consequences, Knowledge,
and Transferred Intent 615
Vosburg v. Putney 616
Cole v. Hibberd 618
In re White 626
V. False Imprisonment 632
A. Elements 632
Fojtik v. Charter Med. Corp. 632
Table of Contents xv
B. The Defense of Investigative Detention
and Arrest 641
Grant v. Stop-N-Go Market of Texas, Inc. 641
References/Further Reading 649
CHAPTER 10
INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS 651
I. Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress 651
A. The Emergence of IIED 651
B. Elements 654
Dickens v. Puryear 654
Littlefield v. McGuffey 659
164 Mulberry Street Corp. v. Columbia University 673
C. IIED Applied: Employment Discrimination 682
Wilson v. Monarch Paper Co. 683
II. Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress 703
A. From No Injury to the Zone of Danger 704
Wyman v. Leavitt 704
Robb v. Pennsylvania R.R. Co. 705
Consolidated Rail Corp. v. Gottshall 709
B. Undertakings to Be Vigilant of Another¿s Emotional
Well-Being 720
Beul v. ASSE Intl., Inc. 726
C. Beyond the Zone: Bystander Claims 735
Waube v. Warrington 735
Dillon v. Legg 738
Thing v. La Chusa 745
References/Further Reading 758
PART FOUR
LIABILITY WITHOUT FAULT AND PRODUCTS LIABILITY 761
CHAPTER 11
PROPERTY TORTS AND ULTRAHAZARDOUS
ACTIVITIES 763
I. Introduction 763
Brown v. Kendall 764
N.Y. Central R.R. Co. v. White 771
II. Property Torts 780
A. Trespass to Land: Prima Facie Case 780
Burns Philp Food, Inc. v. Cavalea Contl. Freight, Inc. 780
B. Trespass and Necessity 789
Vincent v. Lake Erie Transp. Co. 791
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C. Conversion and Trespass to Chattel 797
Thyroff v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co. 797
D. Consent (With Notes on Media Trespass and on
Defenses Other than Consent) 805
Copeland v. Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. 805
E. Nuisance 809
Sturges v. Bridgman 809
Penland v. Redwood Sanitary Sewer Serv. Dist. 818
Boomer v. Atlantic Cement Co. 825
III. Ultrahazardous Activities 831
Rylands v. Fletcher 831
Klein v. Pyrodyne Corp. 833
Reference/Further Reading 845
CHAPTER 12
PRODUCTS LIABILITY 847
I. Introduction 847
A. Precursors 849
Escola v. Coca Cola Bottling Co. 849
B. The Emergence of Strict Products Liability 858
Greenman v. Yuba Power Prods., Inc. 858
C. The Second and Third Restatement of Torts 864
Cronin v. J.B.E. Olson Corp. 865
II. Basics of a Products Liability Claim 872
A. What Counts as an Injury? 872
B. What Is a ¿¿Product¿¿? 873
C. Who or What Is a ¿¿Seller¿¿? 874
D. The Key to Products Liability: Defect 878
Gower v. Savage Arms, Inc. 880
III. Design Defect 887
A. Applying the Risk-Utility Test for Design Defect 889
Cepeda v. Cumberland Eng¿g Co. 890
B. The Changing Meaning of Design Defect in California
Law 905
Barker v. Lull Eng¿g Co. 905
Soule v. General Motors Corp. 915
IV. Prescription Drugs 931
A. Product Identification and Apportionment 932
Sindell v. Abbott Labs. 933
B. Standards of Defectiveness for Prescription Drugs 946
Freeman v. Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. 948
V. Failure to Warn or Instruct 960
A. Which Risks Require Warning? 961
Anderson v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. 961
B. Proving Actual Causation in a Failure to Warn Case 971
Motus v. Pfizer Inc. 973
References/Further Reading 986
Table of Contents xvii
PART FIVE
TORTS AT THE SUPREME COURT 991
CHAPTER 13
TORTS AT THE SUPREME COURT 993
I. Introduction 993
II. Torts and Evidence: Guidelines for Expert Testimony in
Personal Injury Cases 995
Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 996
III. Torts and Punishment (and Deterrence): Constitutional
Limits on Punitive Damages 1004
BMW of North America, Inc. v. Gore 1005
Philip Morris USA v. Williams 1016
IV. Torts Without Injuries?: Unripened Physical Harm and
Medical Monitoring Claims 1024
Metro-North Commuter R.R. Co. v. Buckley 1025
V. Torts, Fairness, and Efficiency: Mass Torts and Class Actions 1038
Amchem Prods., Inc. v. Windsor 1041
VI. Tort Law and the Administrative State: Preemption 1056
Geier v. American Honda Motor Co. 1058
References/Further Reading 1074
Appendix A: Materials Concerning Walter v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 000
Table of Cases 000
Index 000
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