SPECIAL DUTY RULES
SPECIAL DUTY RULES
SPECIAL DUTY RULES
AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES
AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES
100

No General Duty to Aid Others

No duty to rescue as a bystander;

exceptions:

 (1) created the peril; (2) special relationship mandates affirmative action (3)  undertaken to act for  benefit of rescue  

100

The Firefighter Doctrine

Firefighters and Police officers who are injured may not recover based on the negligent conduct that required their presence

100

primary assumption of the risk 

One who takes part in an activity accepts the obvious dangers of it that are inherent of that activity                  

But the doctrine of primary assumption of the risk does not apply if the inherent dangers or obscure or catastrophic.

not immune from liability pursuant if it fails to exercise ordinary care and eliminate a known and unnecessary hazard that causes injury to a patron.

100

Contributory Negligence

“all or nothing”, P’s action contributed then there is NO recovery

100

Expressed Assumption of The Risk

Release doesn’t offend public policy 

Release language is clear & unambiguous  & conspicuous

200

When Acting, the Duty of Care Exist

If you act to rescue, you must act with reasonable care under the circumstances. Can’t increases the risk of harm, or harm suffered

200

Healthcare Workers

special relationship exists then owes a duty to exercise reasonable care to protect a third party by warning that person of a specific and immediate threat of serious bodily injury targeted at the person by a specific individual

liable to notify immediate family members or others who are foreseeably at risk of exposure to a disease contracted by an individual the physician is treating

200

Adult Trespassers

Landowner must refrain from reckless, willful or wanton conduct toward trespasser

If trespasser coming onto land to commit crime landowners' duty is to not intentionally injury trespasser

200

Comparative Fault: Pure CF

the amount of damages otherwise recoverable shall be diminished in the proportion amount of plaintiff’s fault

200

Secondary Implied Assumption of the Risk

where the plaintiff has knowingly and voluntarily decided to encounter risk previously created by the defendant’s knowledge.

300

Special Relationships Compelling Action

parent-child, common carrier-patron, contractual relation. (1) to protect against unreasonable risk or physical harm and (2) give them first aid after its knowns or has reason to know

300

Employee/er Relationship

An employer who exercises control over a known incapacitated employee has a duty to take reasonable action to prevent the employee from causing an unreasonable risk of harm to others

300

The Attractive Nuisance Doctrine

Landowner knows/should know children are likely to trespass and

Know/should know artificial condition involves unreasonable risk of death or serious harm and

Condition is dangerous b/c of child's inability appreciate the risk and

Expense of remedying danger is slight compared w/ magnitude of risk and

Landowner fails to exercise reasonable care to eliminate risk or protect the children

300

49% CF

was not as great as the negligence of the defendant

400

Good Samaritan Statue

designed to remove the threat of litigation as potential disincentive to assisting graciously one in need

400

Dillon Rule

emotional distress manifest itself in physical symptoms

-plaintiff must be at or near the scene-

-personally observed or perceived the event

-must be closely related, either by blood or marriage.

400

Licensee

Social guest are licensees

Enters land with landowners' permission for their own purpose or business rather than for the landowner's benefit; Privileged to enter in on the land by the possessor

Same duty to warn as a trespasser

Not to engage in willful reckless or wanton conduct + 

Owe a duty to warn dangerous conditions and/or fix the condition

400

50% CF

was not greater than the negligence of the defendant

500

The Rescue Doctrine

Danger invites rescue; if you cause peril to someone then it is foreseeable that rescue is needed; the injury was not foreseeable if it was not in the act of the rescue.

500

NIED

No Duty to avoid causing emotional distress: Recovery for NIED only when the party has breached another duty, or physical injury

500

Invitee

Someone presents on the land for mutual benefit of both parties (does not have to be monetary) (expressed or implied invitation of landowner) ex: church member, store customer etc.

duty to exercise ordinary care to protect from risks of which owner is aware and those risks of which he should be aware after reasonable inspection

no duty for landowner/occupier of land to warn against open and obvious danger because it hasn't reasonably foreseeable that a visitor exercising reasonable care would suffer injury from blatant hazard

500

Unit Rule

In a jurisdiction of comparative fault always lump defendants' negligence when comparing it against the plaintiffs.